Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Fluted Barrels?

Do they serve any purpose on a hunting rifle? Do you have them on yours?

In the near future I'm going have a .280 Rem built and want a fluted bbl. Do you need a heavier contour in order to have the flutes?

I've seen gun writers and manufacturers claim that the flutes actually stiffen the barrel.

I would have to see that proven to believe it.

If you want to reduce the weight of your rifle, they can certainly do that. Fluted barrels will also cool a little faster because they have more surface area. Not sure that matters on a hunting rifle though.

I think they look pretty neat, but don't have any with flutes.

JM

Never could follow the reasoning of going for a bigger tube so you can flute it.

I'll likely never have one fluted unless it's bought second hand. I have better things to spend money on, like new tubes.

6 flutes cut in my STW number 4 contour barrel.Saved roughly 5 onces.Will I ever do it again.....NO

I believe that given barrels of EQUAL WEIGHT - the fluted barrels are slightly stiffer.

or to look at it another way, it allows you to go up in contour without as much weight.

Folks seem to be able to pack both fluted and non fluted barrels just fine and both types shoot really well.

Six of one, half dozen of another.

I guess that answers part of my question. I'd have to get a bigger tube then, which I don't want to do.

Never did understand how removing metal made a barrel stiffer.

Trying to make it fit a stock?

..........Do have a fluted barrel on my Mk5 Acumark.

Fluted barrels save on rifle weight somewhat, and although I may be wrong, it is also my understanding that they dissipate barrel heat a little better than conventional non fluted barrels.

Some barrel makers won't flute anything less than a #4.

And I don't have a number 4 from anyone on anything.

Looks cool.

It doesn't. Jim said it earlier, a fluted barrel is stiffer than a round barrel of the same weight.

It follows from the fact that more of the cross section is farther away from its centroid, so the fluted cross section has a higher moment of inertia than a round one of the same area.

No. Will order the stock first. Then get the bbl.

You will gain very little as far as weight is concerned but sometimes a little here and there do add up. From everything I have ever read there really is no stiffness increase but the cooling factor does come into play as already mentioned because of surface area. I have even read any gain the possible stiffening fluting might create is offset by the decrease in pure mass. So for these reasons is it worth the extra money? To each there own.

The one factor not talked about much is the "cool" factor. Let's face it we like cool looking rigs.

Key word being, " Of the same weight..."

If you have 2 barrels that are the same weight and flute one, it cannot be as stiff as the unfluted barrel, at least not to my simple mind.

And I know a fella with centroids. Had to have them surgically removed.

JM

That's the "it doesn't" part of my answer.

Fixed that for you.

Because if you flute a barrel of the same contour, the contoured one is now lighter..

And will be stiffer than a smaller contoured tube of the same weight..

Lets talk about boobs.

I don't need it to cool faster because it's not going to be a bench rifle. I'm not looking for a real light weight rig either, nor do I want a larger than needed tube for something that isn't going to be of use to me.


It looks like flutes are off the list.