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I just want to know what it is about a barrel that makes it good. Is it the rifling, consistency of inner diameter or what?

Angels (because the reverse is caused by gremlins.)

Consistency of diameter both bore and groove, straightness, proper stress relief, inner/outer concentricity, ...

Just thinking out loud.

Stress relief is one thing I can see changing POI from shot to shot. But other inconsistencies, while not ideal, remain the same from shot to shot so how could they result in shot to shot variation? That's what I keep wondering. I have some learning to do clearly.

The most perfect barrel in the world won't work perfectly if the bullets aren't as much like each other as possible, and seated straightly in consistent brass.

And then there is the person pulling the trigger. Which is the biggest factor IMO.

Holy Moly, just went to Amazon to see what they are priced at...I been collecting the wrong things. $300-500? Good Grief...

It is a good book for sure.

D

Yeah, I was astounded to find out what they were going for, since mine was purchased for the cover price ($29.95 or whatever it was) whent he book was new. Then a year or two ago this same subject came up here, and I suggested somebody pick up a copy--and found out what my copy was worth!

Don't think JB has ever had a quote that I agree with more than this one

Buy a Savage

prm I have two of the books John suggested if your interested in borrowing them. powdr

I've done that. Now I'm trying to broaden my experience at working on accuracy. With my Savage 10FP you just point in the general direction and little tiny groups appear. Seems that easy anyway.

Biggest factor in the field by a long shot.

I may just take you up on that!

How is the barrel with respect to copper fouling?

Harold Vaughn made the same comment in Rifle Accuracy Facts. OTOH, if your Mauser barrel rises in the channel as you loosen the action screw, it will normally not shoot accurately. Something between the front and rear screws is too high, putting pressure in the wrong place.

Of course, properly floating the barrel does make a difference in most designs.

I had a fun conversation with one of the experts at Pac-Nor, who tended to "inherit" some of the barrels that were headed for the trash. His claim was that barrels with noticeable curvature often shot very well. Go figure.

Barrel whip is a big issue. Sound travels about 10X as fast in steel as it does in air. The shock of the firing pin drop and all that follows travels down the barrel faster than the bullet. When the bullet exits, the tip of the barrel is moving in an arc. If the bullet exits when the tip is at the end of the arc, the rifle will be more accurate. That's what you're tuning when you adjust the BOSS system or fiddle with seating depth and charge.

FWIW, my starting point is with the bullet .030" off the lands. I seldom find reason to change that later.

It did a very good copper mine imitation. I shot some Tubbs final finish through it and then UBC'd it and now it's not bad.

For grins I bedded the rifle in question and I don't think it made any difference. Bedding is something that is either needed or not. If it's not moving in the stock it's not moving and thus no need. Hard to know though, so I just bed my rifles.

I have some Tubbs Final Finish coming today, and two boxes of Black Hills ammo. I have played more with the current scope and it is tracking fine and there does not seem to be any parallax. I'll stick with it for now, but I will have another at the range with me and be ready to swap out.

I might tend to agree with Blackheart if we were talking about bedding and McMillan stocks. Even McMillan says it's "not necessary". As others have stated, the barrel and how it's installed is probably the single most important factor in a rifles accuracy. A "straight and concentric action" is probably second combined with a good trigger. As part of the barrel install includes a good clean crown. After that, as Mule Deer stated, "straight ammo" for a good bullet start down the barrel. That takes care of the rifle so the rest is up to the shooter.

As to "good barrels" being a necessary accuracy ingredient. I've seen obviously crooked barrels that shot fantastic. Others that were pitted from one end to the other and still shot great. I've got a rifle with one land that is obviously fugged up {shorter than the rest and enough so that you can see it looking down the bore with the naked eye} and it's still an honest, consistent MOA shooter. A chamber that's not cut concentric to the bore and/or a bad crown are more certainly detrimental to accuracy than many barrel/bore imperfections.