Are carbon wrapped barrels really worth the extra $$ ?

[adam32]

The first vld bullets by several makers were strictly match grade until burger started developing hunting rounds.

And why did Berger do that? Because BOTW was using their "target" bullet but the majority of hunters wouldn't buy them since the box said "target". So Berger made the box orange and put "hunting" on the label. You can thank BOTW for giving you a Berger Hunting bullet and Bob Beck for the Berger EOL bullets.

 

[308cal]

Thoughts??

https://www.bsfbarrels.com/bolt-action-barrels

 

[JDD]

And why did Berger do that? Because BOTW was using their "target" bullet but the majority of hunters wouldn't buy them since the box said "target". So Berger made the box orange and put "hunting" on the label. You can thank BOTW for giving you a Berger Hunting bullet and Bob Beck for the Berger EOL bullets.

So we agree that the demand of match shooters drove the market for vld bullets that were later repackaged for the long range hunting community to expand the market . I rest my case. I remember how frustrating to get something to shoot them when they first came out. I wanted to use them on Rams at 500 yards and nothing I had would shoot them.

 

[adam32]

Thoughts??

https://www.bsfbarrels.com/bolt-action-barrels

Are they actually available? Last I spoke to them they weren't being made yet...

 

[adam32]

So we agree that the demand of match shooters drove the market for vld bullets that were later repackaged for the long range hunting community to expand the market . I rest my case. I remember how frustrating to get something to shoot them when they first came out. I wanted to use them on Rams at 500 yards and nothing I had would shoot them.

Drove the market decades ago, then it became stagnant until the previously mentioned guys built a market for nearly everything else... including most of the companies that advertise on this website...

But, anywho...as far as carbon barrels...there's literally a new thread on here every other week full of opinions, facts, fake news, reviews etc...the search bar is a wonderful tool.

 

[Hardshot]

Wow I have never read before anybody bashing Br shooters . I am a benchrest shooter and long range hunter .
I got interested in the Benchrest community to leaner more skills from a vast amount of great shooters.Shooting benchrest lets me wear out guns built for the job and not put 3000 rounds down the barrels of my hunting rigs a year .
Back to the tread I see the advantages to the lighter barrels for packing less weight as a lot of us are getting older.
The only experience I have as which is better ,one of my club members bought one for benchrest in (a 6 xc )and it lost accuracy after about 15 rounds in a match .The heat did not seem to leave the barrel .He sold it and went back to the heavy steel.Just my 2 cents

 

[TYoung]

My 2 cents,

Carbon wrapped barrels (proof,Christian) offer a weight savings and better accuracy after about 20+ continuous shots than high end steel barrels. But also tend to hold in the heat so velocities can be affected. A steel flutted barrel will cool down faster than a carbon wrapped one, internally.

Carbon tensioned barrels (BSF) give the best results of both carbon wrapped and steel flutted. Has the strenght of a carbon wrapped, but without the resin and carbon holding in the heat.

Again this is just my opinion, I have several different precision guns, one with a proof barrel, another with a brux steel and another with a BSF. All shot within quarter MOA with the right loads. But I also recently bought a Bergara HMR for $900 and it shoots quarter to half MOA groups consistently right out of the box with some good hand loads. So why do we spend 5-6 thousand on our custom guns, To be COOL I guess.

 

[308cal]

Are they actually available? Last I spoke to them they weren't being made yet...

According to their FB page, they have been shipping them for several months now.

 

[Alex Wheeler]

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[Alex Wheeler]

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[skipglo]

Nope. They are not any more accurate than a quality steel barrel. I have both and this is my experience.

I also see no difference other than weight. Accuracy is not what they are selling.

 

[WildRose]

They are only lighter. They will also have less whip. I'm not sure I buy into the heat dissipation claims.
I was helping with R&D for a carbon company for snowmobile parts like handle bars, backers, hoods, and anything else. According to the carbon they were using its roughly 10 times stronger than steel for the same thickness. That would mean less whip in the barrel. Does that mean they are more accurate? More than likely no. As I've seen some amazing steel barrels. So either the whip doesn't hurt as much as you would like to think or they just don't whip as bad as you think.
Here's why I did a carbon on my 6.5 creed. I was looking for the lightest weight rifle I could build and still be accurate. And not just for one shot. So I did carbon. I also have a pencil thin fluted 6.5 Grendel I have for shots under 300 yards. First cold bite shot is always where I expect so for hunting it's not a big issue.

As long as the whip is consistent any barrel can be accurate assuming all else is in order.

If the carbon barrels as advertised have less whip, then the only advantage would be that in theory they should be easier to tun a load for and be less finicky when it comes to what bullets they do or don't shoot well with.

I've never been convinced that they are worth the investment unless one's sole purpose is in building a very light rig.

 

[S96743]

Proof has their weight difference at 12 oz in 284. This is in sendero lite carbon 46 oz vs SS sporter 58 oz.

 

[5RWill]

Proof has their weight difference at 12 oz in 284. This is in sendero lite carbon 46 oz vs SS sporter 58 oz.

That's pretty dang good honestly didn't think it was that much. I just traded my Sendero Lite for a Sendero. Wanted to move up in thickness so it didn't look weird on the PRS2. Though given the AMG, Ultralite rings, the PRS2, i still think it will be around 10lbs.