16" Ballistic Advantage - new barrel 100 yds

[grayfox]

Got some loads I think I can work with for this new BA 16" fluted barrel. 123 ELD and SST's are running AR Comp 28.2, and the 95 Vmax's are H335, 30.3 and 30.5 grs. The upper left (a grou of SST's) are the shakiest, at about 1.2" net/100 yds. I'm only at rounds 50-74 so still breaking in...
First group was the center, then middle-left, then I adjusted zero 3 clicks left and 1 up, then shot the other 123's.
The 95's have virtually same POI, maybe 1/4" low from the 123's.
O yeah, to the far right is a spot I made with 2 Federal 90 TNT's factory... Lined up on a "windage" hashmark on the scope 4 moa left of 0 from the center-right target edge, and took 2 quick ones. BAM! BAM!

I think I like this one better than my 16" Faxon, which started out pretty good but lately has been, well, finicky. TBH I don't know if it was just me or something else, but part of what I'm gathering from this barrel is, since it is a larger diameter (even though fluted), makes it stiffer than a narrower diameter barrel...
The BA has a touch more metal to it also, 25 oz F vs 31 BA... (the Faxon is the gunner profile).

16-BlstcAdv-100yd.jpg

[A5BLASTER]

Looking good gray.

Funny you say that about the thickness of the barrel with the fluting being stiffer.

My 16 inch AA barrel is the same way and that lil thing just shoots, the only bullet I have done loads for that it won't make under a inch is the sst bullet. Everything else has been easy to work up and be under a inch.

It loves the 85 trex bullet, you should try you some.

[grayfox]

I have thought of them yes... but been too busy chasing other loads for now. Maybe someday...

I was curious about how if at all, fluting made a barrel "stiffer." So did some searching/reading. For the same diameter of pipe, taking out some material as fluting reduces its stiffness but apparently not too much. The benefit comes by having a fluted pipe of the same mass as a non-fluted pipe; the fluted one is stiffer (due to larger overall diameter) than the normal pipe of the same mass (weight); just like an I-beam is stiffer than a regular beam that is non-I-beam but same mass. That makes sense to me now.

[BCHunter]

Nice work Grayfox

Have you tried the 120 pro hunters through it? The 16" BA Hanson I assembled for my brother loves that bullet with tac.
Still working on the load but got a .169" 3 shot group at 100 yards with one of the charge weights. Kind of makes it easy to say let's use that one!

[grayfox]

I've got some pro hunters and some gold dots....... I did a little with them and IIRC some ARC or XBR, but have some Tac too, so maybe I should look at 'em.
I'm glad right now that both the 123's look ok. MV for them is about 2440 so it looks to be a fast barrel.
Had some short stroking at first (bolt catch on the mag after last shot) with some of the light wt pills but I had a Kaw (4.3, T2) buffer in there so changed it down to a simple H buffer, 3.7 oz and stroking fine now.

[BCHunter]

That is the one thing with BA grendel barrels, they tend to have small gas ports. And short stroking issues. I had a thread earlier on the BA Hanson doing the exact same thing also, only on last round. My brother didn't want the port drilled out so I polished everything with Flitz, bcg, upper where bcg rides, inside extension tube. Then lubed very well. Ran fine next outing.