what can fluting my rifle do for me

[USSR]

benEzra has a handle on it. It's not air flow over the flutes that aids cooling, it's the increased surface area. But, as pointed out, the decreased mass will also cause a fluted barrel to heat up slightly quicker. In any case, the reason to flute a barrel is not heat dissipation, it is to balance a rifle that has a heavy contour barrel.

Don

 

[Alphazulu6]

Alphazulu6,

Hmmm, fluting costs about $100. What is $100 when you spend about $2500 on a rifle? You see more than a few fluted barrels in F Class competition. I'm curious as to what LR competition you shoot?

Don

USSR,

Not even sure why I am determining even giving you a response but whatever, since it was a "curious" questioning attack here goes;

#1 you didnt prove that it actually does anything. You just justified the cost.

#2 I shoot 300m. My Anschutz rifles are not offered with a fluted Seehuber barrel (for a reason, or lack of a reason to flute). And none of the serious competition match grade $6000+ rifles use anything but the best stainless bull barrels available to mankind. Its not because of the $100 cost, its because the more mass you have the harder it is to heat it up. Steel does not retain heat (its a conductor) so the surface area thing is a good marketing scheme, neat and sells well, but thats where the road ends as far as performance.

Maybe some of the State Games I have been to you see the people with "every imaginable and unimaginable POS on their rifle" and all you ever see is them bragging about how well or what it is supposed to do... but thats about it, as far as the seeing. I do humor them and stand and gawk at their new found gadgets and gizmos. Take a peek but 99% of the time I do not see it as an advantage, just another thing to lug around and spend time on NOT concentrating on the match.

Bottom line is if you did it, great. Just dont come on the forums claiming it actually does something beneficial so that others are conned into shelling out $$$ to a gunsmith that may not be advantagious to their competition barrel. And ultimately in the end really not give them any advantage (other than saying they have a fluted barrel).

 

[atblis]

No

You just justified the cost.

Didn't justify it, just downplayed it.

 

[Eyesac]

It will burn your lips if you do it at the range.

Hahahaha!

"Mr. Burgundy, we will be honored if you will play yazz flute for us"

 

[USSR]

Bottom line is if you did it, great. Just dont come on the forums claiming it actually does something beneficial so that others are conned into shelling out $$$ to a gunsmith that may not be advantagious to their competition barrel. And ultimately in the end really not give them any advantage (other than saying they have a fluted barrel).

Alphazulu6,

As atblis pointed out, I simply said in the grand scheme of things, an additional $100 is not a big deal in answer to YOUR STATEMENT that the process was expensive. And, I stand by my statement that taking a 7.0# barrel down to 6.5# by fluting can be beneficial for balance purposes, as well as give you a stiffer barrel (an advantage) than a 6.5# unfluted barrel of the same length. You have decided that you don't like and use fluted barrels, and that is your right. I don't like or use moly bullets, but I don't tear down those who use them and call their use "hype", "expensive", "not really beneficial" and a con game. If you look at my posts, you will see that I simply gave precautions to use if someone decides to go the fluted route, as well as how it works and under what circumstances I would consider having it done. Lastly, having shot 1,000 yard competition for 5 years now, I consider that I have something to bring to this forum, and will continue to voice my opinion and give advice about things in which I some level of expertise.

Don

 

[MisterPX]

If you have an M4 profile barrel, there's not much fluting will do for you, as the only area to flute will be the barrel in front of the FSB.