Tikka Factory Ultra Lite Contour Ammunition POI shift vs custom barrels

PLhunter

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I have long been a vocal advocate of keeping the tikka stock barrels. They have and do shoot great, albeit a tad slow. But for the price they are impossible to beat. Why take off a perfectly accurate barrel? My stock tikka has performed right with or even out performed much more expensive custom setups. One issue though. Different ammunition produces significantly different POI. I'd love to pick a bullet and just stick with it but my need to experiment and preference for using non lead for hunting and lead for plinking has made this difficult in practice. POI shifts are typically vertical 1-2moa and horizontal 1-2 moa with some going right and some going left from average. Firearm is suppressed. What is interesting is there is a difference even between different bullets of the same weight with very similar muzzle velocities.

Reason for the post is my friend has a custom rifle with a proof carbon prefit. So a stiffer barrel. Every single thing he throws through it hits the same POI at 100 yards. It is not much more accurate but it is consistent across a wide spectrum of bullet weights and type. For those who have switched to steel custom barrels of various contours has it improved your POI shift between ammunition type? For those who have kept the factory noodle do you experience the same shift or is there another potential cause?IMG_1047.jpeg
 
It's normal for different ammo to have a different poi even for thicker custom barrels. A stiffer barrel may not have as much but it usually will vary.
 
My cut-rifled barrels (Mullerworks and Brux) shoot more or less everything to the same POI - usually within 0.1MRAD of group centres for 10rd groups. 2B contour fluted so not heavy but not noodle either.
 
It's normal for different ammo to have a different poi even for thicker custom barrels. A stiffer barrel may not have as much but it usually will vary.
I know it’s normal but my friend has had two carbon 20 inch barrels back to back and neither on of them care in the least what is thrown through them. Stories of less even would maybe be enough to swing me. The target above is with similar bullets at similar velocity. If I had shot my 147’s it would be about double the differences seen on that target. But yeah I’m assuming the answer is stiffer will probably be better but by how much it’s hard to tell.
 
My cut-rifled barrels (Mullerworks and Brux) shoot more or less everything to the same POI - usually within 0.1MRAD of group centres for 10rd groups. 2B contour fluted so not heavy but not noodle either.
I have a Brux barrel on my 25-06. Come to think of it. It shoots pretty much everything to the same spot (80 grains excepted) though I’ve experimented with it the least.
 
I expect POI shift is heavily influenced by barrel quality. A barrel that is stress-free, and drilled straight and concentric will be precise and exhibit little POI shift regardless of contour.

a barrel that is not drilled straight and concentric will be less precise and exhibit more POI shift. In this category of barrel, a heavier contour may be better than a lighter contour.
 
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