How do these barrel crowns look to you?

[Turkeygetpwnd38]

I had two barrels chopped recently by a local smith. I've been chasing down flyers and groups ever since with one of them (Seekins). I am just trying to narrow down what could be the issue. I don't want to make problems where there are none and I am not super knowledgable about this stuff. I'm usually an off the shelf, shoots good enough guy. I'm hoping nothing is wrong and it's just me but you more experienced guys, how do these crowns look to you? I did the Q tip test which is what I found recommended on the interwebs, both catch a little.

Another odd thing is both shoot better with my TB Dominus on vs a Raptor 8 I have. The Raptor changes POI a lot, like a foot high and left, and groups awful with the Seekins, opens up groups but is more consistent on Kimber. This wasn't an issue before. I'm going to the range again in a few days and will check the raptor on a control rifle to see if it is the suppressor or not.

Kimber shoots OK, not as accurate as before the chop but consistent groups, albeit a little larger. Main issue is Seekins. I included pics on Kimber just because it was done at the same time by the same smith.

Both rifles were checked with multiple proofed scopes, every screw torqued, etc.

If you need better pictures let me know, I tried to get the best angle I could with lighting.


First rifle- Seekins PH2 6 Creed, cut from 24" to 18"








Second rifle- Kimber Hunter 280AI, cut from 24" to 20"

 

[Judd]

Nothing looks wrong...but I will normally look for a burr on a crown with a qtip...it will pull the fibers off the qtip if there is a burr there.

 

[Turkeygetpwnd38]

Nothing looks wrong...but I will normally look for a burr on a crown with a qtip...it will pull the fibers off the qtip if there is a burr there.

Yea each barrel has a spot that pulled the qtip

 

[black dawg]

Rings, bases, action screws tight?
Have cut a couple with a hacksaw and no cleanup work with no changes in groups or zero.

 

[Turkeygetpwnd38]

Rings, bases, action screws tight?
Have cut a couple with a hacksaw and no cleanup work with no changes in groups or zero.

Everything torqued to spec and double checked. Even swapped scopes to confirm. Kimber shoots OK, just not as well as before. Seekins is the one that I’m getting inconsistencies in groups.

 

[atmat]

Leupold scope?

 

[Turkeygetpwnd38]

Leupold scope?

6 creed- NX8 then a rs 1.2, both proven through multiple seasons

Kimber- SWFA 3-9 and rs1.2

 

[atmat]

6 creed- 1st and NX8 then a rs 1.2, both proven through multiple seasons

Kimber- SWFA 3-9 and rs1.2

Have you tried filing that burr? That’s frustrating bud.

 

[Turkeygetpwnd38]

Have you tried filing that burr? That’s frustrating bud.

Honestly hoping that putting more rounds downrange will smooth any out, not sure if that's a thing but I guess we will see Complicates things a little with the raptor suppressor, I'm not sure if I have an issue there or not but should get answers on that Thursday.

I just wanted to know if anyone with more experienced eyes saw something I didn't

 

[gbflyer]

A lot is made out of a perfect crown, when in reality it is only important for round #1 out of the new barrel. We aren't shooting .001's.

 

[Wrench]

I'm not a chamfer crown fan....but there's nothing there that looks like it is your culprit. If the bore was a bit less tight where it was cut it can do that.....but the odds of it happening 2x are not good.

Can you have someone else shoot it, preferably someone with experience shooting light snappy rifles?

 

[Turkeygetpwnd38]

I'm not a chamfer crown fan....but there's nothing there that looks like it is your culprit. If the bore was a bit less tight where it was cut it can do that.....but the odds of it happening 2x are not good.

Can you have someone else shoot it, preferably someone with experience shooting light snappy rifles?

Thanks for the input. I have experience shooting light snappy rifles.

Like I mentioned, the kimber shoots ok, it’s the light one. The Seekins is almost 10lbs so not the most difficult to shoot. I’m going to continue messing with it, it might be a suppressor issue.

 

[Turkeygetpwnd38]

Well it’s not the suppressor. The raptor 8 does make the shifts larger but shot with my TB Dominus and had similar results. Here is a photo of the target. The first 3 shots were all in red, then the fliers start. I’ve now ruled everything out except the barrel. This gun shot lights out pre cut, now it shoots like this. Again, it’s a 10lbs 6 creed so easy to shoot well.

I also had someone else shoot with similar results. Might not be the crown but something is off. If the threads aren’t completely concentric could it cause this? They aren’t so bad though that baffle strikes are an issue…. Definitely getting frustrated.

 

[Judd]

I had a rifle barrel do that and the bullet was kissing the end cap. No streaks on the end cap are there?

Then came the fun part of the barrel guy said it was the suppressor and the suppressor guy said it was the barrel...at the time I only had one suppressor so the barrel was worthless to me, I sold it. Then the suppressor sickness hit and I eventually bought it back from my buddy when I got a suppressor that had a bigger bore.

Good luck, that sucks!

 

[Turkeygetpwnd38]

I had a rifle barrel do that and the bullet was kissing the end cap. No streaks on the end cap are there?

Then came the fun part of the barrel guy said it was the suppressor and the suppressor guy said it was the barrel...at the time I only had one suppressor so the barrel was worthless to me, I sold it. Then the suppressor sickness hit and I eventually bought it back from my buddy when I got a suppressor that had a bigger bore.

Good luck, that sucks!

Yea fortunately I have multiple suppressors/scopes/guns to check everything on but still a huge pain. Especially when the range is about 1.5hrs from you. Smith might still tell me to go pound sand but we will see.

Funny though, tracking this down did cause me to realize I might have a suppressor issue as well, though small and doubt there is anything to do about it. My Raptor 8 opens up groups substantially across 4 different rifles.

 

[ianpadron]

Have you verified everything was put back together properly after the gunsmithing took place?

Action screws and barrel torque are the first things I'd be checking, then action bedding/recoil lug fitment.

Crowns look fine to me but I'm also of the opinion that the emphasis on them is wildly overblown...if a crown is bad enough to be causing erratic issues, you will know it.

The fact that both rifles are acting funny is suspect, IME Kimbers tend to get more accurate the shorter they get, assuming due to improved harmonics

Check torque specs/fitment and report back.

 

[Turkeygetpwnd38]

Have you verified everything was put back together properly after the gunsmithing took place?

Action screws and barrel torque are the first things I'd be checking, then action bedding/recoil lug fitment.

Crowns look fine to me but I'm also of the opinion that the emphasis on them is wildly overblown...if a crown is bad enough to be causing erratic issues, you will know it.

The fact that both rifles are acting funny is suspect, IME Kimbers tend to get more accurate the shorter they get, assuming due to improved harmonics

Check torque specs/fitment and report back.

I don’t have a way to check barrel torque but everything else has been checked and confirmed

 

[HighUintas]

Well it’s not the suppressor. The raptor 8 does make the shifts larger but shot with my TB Dominus and had similar results. Here is a photo of the target. The first 3 shots were all in red, then the fliers start. I’ve now ruled everything out except the barrel. This gun shot lights out pre cut, now it shoots like this. Again, it’s a 10lbs 6 creed so easy to shoot well.

I also had someone else shoot with similar results. Might not be the crown but something is off. If the threads aren’t completely concentric could it cause this? They aren’t so bad though that baffle strikes are an issue…. Definitely getting frustrated.
View attachment 1066145

Were these shot consecutively without any cooling and if so, Is this how it shoots every time?

If it gets worse and worse like that with more shots (I mean wildly worse like what you show, not going from 1" to 2" group) then I'm inclined to think it would be heat related and maybe there is some contact with the suppressor that gets worse with heating everything up.

I agree on the crown. They look ok. I had a smith chamber a barrel and do the crown, which was a flat recessed crown like yours. He left friggin huge burrs on the crown. I flipped out when I noticed at home, called him and he says "don't worry about it the first couple shots will knock those off". I said BS but I went and tried it. I didn't check to see if it knocked the burrs off but that gun shot lights out. 10 round 1" groups very consistently.