I was talking with a fellow benchrest shooter whom I respect and he asked me what I was up to and I described a build that I have going on. After describing the different components of the build I casually mentioned that after getting the barrel chambered and the brake timed that I wanted to get the barrel fluted. His response to this was as if I was asking if it was ok to commit incest! He became very animated and it brought him out of his chair. I looked around to see if someone were running their fingernails on a chalkboard somewhere. From the response I surmised he was adamantly opposed to this idea. Now I already have a couple barrels that are fluted, Rem Sendero and a 6-284 that was done by Speedy, and they both shoot just fine. 1/2 moa on the Rem and a little more on the other. He contends that fluting will put unnecessary stress on the barrel and that it would need to by kryoed afterwards. I can see where his argument may have merit. What do you guys think?
Flute or Not Flute
- Thread starter Chfcemerson
- Start date
I spoke at length to a fellow who worked for Mike Rock at Rock Creek barrels several years ago. He stated that button-rifled barrels will have stress ADDED to them by fluting. He further stated that cut-rifled barrels are not ill effected by fluting. I have seen evidence that he was correct..
This is going to a..”probably” 300wm. Kreiger (have it already) finished 28”. Heavy varmint for elk and possibly elr. Beast 5 port brake. Throated for 215 bergers or 200 hornady eld-x hunting.
Krieger's are cut rifled. So, according to Rock Creek barrels, there should be no issues..
Hence the fluting to lighten it up a bit, aid in cooling (not really sure cooling is really valid), and give the barrel more of a custom look. Seems like people are very polarized on this issue...not a lot in the middleground. A gunsmith friend of mine said that fluting actually makes the barrel stiffer. Like a beam effect, if your familiar with engineering principles
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Alex Wheeler
Site $$ Sponsor
Fluting reduces stiffness. However a fluted barrel is stiffer than an unfluted barrel of equal WEIGHT because the fluted barrel can have a larger OD. The cooling effect is negligible, and normal flutes usually remove about 6-8oz.
One added benefit that is never really talked about and is really just a minor thing, is, on. Hunting gun that is sometimes grabbed by the barrel, it can possibly add a little bit of grip.
I have never personally had a barrels accuracy deteriorate due to fluting; and I have a 6br with a lot metal removed just to test it. That's not the only barrel I have fluted either.
Accuracy international might have found a problem with flutes but FN obviously never saw a problem. For ever one that says they ruin a barrel there is at least 2 that have barrels that aren't affected.
To each their own
I have never personally had a barrels accuracy deteriorate due to fluting; and I have a 6br with a lot metal removed just to test it. That's not the only barrel I have fluted either.
Accuracy international might have found a problem with flutes but FN obviously never saw a problem. For ever one that says they ruin a barrel there is at least 2 that have barrels that aren't affected.
To each their own
Good point Alex
Cloudrepair
Silver $$ Contributor
I would agree with this but as a machinist I wouldn't call it stress added but stress relieved.
Now I have fluted a couple barrels that I'm pretty sure were button rifled and I think they are fine but I haven't tested them extensively, the first one shot five shot groups through a raged hole the second one i haven't shot yet.
When I fluted them I relieved the stresses evenly by cutting the flutes at three points around the diameter then around the other three points with six rows of interruted fluting.
Medic505
Gold $$ Contributor
I'm sure the folks at Rock Creek are thrilled to condone the fluting of a Krieger barrel......
I had Rock Creek flute one of their barrels. It was a .308 with a 1-13 twist. May very well have been the best barrel I have ever had. And T-Rust me, I have had a lot of them!
Alex Wheeler
Site $$ Sponsor
Food for thought. Krieger flutes as a last operation.
+1. Fluting relieves stress that is already present in the barrel. Button rifled barrels, due to the manufacturing process, by nature are more likely to have stresses present. But, today's manufacturing techniques are very good, and much better than days gone by. I have literally fluted hundreds of barrels in the last 6 yrs and have yet to have one complaint of accuracy issues after the fact. One thing that I do religiously is always to cut the flutes 180 deg apart. I never deviate from this process. So far so good.
Paul
www.proprecisionrifles.com
hogpatrol
Gold $$ Contributor
A few years back, I bought a Kreiger 6.5 barrel that Shiraz had advertised on here, inch and a half with 12 flutes. I doubt they would flute them if it was detrimental.
I gotta be honest, I like the look of a fluted barrel. I will have 5g’s in this rig by the time its all finished and because it’s a custom rifle I want it to look the part. If there are benefits to fluting then all the better. The reduction in weight can't really be justifiable to flute, but it as long as it does not hurt anything, then why not. I’m interested to talk to the people at Krieger and get their opinion. I mean really, who better to pose these questions to than the people that make the barrel. Normally I like to delete these threads after things have been all talked up and try not to load up the forums, but I will keep the post up and let everyone know what I found out from them.
Glenn
Glenn
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