Trivia question: accuracy

[Submoa_hunter]

What do you think is more important for accuracy in a gun? The barrels length, thickness of barrel, material of barrel or all of the above?
Hint: there may be more than 1 answer.

[Lefty-Canuck]

Of the 3 options, IMHO I would go with contour of the barrel......but there are so many other more important factors than the 3 options listed.

(edit: refer to what Elkhunter11 wrote below)

LC

[elkhunter11]

None of the above are in themselves overly important where accuracy is concerned. A short barrel may or may not be more accurate than a longer barrel, a lighter contour barrel may or may not be more accurate than a heavier contour barrel, and a stainless barrel, may or may not be more accurate than a chromoly barrel.The precision used in chambering and mounting the barrel, is much more important, as is the quality of the bedding.

[twofifty]

practicing with what you have is the most important determinant of accuracy.

[Jordan Smith]

+1 to elkhunter11

None of the above. Chambering and installing the barrel, and precision in the build quality of the barrel itself, are far more important.

[Bushrat]

Long, short, light or heavy it's the quality of barrel that makes the ultimate difference. A perfect chamber job and perfect bedding on a piece of crap barrel is a waste of time. You can't make a silk purse out of a sows ear.

[Lefty-Canuck]

Originally Posted by Bushrat

Long, short, light or heavy it's the quality of barrel that makes the ultimate difference. A perfect chamber job and perfect bedding on a piece of crap barrel is a waste of time. You can't make a silk purse out of a sows ear.

No but in the dark with enough makeup, tight clothes and beers even a pig can look ok

LC

[catnthehat]

Originally Posted by elkhunter11

None of the above are in themselves overly important where accuracy is concerned. A short barrel may or may not be more accurate than a longer barrel, a lighter contour barrel may or may not be more accurate than a heavier contour barrel, and a stainless barrel, may or may not be more accurate than a chromoly barrel.The precision used in chambering and mounting the barrel, is much more important, as is the quality of the bedding.

Yup, none of the things mentioned has anything to do with accuracy as far as shape, materials or length go.
The biggest thing that matters is HOW WELL the barrel is made, and the bullet being fired in it.
Cat

[elkhunter11]

A perfect chamber job and perfect bedding on a piece of crap barrel is a waste of time. You can't make a silk purse out of a sows ear.

And by the same token,the best barrel that can be made, is wasted if it isn't chambered or bedded properly. It takes top quality components, and precision gunsmithing to obtain the highest level of accuracy.

[catnthehat]

I think in this particular instance, the OP is asking about the barrel only, with the consideration that everything else on the rifle was done properly.
Cat

[Twisted Canuck]

The manufacture of the barrel is key, there is a reason why makers like Lilja barrels have the reputation they do. An interesting video comparing new Rem. 700 and a Lilja with a borescope.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hf9zZqn00CA

And yet, my 3 Remington model 700s all shot MOA easily. Go figure.

[catnthehat]

Originally Posted by twisted canuck

The manufacture of the barrel is key, there is a reason why makers like Lilja barrels have the reputation they do. An interesting video comparing new Rem. 700 and a Lilja with a borescope.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hf9zZqn00CA

And yet, my 3 Remington model 700s all shot MOA easily. Go figure.

That may very well be, but MOA is not all that hard to achieve these days for many manufacturers .
If I had one of Ron Smith's barrels new barrels put on a rifle and it shot 5 into MOA at 100 it would be going back to him!
That being said, i doubt very much that you would see a barrel like that come out of Ron's shop, or Mick McPhee's ,either!
Cat

[Twisted Canuck]

Originally Posted by catnthehat

That may very well be, but MOA is not all that hard to achieve these days for many manufacturers .
If I had one of Ron Smith's barrels new barrels put on a rifle and it shot 5 into MOA at 100 it would be going back to him!
That being said, i doubt very much that you would see a barrel like that come out of Ron's shop, or Mick McPhee's ,either!
Cat

A person like me, in all likelihood can't tell that much difference between the 700s and the Lilja, my skill level is lower than the rifles I have. I can shoot OK, I get the cloverleaf 5 shot now and then, but just don't have the eyesight or steadiness for it I think. Anything over 250 yrds away looks waaaaay out there to me. Hence, my satisfaction with the low end Remingtons. They still get the job done for me (minute of moose), and in most cases will shoot better than me. I can sure appreciate the guys like yourself who do some serious BR shooting, always a bit in awe of the skill level required for that.

[catnthehat]

Originally Posted by twisted canuck

A person like me, in all likelihood can't tell that much difference between the 700s and the Lilja, my skill level is lower than the rifles I have. I can shoot OK, I get the cloverleaf 5 shot now and then, but just don't have the eyesight or steadiness for it I think. Anything over 250 yrds away looks waaaaay out there to me. Hence, my satisfaction with the low end Remingtons. They still get the job done for me (minute of moose), and in most cases will shoot better than me. I can sure appreciate the guys like yourself who do some serious BR shooting, always a bit in awe of the skill level required for that.

Actually, I'm not a serious BR shooter- never was, except for BR50 that is done with a .22lr!

I am a position shooter , and long range prone shooter , however.
That being said, I shoot more than a few hunting rifles that will shoot MAYBE 1MOA on a good day, and have no worries about it - because most times that's more than I need out of a hunting rifle as far as one shot accuracy goes - it's more what I can do than what the rifle is capable of.

That being said, big game hunting rifle accuracy is a different thing than target rifle accuracy, although some will dispute that.

Those that do would be a arguing with the likes of Warren Page, Jack O'Connor, and Elmer Keith to name a few!

So, TC, you and I are in the same boat, and a host of others as well!
Cat

[Bushrat]

Originally Posted by twisted canuck

The manufacture of the barrel is key, there is a reason why makers like Lilja barrels have the reputation they do. An interesting video comparing new Rem. 700 and a Lilja with a borescope.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hf9zZqn00CA

And yet, my 3 Remington model 700s all shot MOA easily. Go figure.

Thats the deceiving part about that video. The interior surface of the barrel looks like 40 miles of muddy road, occlusions, machining marks, pits, chunks missing from the lands, etc., thing is barrels like that can shoot with the best of them. The important thing with barrels is that they need to be dimensionally perfect, i.e. as long as the barrel is the exact same diameter from end to end, even choked down to a slightly smaller diameter at the crown, the lands consistent in width, height/diameter, stress relieved properly, etc. It may or may not foul more than a perfectly smooth barrel but they can be very accurate. On the other hand a barrel can look smooth and perfect to the eye through a borescope but if it has variations in its diameter or other dimensional problems, stress relieved improperly, it may look like a prize winner but it will never win one and most likely shoot very poorly.

[jim-bo]

number one for accuracy in the gun, the trigger man!

Equipment does not make the shooter.

[rwm1273]

Originally Posted by jim-bo

number one for accuracy in the gun, the trigger man!

Equipment does not make the shooter.

x2

However some equipment is better than others, and often you get what you pay for.