Flute Savage Barrel, or Not?

[LanceS4803]

I am building up a Savage 116 as a short to medium range hunting rifle in 300WM.
Received a Savage factory 23" barrel with their installed adjustable brake. Included test target shows .75" 100yd accuracy.

I am trying to cut down on weight as this will be used in the mountains and have two questions:
How much weight will I save by having the barrel fluted?
How likely am I to ruin the accuracy of the barrel by fluting?

Advice appreciated.

 

[kiwiaug]

if you look around there is a artical fro AI who state non-fluted is better.they only sell because that what customers want.

 

[6brshooter]

Had a brux fluted, 26" large shank&.910"@ muzzle. The cold clean bore shot was the same before and after fluting. Agg.accuracy was the same before and after. It is the same, no stringing, on long strings of fire. Ordered the barrel and the contour w.as not right wanted large shank tapered to .850". Got the custom barrel in record time so i hated to send back. The guy that ordered and did the prefit work to it offered to pay brux to flute it, i gambled and it worked just fine. This is a cut rifled barrel with minimal stress induced to it. Had it been buttoned like a factory savage barrel i would have shied away. In the end it probably won't hurt hunting accuracy, but that fluting will add another150+ to a factory barrel. Kinda like buying a new Remington and setting the barrel back, it's factory tube why put any money in it

 

[LanceS4803]

Found this thread with lots of detailed information.
Bottom line; apparently button rifling is more affected by fluting.
http://www.snipershide.com/shooting...rifles/183467-barrel-fluting-=-poi-shift.html

And Savage only wants $40 to flute their factory barrel.

Found an excel calculation that can predict weight savings. Without mic'ing the barrel tonight, estimate 6oz of weight savings.

This rifle won't be used for firing long strings, so weight savings might be worth it.

 

[6brshooter]

I was quoting brux's price, most smiths are more. So savage will do it for 40 plus shipping both ways. Not sure6 oz is worth it, run aluminum rings and base,lol. Never hunted up a mountain but looks like 6 oz wouldn't make a difference. A poi change would be worse to deal with if a trophy animal showed up at 300y and u had to shoot from an improvised position. Combine that with excitement and a poi shift, 6 oz don't sound to heavy IMHO .

 

[Eric B.]

Barrel Fluting gives:
1. more surface area for better barrel cooling (for max cooling effect sandblast surface with a coarse grit and make it "roughened")
2. more stiffness (yes) in terms of less harmonic vibration
3. less weight

Solid bull barrels are not "better" than fluted barrels per se.

If a barrel is cryo treated to relieve any internal stresses (from manufacturing and heat treating) maximum accuracy from THAT particular barrel can be achieved.

 

[6brshooter]

A fluted barrel cools quicker, but it heats up faster also

 

[Eric B.]

Yep, 6BR, fluting reduces barrel mass and thus a fluted barrel heast up faster. Some tests have shown they reach and maintain a lower temp than the SAME diameter and taper bull barrels but others don't. The variable was found to be the "roughness" of the finish. i.e. those beadblasted with a coarse grit kept a lower constant temp.

Just a lot of damn variables B/C Stainless barrels seemed to hold more heat. (Why????)

 

[bodywerks]

I wouldn't waste my money on fluting a factory savage barrel. I'd look into a shilen or McGowan prefluted barrel. Not sure if brux or Douglas offer fluted barrels but they're gtg, too.

PCR/XLR/TAC338 http://i813.photobucket.com/albums/zz53/bodywerks/IMG_20130816_111453_255_zps1b498f0d.jpg http://i813.photobucket.com/albums/zz53/bodywerks/IMG_20130816_111325_951_zps290ebdd0.jpg

 

[6brshooter]

Bodywerks, brux does offer fluted barrels. Sin arms did my prefit, somehow Devin made a mistake and got a .920" vs. a .850" , he sent it to brux on his dime to be fluted. It was actually sent to brux by me after i found the error. Barrel hammered before and after. IMHO a factory barrel isn't worth putting alot of money in it, but if this is a true hunting rifle and will only see 50-75 rds a yr then i guess it would be good for 10 yrs or so.

 

[mallrat]

500-750 rounds? Is 300WM that much of a barrel eater?

6br, it's like the old racing adage, "Don't look for 100 places to shave a pound, look for 1600 places to shave an ounce"

 

[LanceS4803]

This will be set up to be a short to mid-range hunting rifle, only. The barrel length, for weight and maneuverability, is the limiting factor for distance..
So, barrel heating and cooling is not a concern.
Thanks for the replies. I ran the numbers on that excel spreadsheet and found a weight savings of 4.2 ounces.

 

[aubie515]

Why do that on a factory barrel? They dont' weigh that much to begin with and are not expensive to begin with....now if you had a varmint contour from say Pac Nor, CDI, McGowen, Shilen, Benchmark...then it might be worth your effort.