carbon fiber vs. aluminum sleeved barrels

I have heard alot of people use the carbon fiber barrel with no problems.

Carbon fiber is super light, too light if you ask me. And freaky expensive. I don't know anything about aluminum ones.

Weight is a good thing in a rifle up to a point. A carbon fiber barrel, I feel, would give too much movement. Easy to hold, but also easy to move. I wouldn't think though you wouldn't need to go to such extreme lengths to just have a lighter rifle.

Your money would be better spent on a high quality, standard profile, steel barrel from an awesome barrel manufacturer.

For the price of a aluminum or carbon barrel, and gunsmithing, you could just buy a new 22lr for hunting.

Just looking at one web sight, this is some that are in the same price range as a new barrel $150-$350. With a wide variety, I could of put more up.

http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/product_info.php/cPath/36_63_972/products_id/31193

http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/product_info.php/cPath/36_62_975/products_id/22100

http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/product_info.php/cPath/36_62_975/products_id/24445/Savage+26700+MKIIF+22LR+AT

http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/product_info.php/cPath/36_62_975/products_id/24334

http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/product_info.php/cPath/36_107_979/products_id/17113

http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/product_info.php/cPath/36_107_979/products_id/36681

I put a PWS T3 carbon fiber tension barrel on my squirrel hunting 10/22. I have nothing but good things to say about it, it's quite light and very, very accurate. I'd say they are well worth the $199 or whatever if you are looking to build a lightweight walking rifle as opposed to a bench gun. As an aside, I think I read that PWS turns the cores of their barrels from Green mountain blanks, which should be a good thing.

Aluminum vs carbon?

Thermal expansion coefficient would be the first reason I'd choose carbon. Really, how does aluminum maintain accuracy for a range of ambient temperatures and firing rates?

Secondly, carbon is stronger and stiffer.

Lastly, carbon is lighter -- allows you to add weight, if desired.

The rainbow of aluminum oxides may appeal to others.

But hey, that's all just some basic materials info -- I have no idea about barrel sleeves.

you could just buy a factory taper barrel for $35 bucks and have the lightweight aspect covered.

Carbon fiber/epoxy matrix is a poor conductor of heat compared to aluminium. So if you're going to shoot a lot of ammo in a relatively short time my money would be on one of the aluminium options. On the other hand if it's for hunting where you carry it a lot and don't shoot 30 to 40 rounds in a short time frame then a carbon fiber outer barrel would not be too bad at all.

I have not shot a carbon barrel but I can say that the Tactical Solutions sleeved aluminium barrels are amazing. I am NOT a benchrest sort of shooter but I know enough to realize that good rested shooting is a skill just as much as standing freestyle is. So when I say that my Tac Sol barrel produced a dime size 25 shot group at 25 yards with no flyers you can take it to the bank that the barrel itself is better than that and it was my lack of steadiness and consistency in my holding the gun on the rests from shot to shot that held it back from producing a smaller group size.

grobec said:

Yep, I considered a standard barrel as opposed to a bull barrel, but the barrel channel in my stock is for the bull barrel contour, so....

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Doesn't your bull barrel float without touching the stock?
If so a smaller barrel isn't going to touch either!
Might look a little funny but so what, the squirrels won't care.....

The scariest gun I've ever held was a Christensen Arms 338 Lapua with carbon fiber all over, including a CF wrapped barrel. I think my 22 weighs more. The thing must kick worse than a breakdancing elephant!

That said, if it'll hold up to a .338 LM, .22 should last forever. I agree that you probably should avoid high volume shooting with it, though.

Lawman, I own a rifle like you described. The receiver and break are titanium with the bolt and barrel being stainless steel. Weighs 7.1 pounds and recoil is equal to or less than that of a light weight 308, neck I feel more recoil from my AR buffers than from this rifle. I have no experience with aluminum sleeved barrels, but carbon wrapped ones do not display heat like standard barrels.

BCRider said:

Carbon fiber/epoxy matrix is a poor conductor of heat compared to aluminium. So if you're going to shoot a lot of ammo in a relatively short time my money would be on one of the aluminium options.

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Magnuumpwr said:

I have no experience with aluminum sleeved barrels, but carbon wrapped ones do not display heat like standard barrels.

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We seem to agree that aluminum is an excellent thermal conductor and that cf/e matrix insulates.

So, is it better for your barrel to dissipate heat or retain heat? Or as BC Rider suggests, does the type of shooting dictate the better choice of sleeve material? And why?

So, is it better for your barrel to dissipate heat or retain heat?

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Depends on how much you are shooting. For hunting, it would be best to have a barrel that doesn't suffer from 'cold shot' zeroing problems. But if you shoot several mags of 22 quickly, you'd want to dissipate the heat.

All of this is really moot at a 22lr doesn't subject the gun to much stress or heat. But in theory if you retain too much heat, the barrel might start to droop on you.

I shoot a lot of 22lr benchrest and our first shots are almost never on zero. Not far off mind you, we're talking off of the center of the bull by only a 1/4" or so, but its all about what precision you need.

I would go aluminum for reasons already stated. Plus, either way, you do not need to pay a gunsmith the install the barrel. 2 bolts and it can be swapped out. Youtube if you don't know. Its very easy! good luck!

The reason a CF barrel doesn't display much heat is because it's trapping much of it in the liner and first few layers of the carbon fiber. It is simply a slow process for the heat to conduct out and be carried away.

Case in point. Get some copper and steel tubing that are about the same diameter. Like water pipe and electrical conduit. Cut off about 8 inches of each. Holding one end heat the other in a propane torch. You'll need to drop the copper one far sooner than you have to let go of the steel one. When you can't hold the copper one any longer remove both and set then down flat on some wood to cool. The copper pipe will soon be the same temperature all the way along while the steel pipe will continue to be warmer at one end than the other for a much longer time.

Aluminium is only slightly worse at conducting heat than copper is. So if the goal is to carry the heat out to the outer surface quickly and dissipate it then aluminium is your friend. CF is more like the steel only worse with a lower rate of conductivity for heat.

So why do we have CF wrapped barrels? Because as mentioned not everyone wants to blast off magazines in a short time. And because I'm GUESSING that they have other characteristics that make them better for precision shooting.

This brings us to the idea of expansion with temperature and that "first cold bore" shot that tuj mentioned for benchrest shooting. If the carbon barrel can support the liner better and if the CF jacket's rate of thermal expansion more closely matches that of the steel liner it's quite possible that these may be better barrels for precision shooting in some ways.

But on the other hand aluminium expands more per degree of temperature than steel. So a steel and aluminium barrel might just tension up the liner tighter as it shoots and aid accuracy?

I know enough to figure out the questions and see some of the balances between the factors but it simply leaves me more confused than informed. To really get to know all this you'd want to talk to the barrel makers themselves to find out what sort of shooting each style is intended.

Good to hear your choice is working for you. Your groups sound good, keep at it and I am sure they will get better.

I don't care for the lightweight barrels at all. To me, they are way too light and I've never seen one that would shoot with a good steel barrel. I surely wouldn't take the chance on some off-brand barrel of any construction. I also think the all steel .920" barrels are way too heavy. I built one 20yrs ago when this fad started and it didn't last long before I parted it out and returned the carbine to stock form. IMHO, the best solution for a general purpose rifle that is as accurate as a good heavy barrel but without the excess weight is a medium contour barrel. Either the mid-weight from Clark or the "varmint" profile from Shilen. Heavier than a carbine or lightweight barrel but lighter than a steel heavy barrel. Just right at 7lbs 2oz.