To flute or not

[TackDriver284]

I am in the process of making the list for my new build for GA Precision to build me a 6.5 Creedmoor. It will be the Crusader with a 26 inch barrel and 1:8 twist. Fluting will help reduce weight and have not made a decision. Will fluting reduce stiffness and rigidity and reduce accuracy at long range? Opinions is appreciated

 

[maverick2]

Barrel stiffness/rigidity is a function of the maximum diameter of the barrel, which fluting does not alter. As a result, given two barrels of same diameter, the fluted barrel will be lighter and should cool a little faster, but both should retain the same rigidity. Given two barrels of same weight, the fluted barrel will be a bit stiffer because it's able to use a larger diameter given the weight.

 

[bluecollarhunter]

And looks cool too

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[Billyram]

I had a fluted barrel H-S precision Pro-Hunter 30-06. It was a heavy taper something like #4 24". With their graphite stock the weight was only around 8 lbs. I found it would heat up and cool down quicker than non fluted but not by much. I have a McMillan stocked 30-06 with a #3 24" barrel that weighs 8 lbs that will out shoot the H-S and don't have a problem with heat shooting 5 shot groups.
Billy

 

[IdahoCTD]

If you ask any of the barrel companies, that are being truthful, they will tell you there is no real benefit to a fluted barrel other than cosmetics. They won't shoot better than a equal weight non-fluted barrel and fluting can actually reduce accuracy. It looks cool and I'm sure I'll start offering fluting shortly along with bolt fluting when I get the CNC mill I just bought here and up and running.

 

[TackDriver284]

Thanks guys, I have decided not to flute it after all.

 

[Guy Miner]

Ya, I remember when fluted barrels were just starting to be the "in" thing in the 1990's.

Was shooting a fair number of matches then, and never saw any of the winners running a fluted barrel. That was about all I needed to know.

But... Ya, it does look cool

Guy

 

[TackDriver284]

Sure flutes does look cool, even the spiral ones.

 

[SJB358]

I'm a guy that just likes a standard unfluted barrel. Never saw any real benefit to them.

 

[DrMike]

Can't say I'm a fan of flutes. I may appreciate the looks on a rifle, but I have never ordered a rifle with flutes. I do own one CDL that is fluted from the factory.

 

[longrangehunter]

DO NOT FLUTE THE BARREL! Accuracy International tested this and found fluting effects accuracy, period and why they stopped doing it on their rifles! You'll never see a fluted barrel used by any of the GAP Team Members, 90+% of the time George does not flute his guns. Shelen won't do it, nor would any Jarrett Barrel ever be fluted.

 

[Vince]

All I need to know about fluting has been stated here.

Vince


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[SJB358]

DO NOT FLUTE THE BARREL! Accuracy International tested this and found fluting effects accuracy, period and why they stopped doing it on their rifles! You'll never see a fluted barrel used by any of the GAP Team Members, 90+% of the time George does not flute his guns. Shelen won't do it, nor would any Jarrett Barrel ever be fluted.

That's what I always believed as well. Our PWS armorers could've put ANY barrel on the M40's they wanted and if fluting made them even incrementally better they would have. Our old armorer built a lot of them and mentioned way back in 2003 that it was just for looks.

 

[maverick2]

Fluting a barrel will not make that barrel more accurate, and may even have a detrimental effect on accuracy (whether most shooters are able to detect that effect on a quality flute job is a different question), but I also believe it's not w/o merit. Fluting allows you to shave weight off a barrel while retaining all the barrel length and rigidity -- 2 factors that are important to a lot of shooters where barrels are concerned. If a shooter needs to reduce rifle weight to get into a different competitive class, or simply wants to shave weight off the business end to make a rifle carry easier or balance better, fluting can be an effective tool to do that (particularly if your other options are shorter barrel or lighter profile). Done correctly, it can shave weight w/o a perceptible loss of accuracy. I'm not a huge proponent of fluting (1 out of a dozen rifles of mine is fluted) but I'm pretty sure its purpose is more than cosmetic. Over the years, I've had a couple rifles with bull barrels and none had what I consider nice balance for carrying and shooting while retaining a reasonable barrel length. My current bull barrel (fluted) is the exception to that and is the only bull barrelled rifle I have left for that very reason. (Well that, and the fact that it's hands-down the most accurate rifle I've ever owned.) I don't credit the accuracy to the fluting, by I do credit the balance and some of the enjoyment factor in carrying and shooting that rifle to fluting. Just my $.02.

 

[wildgene]

...the 26" barrel on my Creedmore is fluted, & there is one real advantage since it's still a "hunting rifle", the fluting allowed a med. contour that still balances @ the center of the action, making it fairly comfortable to carry all day...

 

[super-7]

Barrel stiffness/rigidity is a function of the maximum diameter of the barrel, which fluting does not alter. As a result, given two barrels of same diameter, the fluted barrel will be lighter and should cool a little faster, but both should retain the same rigidity. Given two barrels of same weight, the fluted barrel will be a bit stiffer because it's able to use a larger diameter given the weight.

I'm no expert by any means, but reading some of the experts take on Thermal-Dynamics , if it cools faster it will also heat up faster? It's a chicken or egg scenario.
So according to them the only benifit is weight reduction.


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[maverick2]

I'm no expert by any means, but reading some of the experts take on Thermal-Dynamics , if it cools faster it will also heat up faster? It's a chicken or egg scenario.
So according to them the only benifit is weight reduction.

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That's true if you're comparing a fluted and non-fluted barrel of same diameter. The fluted barrel will be lighter so will heat faster, but will have more surface area so will cool faster. If comparing a fluted and non-fluted barrel of same weight however, I believe they will heat up at the same rate, but because of the larger diameter and greater surface areas of the fluted barrel, it will cool a bit faster (and be stiffer). I also believe the biggest benefit in fluting is in weight reduction while maintaining stiffness, and affects on heating/cooling is secondary.

 

[super-7]

I'm no expert by any means, but reading some of the experts take on Thermal-Dynamics , if it cools faster it will also heat up faster? It's a chicken or egg scenario.
So according to them the only benifit is weight reduction.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

That's true if you're comparing a fluted and non-fluted barrel of same diameter. The fluted barrel will be lighter so will heat faster, but will have more surface area so will cool faster. If comparing a fluted and non-fluted barrel of same weight however, I believe they will heat up at the same rate, but because of the larger diameter and greater surface areas of the fluted barrel, it will cool a bit faster (and be stiffer). I also believe the biggest benefit in fluting is in weight reduction while maintaining stiffness, and affects on heating/cooling is secondary.

I can see that plus it just looks cool.


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[wildgene]

...since you're applying the same amount of heat to the same amount of surface area in the bore, but increasing the outside surface area by fluting, it shouldn't 'heat any faster, but it should dissipate the heat quicker...

 

[gbflyer]

I know straight flutes are a real pain to time when rebarreling a rifle. I've done a couple. If I ever order another it will be spirals.