I'm a BOSS proponent. Look what I had to say about the BOSS and buying a non-BOSS equiped rifle in some older posts on AR. I hope you find this beneficial.
[I've got three BOSS rifles. Your thinking too hard into this. The BOSS is a reloaders dream. All one must do is create a round generating as much velocity as safely possible and then tune the BOSS to that load. I really don't see the need of traditional load development going by trial and error to match harmonics. That is the designed intent of the BOSS.]
[When I'm up for it, I can place a five shot group into damn near the same hole at 100yds with all my BOSS equipped rifles. (I use the CR BOSS) Shooting at 300yds supported, I seldom get groups bigger than MOA.
My .308 WIN Eclipse w/BOSS was my first BOSS rifle and I was a fanatical scientist about that gun, shooting test groups to find the sweet spots for 4 bullet weights. I got them all to shoot the same hole. This experience got me very good at "BOSSing guns around" Now, it only takes me a few "2-shot groups" to tune a round.
I also Re-BOSSed those 4 different bullet weights (110gr, 150gr, 165gr, 180gr) after I got my CR BOSS weight. The difference between the muzzle break BOSS and the CR BOSS called for different sweet spot setting. (Actually in the end, I just have to subtract 1.7 from the muzzle break BOSS setting if I want to change BOSS adapters)
My 300 WSM, I got lucky and the factory recommended "sweet spot" was perfect. Thank god because ammo for that gun starts to add up.
Simdow,
A BOSS will change barrel harmonics vastly more, probably exponentially more, than changing powder. I would bet my next paycheck some other demon was at work ruining your efforts.
I also found a bit of information from a Browning technician. The BOSS operates on a continuum. Meaning, if you run out of adjustment needing to go further back than zero, you should go out to 10 and work back down.
FISH: In summary, every BOSS equipped rifle is a sub MOA shooter out of the box, capable of same-hole accuracy. Gone are the worries the gun you just bought won't shoot well and the prospect of complex load development crusades to find accuracy.
I'm going to venture from that insurance I've purchased with all of my rifles to date and buy a WIN FWT. 270 WSM. Because I really love the looks of that gun, and I want at least 1 controlled round feed gun to at least say I have one and can evaluate/validate the CRF feature in the field. However, I'm already getting that worry "Oh I hope that I don't end up with a gun that won't shoot my preferred bullet weight accurately"!]
[OK, maybe more than a few groups, but I can get a gun tuned with less than a 15 rounds. When I BOSS a gun, I place the forend into a suede lined "Bulls bag" or a butterfly type sandbag, so the front of the gun is locked in, much like a firm grip from a shooter. (This way, when your zero off the bag won't be too much different than the zero obtained with the rifle in the bag) I leave the stock of the gun in my shoulder, and let the gun recoil naturally. It will slide in the bag and push my body back, but that is what it does in the field. Just need to make sure you place the gun back into the bag at the same spot each time.
1. The first thing I do is set the sweet spot to the factory recommended setting. I fire two very well aimed shots (This might take a couple minutes too).
2. Analyze the group and I make bold adjustments (4/10ths turn) right from the beginning to see which way I need to tune.
3. Once I establish my right tuning direction I turn by 2/10ths until I either see the bullet go into the same hole, or until I see the following groups start to open up again.
4. If I get a repeated same hole group, I just leave it alone. If, however, I see my next setting open up a group larger than what I was getting, I then go the other direction by 1/10th adjustments.
Now, you can take into consideration the varying field conditions and temperatures you might face while out hunting. I know that change in temperature effects velocity, thus giving different harmonics, so you can either BOSS the gun in the same temps you will be hunting in, or if your like me, you just accept a small varition of change.
I think one is still better off in this regard having a gun that can shoot same hole in the nicer temps and then bringing it out in inclimate weather, than a gun that shoots only 1,1/2" groups.]
