A-ZED Leaderboard

The A-ZED Leaderboard brings the results from my standardized barrel accuracy testing together in one searchable database. Use the available filters to narrow the results by ammunition, barrel characteristics, and other criteria so you can focus on the comparisons most relevant to you.

How to Use the Leaderboard

The leaderboard is designed to make it easy to narrow the results to the comparisons that matter to you. In addition to sorting by A-ZED score, you can filter the data by both ammunition and barrel characteristics.

Multiple filters can be combined to create more focused comparisons. For example, you could isolate 16-inch chrome-lined barrels with a specific twist rate, then further narrow the results by ammunition type or projectile weight.

Filtering by Ammunition

Ammunition can have a significant effect on how a barrel performs, so the leaderboard includes two different ways to narrow the results by ammunition.

The Grain Weight filter displays all tests conducted with a selected projectile weight. For example, selecting 77 grain will show every test using a 77-grain projectile, regardless of manufacturer or ammunition line.

For a more specific search, use the Ammunition text filter. You can search by manufacturer, product line, projectile type, or other terms contained in the ammunition description, such as Federal, Gold Medal, SMK, or MK262.

These filters can also be combined with the other leaderboard filters to make more direct comparisons.

What Is the A-ZED Score?

The A-ZED Score, or A-Zone Equivalence Distance, is a way of expressing group performance in a more practical distance-based format.

The score is calculated from the mean radius of the 30-shot group. Mean radius is multiplied by four to estimate overall group dispersion, and that value is then used to calculate the distance at which the group would span the 5.91-inch width of a USPSA A-zone.

A higher A-ZED score indicates better measured precision. The score is intended to make differences in group performance easier to visualize and compare, rather than replace traditional measurements such as mean radius or extreme spread.

How the Testing Is Conducted

Each barrel is tested using a standardized procedure intended to make the results as comparable as reasonably possible. Testing is conducted at 100 yards, with each ammunition type fired in a 30-shot group under a consistent shooting setup and firing procedure.

The same general testing methodology is used from one barrel to the next so that differences in the results are more likely to reflect the performance of the barrel and ammunition rather than changes in the testing process.

How to Interpret the Results

A higher A-ZED Score represents better measured precision during that particular test, but small differences between scores should not be overinterpreted. Normal variation exists in ammunition, shooting conditions, measurement, and the barrels themselves.

The leaderboard necessarily places the results in order, but two barrels separated by only a small difference in A-ZED Score may perform very similarly in practical terms. The rankings are most useful for identifying broader performance trends and making comparisons between similarly configured barrels tested with comparable ammunition.

Ammunition Matters

A barrel's performance can vary significantly depending on the ammunition being used. A barrel that performs exceptionally well with one load may produce very different results with another, while a different barrel may show the opposite preference.

For that reason, each leaderboard result should be viewed as the performance of a specific barrel and ammunition combination, rather than as a fixed accuracy rating for that barrel. When making direct barrel-to-barrel comparisons, using the ammunition filters can help create a more meaningful comparison.

Individual Barrel Variation

The results shown on the leaderboard apply to the individual barrel tested. Even barrels of the same make and model can vary due to normal manufacturing tolerances, material differences, and other factors.

A strong or weak result from one barrel should therefore not be interpreted as a guarantee that every example of that model will perform identically. When multiple examples of the same barrel have been tested, those additional data points can provide a better picture of how consistently that model performs.

What the Leaderboard Does Not Measure

The A-ZED Leaderboard is focused primarily on mechanical precision, but accuracy is only one factor when selecting a barrel. The rankings do not necessarily account for characteristics such as weight, velocity, durability, barrel life, cost, heat tolerance, or intended use.

A lower-ranked barrel may still be the better choice for a particular rifle depending on the shooter's priorities. The leaderboard should be used as one source of information rather than as a universal ranking of which barrel is "best."

Full Test Details

The leaderboard is intended to provide a quick way to compare results, but it does not include every detail collected during testing. Where available, the an associated link will take you to additional information.

This additional information may include additional group statistics, ammunition performance, velocity data, borescope observations, and other findings that provide important context beyond the leaderboard ranking.

Testing Methodology and Consistency

The goal of the testing process is to keep as many variables as practical consistent from one barrel to the next. The same general shooting setup, target distance, and data collection methods are used throughout the testing.

No test can eliminate every source of variation, but maintaining a standardized procedure makes the leaderboard more useful for comparing results across a large number of barrels and ammunition combinations.

Testing Limitations

The leaderboard should be viewed as a growing dataset rather than a definitive ranking of every barrel on the market. Not every barrel has been tested with every ammunition type, and some barrels may have been tested with loads that perform particularly well, or poorly, in that specific barrel.

Environmental conditions, ammunition lot variation, measurement error, and normal barrel-to-barrel variation can also influence the results. For these reasons, larger differences in performance are generally more meaningful than very small differences between neighboring rankings.

Testing and Affiliate Disclosure

Barrels and other test materials may be purchased by AZED Insights, loaned or donated by supporters, or provided by manufacturers and other companies. How a product was obtained does not affect the testing procedure or its position on the leaderboard.

Some links on this page may be affiliate links. If you make a purchase through one of these links, AZED Insights may receive a commission at no additional cost to you. Revenue generated through affiliate links helps fund ammunition, equipment, and additional testing, allowing this database and other testing projects to continue and expand.

Why 30-Shot Groups?

Small groups can be useful, but they can also be heavily influenced by chance. A particularly tight 3- or 5-shot group may make a barrel look better than it typically performs, while one poorly placed shot can make the same barrel look worse than it really is.

Using 30-shot groups provides a much larger sample of the barrel and ammunition combination being tested. The larger sample helps reduce the influence of random variation and provides a more stable picture of the system's overall precision.

Larger groups also make statistics such as mean radius more useful. Rather than focusing primarily on the two shots that happen to land farthest apart, mean radius considers the location of every shot in the group. With more shots included, the resulting measurement generally provides a better representation of the dispersion pattern produced by that barrel and ammunition combination.

A 30-shot group still cannot perfectly predict how every future shot will behave, but it provides substantially more information than a typical 3-, 5-, or 10-shot group and is better suited to the comparative testing used for the A-ZED Leaderboard.

Some links in the leaderboard are affiliate links, which means AZed Insights may earn a commission if you make a purchase at no additional cost to you. These commissions help fund ammunition, equipment, and future testing.