Yep--and Kevin Thomas got to experiment a LOT with various stuff, because it was his job, not a hobby. Learned many things from him, involving all sorts of stuff from the once-popular moly-coated bullets to other stuff.
Kevin is a smart, smart guy with a huge dose of common sense. If he said something, there was no marketing involved....just the facts. The receivers he sent from Sierra's .30 cal. accuracy testing rigs for rebarreling were a story unto themselves.
FWIW, I've found that any crown shape that's been done in an indicated fashion (and finished with the same final step) will give the same on-target performance. Some crowns have a very short life span, however. But it has nothing to do with the angle. I do prefer an 11 degree crown on my accuracy rigs. For a hunting rig, a recessed or floor board style crown gets the nod.
On a factory gun, Remington's rounded crowns were pretty darn good.
Hope all is well with you, John.
