Bull Barrels

[rbecker08]

Hey yall I am just getting started into long range shooting and have heard lots of praise about bull barrels or at least heavy weight barrels. I could be mistaken but is the advantage of this type of barrel heat dispersion and reduced recoil or will it have a more dramatic effect on the rifle. Essentually I am looking at getting a well bedded stock for my rem 700 or a new barrel i think both will improve the rifle but which will have the more dramatic effect. Thanks

 

[RT2506]

A quality barrel like a Shilen, Heart, Douglas or Lilja will give you much better accuracy potential than a Remington factory barrel. But then a great barrel and action in a crappie stock won't shoot great either. I would go with a new barrel first.

 

[Mikecr]

Well, for a hunting rifle, a bull barrel is a bad thing.

It destroys any hope of balance
It raises your scope, and weakens your stock
It adds a lot of carry weight
It will do nothing for single shot cold barrel accuracy
So it hurts value

For hunting guns, use light contour -cut rifled barrels.
No fluting, no brakes, and coated black.

ONE SHOT

 

[baldhunter]

Checkout the Remington Sendero rifles.I have one in a 7mm STW and one in a 7mag.They both will shoot 1/2" or less groups.The felt recoil with these rifles is about like a 25-06 and they don't have muzzle brakes.You don't get the muzzle jump like the light barrels,it's more straight back and makes them a pleasure to shoot.The heavy barrel handles the heat much better and seems to dissipate it much quicker.The each his own,but when I go hunting these days,I'm gonna grab one of my Sendero rifles.

 

[bowhunthard88]

Bull barrels also have better barrel harmonics, because they are stiffer. This won't really affect cold bore accuracy tho, but may on a group. Hart makes better barrels than remington could hope to, Remington really is not bad for factory tho.

I'm used to carrying and shooting (prone and off-hand) a 26" long 1" dia. 15 lb. varmint gun. I do a lot of walking with it too.

 

[J E Custom]

What I call a bull barrel is one that has no contour or taper.

I have never had one and see no reason to place one on a hunting rifle.

However I own very few sporter weight barrels because I like the advantages
of heaver barrels.

Lighter barrels can be made to shoot very well but two many things can effect
there consistency from shot to shot.

The heavest barrels that I like to use are # 8 straight taper ,The lightest are
#5 contoured barrels (Slightly lighter than a Sendero taper) .

Sendero contours are around a #6 Lilja contour.

A standard remingtion magnum barrel is around a #4 contour and when replaced
with a #5 barrel there is very little stock work and a much better look and feel not
to mention the accuracy improvement.

The main reason I like the heaver barrels is that they are not as Finicky about the
load combinations ,also normaly they require heaver /more rigid stocks that also
improves accuracy.

I am a believer in "heaver barrels because =
1= Less barrel harmonics when fired.
2= Steader in poor shooting positions.
3= Steader when out of breath (often at high altitude)
4= Less ammo sensitive (Some of my rifles shoot two totaly different bullet weights
With the same POI.
5= Better heat absorption for multiple shots.
6= better follow through on running shots.
7= Less recoil energy and recoil velocity, allowing you to see the hit through the scope
many times.

There are many more reasons but the main one is "I JUST LIKE THEM".

I know some will disagree but thats what makes the world go around.

Just my 2 cents
J E CUSTOM

 

[bowhunthard88]

very well said j e custom, however, I would think that "bull" barrel was meant to mean "heavy contour." I myself always called a heavy barrel a "bull" barrel. Interesting definition tho lol, I like it.

And I DO have BULL (straight contour) barrels on 2 of my varmint guns and there is no downside. 1" dia for 22-250 26", and .78 for 220 swift 26". Awesome varmint and target rifles.

 

[Limbic]

According to Kreiger website the fluting decreases weight and adds rigidity. I guess the high points on the fluting act like "ribs" to provide stability and strength. I'm kinda in mind to believe this because it is always easy to believe something that you like.

 

[J E Custom]

According to Kreiger website the fluting decreases weight and adds rigidity. I guess the high points on the fluting act like "ribs" to provide stability and strength. I'm kinda in mind to believe this because it is always easy to believe something that you like.

All of this is theory and even the barrel makers don't agree with each other.

Some of them promote flutes because of additional cost to customer.

Lilja takes the same stance as the structural engineers do. (A fluted barrel has the
same strength as a non fluted barrel of the same weight).

Read lilja,s FAQs on his web site about fluting.

J E CUSTOM

 

[jcoop]

All of this is theory and even the barrel makers don't agree with each other.

Some of them promote flutes because of additional cost to customer.

Lilja takes the same stance as the structural engineers do. (A fluted barrel has the
same strength as a non fluted barrel of the same weight).

Read lilja,s FAQs on his web site about fluting.

J E CUSTOM

J E COSTOM is correct. It is pretty much common sense. If you look at it the other way arround and weight was not the factor. If you had a fluted barrel and could add the meteral back would it decrease stiffness?

Oh yea I like how it looks too.

 

[rbecker08]

Thank yall for all the advice this is my first rifle and hoping to make it a good one thanks for the help

 

[bowhunthard88]

Fluting really doesn't affect the stiffness of the barrel, but it does increase the surface area of the barrel, which can help cool down the barrel faster. However, if you add the material removed from the flutes back into the barrel, it would longer to heat up. Flutes are great on a hunting rifle because they decrease weight, and may help dissapate heat better on a sporter weight barrel.

They do look cool tho lol. BUT they are more expensive!