To Flute or not to Flute?

[Redmt]

I went ahead and had him do the fluting and I did not notice a change in accuracy.

Not to be a jerk or anything but how good a shot you? Poor, average, great, sniper?

 

[Deez Nutz]

Not to be a jerk or anything but how good a shot you? Poor, average, great, sniper?

Valid question.

Usually poor when I'm shooting at an animal but decent on paper/steel.


That particular rifle is a factory remington 700 and I've always shot it right around or just under 1moa at a 200yd zero. After fluting I didn't notice any difference. For credibility sake I've got another rifle that I can consistently keep less than 1moa and often times closer to 1/2 and I've killed a good number of animals with it between 600 and 900 yards.

 

[Redmt]

I'm glad you took it as I meant it.
The longer I take aim the worse I get. I'm fast on acquiring my target and putting a hole in it.

 

[p_ham]

What does @p_ham say about fluting a Shilen barrel? If you stick with a Shilen barrel, and if not voiding the warranty is a concern, could you just go with a lighter contour barrel to save weight?

We're using an X-Caliber barrel, which they're fluting. I've had extremely good performance with their barrels.

 

[Redmt]

We're using an X-Caliber barrel, which they're fluting. I've had extremely good performance with their barrels.

Way cool! I'm still like a little kid waiting for Christmas! I'm loading up a couple calibers I'll never use but I'm staying busy!!!

 

[Wind Gypsy]

I’m not a metallurgist or a machinist so I can’t explain much but I’ve had a bartlein fluted by kampfeld and chambered by beanland not shoot well. Nobody could warranty it but beanland did me a solid and chambered a non-fluted replacement I supplied for free. I’ve had 2 spiral fluted seekins barrels not shoot well. I’ve had one of 2 carbon barrels not shoot well. I just see fluting and turning a blank down tiny and glueing a bunch of carbon to it as a way to impart stresses in a barrel so it seems like a waste of money. If I want a light barrel I order a contour that weighs what I want. We have lots of solutions for muzzle threads now that used to be overlooked and resulted in people getting heavy heavily fluted or carbon barrels just to have desired diameter for threads.

 

[nrpate05]

I'd be interested to see how much weight you actually save.

 

[Potsie]

I haven't talked to him. I don't want to bug him and be a pest. We are going with a lighter contour barrel.

Judging by the shear number of instagram Memes flipped back and forth, he can respond to a text.

Also, he’s not right in the head.

 

[Beignet]

How much weight savings do some flute shavings actually gain?

This is all my mind sees whenever I see a fluted barrel:

 

[Redmt]

Judging by the shear number of instagram Memes flipped back and forth, he can respond to a text.

Also, he’s not right in the head.

I no-comprende Instagram. I barely have time for my afternoon nap.

 

[gemihur]

So, fluting has gone from cylinders to barrels, huh?
... standard fare with T/C Encore Pro Hunter barrels

 

[GHOXP]

I'm brainwashed to think flutes look better except on cap & ball revolvers where unfluted is o.k. too. To me flutes are beautiful and functional as they the reduce weight.

 

[Wild Bill]

How much weight savings do some flute shavings actually gain?

This is all my mind sees whenever I see a fluted barrel:

View attachment 364518

Below is what comes to my mind immediately with spiral fluting. I do think a straight flute looks sharp on certain rifles.

 

[Redmt]

It depends on what your end goal is. If you're looking for "pretty" then there's lots of different patterns and configurations. For weight savings on bull barrels then the helical flute removes a lot of metal while still retaining barrel mass and increasing the cooling surface. I think the straight flute looks great without being too fancy yet still shaving off a fair amount of weight.

 

[Beignet]

It depends on what your end goal is. If you're looking for "pretty" then there's lots of different patterns and configurations. For weight savings on bull barrels then the helical flute removes a lot of metal while still retaining barrel mass and increasing the cooling surface. I think the straight flute looks great without being too fancy yet still shaving off a fair amount of weight.

That’s fair, I guess I always just pictured them on sporter style barrels where they seem functionally useless. Some of the lightest rifles on the market (Howa, Kimber) didn’t see fit to include them.

 

[Redmt]

That’s fair, I guess I always just pictured them on sporter style barrels where they seem functionally useless. Some of the lightest rifles on the market (Howa, Kimber) didn’t see fit to include them.

I have a .300 Weatherby with a pencil barrel. I think if that was fluted the barrel would probably explode. I should have my Savage.17 HMR bull barrel back in a couple weeks. It will be considerably lighter without risk of distortion.

 

[Beignet]

I have a .300 Weatherby with a pencil barrel. I think if that was fluted the barrel would probably explode. I should have my Savage.17 HMR bull barrel back in a couple weeks. It will be considerably lighter without risk of distortion.

I see the practicality in certain applications now.

Still think that say, a Seekins hunting rifle looks like that wrought iron fence that Wild Bill posted.

Did you weigh that Savage barrel before you sent it off for fluting?

 

[Redmt]

I see the practicality in certain applications now.

Still think that say, a Seekins hunting rifle looks like that wrought iron fence that Wild Bill posted.

Did you weigh that Savage barrel before you sent it off for fluting?

No I didn't. I had a Ruger #1 stainless bull barrel that I sent to Wayne York at Oregunsmithing to be rebored and fluted. Unfortunately Wayne York destroyed it. When I got it back, it was considerably lighter. The rifle is with P-ham now having a new barrel made for it.

 

[Beignet]

No I didn't. I had a Ruger #1 stainless bull barrel that I sent to Wayne York at Oregunsmithing to be rebored and fluted. Unfortunately Wayne York destroyed it. When I got it back, it was considerably lighter. The rifle is with P-ham now having a new barrel made for it.

Gotcha. Was looking for some hard weight data.

Enjoy your ur new barrel when it comes in!

 

[kiwi hunter]

For weight saving ya can't beat a hacksaw. 16 or 18 inch barrel does well, but the projectiles slows down somewhat.