Reducing barrel weight

[df65284]

I have one of the new Savage lrpv repeater in 6BR Norma. I plan on using the gun mostly for coyotes. The problem I am having with this gun currently is the weight. Here in western Oregon it is tough to find a spot to set up and call, so some hiking is involved. I am considering fluting and/or turning the barrel down but do not want to lose accuracy. I am a somewhat novice hobby gunsmith and will be doing the work myself. Will either or both of these affect the accuracy? I have heard that they might, but have no first hand experience.

 

[gamma]

Ive been advised in the past that fluting a barrel is done by the manufacturers before the rifling is put in and if you go ahead and flute the barrel after that,your going to f**k the accuracy completely.This was told to me by someone I would have thought knew what he was talking about but then again you never know who you should be taking advise from.Anyway heres my take on it.After speaking with one of the big manufacturers I discovered this was untrue and decided to give it a go, and have done so since no less than ten times and with no adverse affect on accuracy.The important thing here is,dont allow any build up of heat to occur and keep vibration when your cutting to a minimum,use coolant and dont cut each flute in one pass,do it in 4 or 5 passes.You wont shed much weight by fluting the barrel but that wasnt your question,your question was on accuracy.As for turning down the barrel,this I havent done but again if you dont mule it and keep the heat down coolant flowing,I cant see how you should have any problems.Keep us posted and let us know how it goes.

 

[BoydAllen]

Button rifled barrels that are not stress relieved after rifling,This is the case with Savage.)can have problems if they are turned to a smaller diameter. Ask a barrel maker. True match quality barrels are stress relieved after buttoning, contoured, and then hand lapped.

 

[spclark]

Fluting or turning to a new profile is going to introduce stresses that inevitably affect accuracy & perhaps your safety as well.

Risking your only barrel trying to lighten it up seems like folly to me. Better to buy a new barrel, profile & chamber it yourself; you get what you want, without risking your only barrel, then sell the original or keep it for your own use.

 

[df65284]

Thanks for the input. That will probably be my best option, to just re-barrel the action. I would have bought a bare action, but they haven't released the target style action in a repeater yet. Only the complete rifle.

 

[Obtunded]

Fluting is definitely a form of mechanical stress relieveing and if the flutes are not absolutely perfect in spacing and consistent depth, there will be a shift of POI with heating.

A gunsmith friend of mine was cutting off a piece of an old buttoned barrel to use on a die project, and when he was cutting into it, the barrel started binding very tightly to the saw... latent stress.

Definitely re-barrel and either get a light contour cut-rifle barrel, or get a factory-fluted cut rifle barrel.

Krieger or Bartlein come to mind.