Anyone use fluted barrels?

[Mark37082]

Age and physical condition have a significant influence on personal preference in rifle weight. Since you will be walking/hiking with the rifle I would subscribe to trying to cut as much weight as possible. It just makes the day much more pleasant IMO. Keep in mind that I am north of 60 and seem to carry too much other stuff while on a day of hunting. I've never been in a position where I wished for a heavier rifle while hunting.

 

[806 guns]

Age and physical condition have a significant influence on personal preference in rifle weight. Since you will be walking/hiking with the rifle I would subscribe to trying to cut as much weight as possible. It just makes the day much more pleasant IMO. Keep in mind that I am north of 60 and seem to carry too much other stuff while on a day of hunting. I've never been in a position where I wished for a heavier rifle while hunting.

Thanks for the advice. I'm 28 years young but plan to build once and hopefully it will last me a very long time

 

[ntsqd]

Snipped...... That is two barrels of same starting mass then one barrel is fluted. Could you do the same thing but reduce the non fluted barrel total outside diameter after the tennon to equal the same mass as the fluted barrel. One the fluted barrel align the flutes so the full diametersevtions of the barrel are centered at 12 and 6. Be interesting to see the surface area comparison as well. To me these are the more practical comparisons as to me the major reason for fluting for 99% is weight reduction or more specifically maximizing stiffness and cooling for a given mass/weight.

Nothing about doing that would be quick. Which means that I may or may not have time to do it and then push it thru work's analysis plug-in (they're rabidly anti-2A).
The point of my experiment was to compare before and after fluting of the same barrel. Doing what you're asking for is a much more complicated and involved barrel design effort. Intuitively two barrels of the same mass, one fluted, the other not, will result in the fluted barrel being marginally stiffer because even though it is an interrupted surface, it will have a slightly larger effective OD.

Based on this and my previous CAD modeling experiments I do not see fluting as effective in adding significant surface area. Not with the way that it is currently done anyway. If you were to flute a barrel like JP's under hand-guard heat-sink, then you would have increased the surface area significantly, but you could kiss goodbye any rigidity that the barrel might have previously enjoyed as it would be only very marginally stiffer than a pencil barrel of the same root diameter/profile.

 

[Elk Hunter 338]

Now that's a first.

Well,,,, not Really

 

[Rick Richard]

Well not Really
View attachment 599897

No way! This is AI generated. lol.

 

[adam32+P]

How many times do you guys have to shoot at an animal to worry about a barrel heating up???

Maybe concentrate on cold bore accuracy

 

[Koda_]

How many times do you guys have to shoot at an animal to worry about a barrel heating up???

Maybe concentrate on cold bore accuracy

Doing a true cold bore zero is a painfully slow process.

 

[Phil Rizzo]

Well,,,, not Really
View attachment 599897

I can't find that profile on the Pac-Nor calculator

 

[Elk Hunter 338]

Doing a true cold bore zero is a painfully slow process.

not really

 

[Elk Hunter 338]

How many times do you guys have to shoot at an animal to worry about a barrel heating up???

Maybe concentrate on cold bore accuracy

That would make way to much sense

 

[RichCoyle]

Thanks for the advice. I'm 28 years young but plan to build once and hopefully it will last me a very long time

That's a Great idea! I've done that three or four times. But then again I am 80 and I'm doing it one more time.

 

[tim_w]

Nothing about doing that would be quick. Which means that I may or may not have time to do it and then push it thru work's analysis plug-in (they're rabidly anti-2A).
The point of my experiment was to compare before and after fluting of the same barrel. Doing what you're asking for is a much more complicated and involved barrel design effort. Intuitively two barrels of the same mass, one fluted, the other not, will result in the fluted barrel being marginally stiffer because even though it is an interrupted surface, it will have a slightly larger effective OD.

Based on this and my previous CAD modeling experiments I do not see fluting as effective in adding significant surface area. Not with the way that it is currently done anyway. If you were to flute a barrel like JP's under hand-guard heat-sink, then you would have increased the surface area significantly, but you could kiss goodbye any rigidity that the barrel might have previously enjoyed as it would be only very marginally stiffer than a pencil barrel of the same root diameter/profile.

Thanks, I forget how much work and time it is to do that modeling. The work you already did is much appreciated. I do agree that the standard straight traditional flutes certainly does not maximize surface area.

 

[tim_w]

I agree! I was trying to find out the OP's ultimate goal because people often forget to factor it in. I know what you mean about humping through elevation gains. Below is my .270 AI with 30" Lilja barrel with sendero contour; it is 12 lbs as seen - hunt-ready. I appreciate the under 8-9 lbs rigs as I get older.

View attachment 599819

Exactly!

Nice gun. Having grown up shooting traditional hunting rifles I am quite comfortable with those style grips on the stock. Its still comfy for me even with much mire time on more vert grips

I still recall the ONE and ONLY time I decided to take my trg22 with bipod and some heavy NF I believe was the scope. Was so proud of that hun when I saved up and purchased it. On that hunt I was only moving up and down about 2k ft of elevation change so nothing vs what you have out west. It was about 10 miles total hike in and 3-5 miles per day. Still really took a toll on me and I was much younger and in very good shape. Got home and weighed that beast. 17.2lbs. Never ever again unless it has chevtac or bmg in its name. Same as you now that I am getting older weight starts to matter more. Not so much nit being able to but more the difference between work and pleasure/enjoyment.

I honestly do not think I have ever hunted with a 30" or more barrel. Have owned a few but they were range or comp guns.

 

[ntsqd]

I'm reminded of the adage that it's easier to take the weight off yourself than it is to take the weight off your gear.

Yeah, I Call BS!!

Clearly whomever said that was a young person.
Still, a lighter me would have a huge ripple effect of good things. Not the least of which would be to more easily hump that heavier gear around.

I thought that I'd figured out a way to model a matching weight barrel, but it either won't work or it needs some tuning. I'll try to think on it more.