IAcountryboy
New member
I heard somewhere that fluting your barrel and the bolt will help increase accuracy and reduce weight? Is this true and does it actually improve your shot groups?
Bolt and barrel fluting?
- Thread starter IAcountryboy
- Start date
There is a small weight reduction for sure. There's also the possible benefit of giving your barrel more surface area for dissipating heat, so I guess in theory it "could" be accurate over a sting of shots. Over timed slow shots though, I can't see any reason why a fluted bolt and or barrel would have any accuracy advantage over the same bolt and barrel unfluted.
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Having a fluted barrel vs. a non-fluted barrel of the same weight might be more accurate due to the fluted barrel having a larger O.D. but cutting flutes in an existing barrel will not make it more accurate and the potential exists to make it worse. Fluting a barrel would make it lighter than what it is without the flutes though and MAYBE not reduce accuracy.
Personally, I wouldn't do it but it's your call.
Personally, I wouldn't do it but it's your call.
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IAcountryboy
New member
Thank ya both for your advice. Sounds to me like its just somethin that people do to make their rifle stand out. And that it really doesnt do much of anything.
Evil_Lurker
New member
It knocked a pound off of my 20" AR bull barrel and it's shot .5" groups at 100 yards. That's D-Tech's fluting, he does it right so the barrel won't warp. "Random guy" could for sure warp your barrel and degrade the accuracy.
A pound makes a big difference in packing it on stands all day.
As the barrel OD gets smaller, though, it makes less of a difference, since you can't safely flute it as deeply.
I don't know how much it "improves cooling". There's more surface area, but also less mass to absorb the heat.
Warms up faster, cools off faster, I'd guess.
A pound makes a big difference in packing it on stands all day.
As the barrel OD gets smaller, though, it makes less of a difference, since you can't safely flute it as deeply.
I don't know how much it "improves cooling". There's more surface area, but also less mass to absorb the heat.
Warms up faster, cools off faster, I'd guess.
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SuperSeal110
New member
IAcountryboy
New member
SuperSeal, that is a beauty!!! i was thinkin about gettin my 7m Rem Mag done when i get home. and havin a muzzle break done on the end of it too.
joed
New member
Originally Posted By: 2muchgunSo you blame the flutes on the rifle's inaccuracy. Really?
Yes, I do. I played with the bedding and even had my gunsmith look at it. Even the gunsmith said the fault was in the barrel though he did not blame the fluting. The rifle would be spot on for 3 shots then start walking the hits up like the right side of a letter V.
Was it because of the flutes or just a bad barrel? I have no idea. What I do know is I have 4 heavy barrel rifles and none have ever done that. After a year of messing with the Savage I sold it and moved on.
Maybe I'm wrong to place the blame on the fluting. But I'm not about to buy another rifle with fluted barrel and go through all that again.
Below is a target of how the gun would shoot a 5 shot group. I could duplicate it every time.
Yes, I do. I played with the bedding and even had my gunsmith look at it. Even the gunsmith said the fault was in the barrel though he did not blame the fluting. The rifle would be spot on for 3 shots then start walking the hits up like the right side of a letter V.
Was it because of the flutes or just a bad barrel? I have no idea. What I do know is I have 4 heavy barrel rifles and none have ever done that. After a year of messing with the Savage I sold it and moved on.
Maybe I'm wrong to place the blame on the fluting. But I'm not about to buy another rifle with fluted barrel and go through all that again.
Below is a target of how the gun would shoot a 5 shot group. I could duplicate it every time.
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nastynatesfish
Active member
I've hear that the glueing on a bolt helps alot if you live someplace or hunt someplace that is cold enough that you shouldn't be there. The way I've heard/read is it'll keep your bolt from freezing up in your action. As far as the barrel fluting I have 2 with fluting and I do like it. It is suppose to make a barrel some given percent stiffer than a non fluted barrel. If it's a heavy barrel I don't think it would matter?
Winny Fan
New member
Originally Posted By: nastynatesfishI've hear that the glueing on a bolt helps alot if you live someplace or hunt someplace that is cold enough that you shouldn't be there. The way I've heard/read is it'll keep your bolt from freezing up in your action. As far as the barrel fluting I have 2 with fluting and I do like it. It is suppose to make a barrel some given percent stiffer than a non fluted barrel. If it's a heavy barrel I don't think it would matter?
Cell phone revisions or Jerry Springer Show? I'm guessing cell phone. Glueing on a bolt might cause it to freeze up in your action at any temperature. I am curious however as to how you know when it is so cold that "you shouldn't be there"
A fluted barrel is stiffer than a non-fluted barrel of the same weight. Both barrels having the same weight means that the unfluted barrel is skinnier/thinner in profile. Fluting a barrel does not add stiffness.
From the Lilja web site:
Fluted Barrels
Fluting barrels for both competitive target and hunting rifles is quite popular. There are two advantages to using a fluted barrel. Improved accuracy is one advantage because of increased barrel stiffness. If we compare a fluted barrel to one that is not fluted, both weighing the same, the fluted barrel is stiffer. This is because the fluted barrel will be of a larger diameter than the unfluted barrel of the same weight and length. Increasing the diameter of a barrel greatly increases its rigidity. Fluting may also allow for a longer barrel, if weight is a consideration. Another advantage to fluting is the increased cooling rate of the barrel because of the greater amount of surface area exposed to the air. Please look at our FAQ section on fluting too.
If you skim read the statement, it sounds like fluting a barrel improves barrel accuracy by increasing barrel stiffness. If you read the whole statement and take it in total, they are simply saying that a fluted barrel will generally be more accurate than an unfluted barrel (of the same weight) because it is larger in diameter and hence stiffer.
Fluting a barrel can affect accuracy on an already finished barrel, like when fluting is done on some factory rifles. Most good smiths and barrel makers recommend that fluting be done prior to boring and rifleing. If done after boring, etc., the fluting process can induce accuracy hurting stresses in the barrel. I have several fluted barrels and like them, yet one very good custom smith I use does not guarantee accuracy from a fluted barrel if that is what you order. He's had too many complaints about fluted barrels not shooting as well as non-fluted in his business experience.
The barrels I'm talking about with this smith were factory fluted by the barrel maker. His belief is that some fluted barrels might be fluted after boring by the barrel maker as orders arrive, and hence accuracy may suffer from barrel to barrel. The smith will not do fluting himself on a bored and rifled barrel for this reason.
I'm not certain what their current policy is but at one time Hart barrels would not guarantee their normal level of accuracy from a fluted barrel that was fluted after boring. Others disagree considerably, so it seems the jury is divided on the accuracy issue.
In total, in absolutes, all fluting of a barrel does is reduce the weight of the barrel and make it look nice to most eyes if done properly. And a gun smith makes more money selling a fluted barrel. The accuracy part is a variable that might change from barrel to barrel and when the fluting is done.
There are those who say a fluted barrel increases cooling of a barrel. Military testing using infrared technology shows it does. However, other tests done for the military using the same infrared technology shows that bead blasting a barrel surface also increases surface area and is perhaps a better process for cooling barrel steel. Same result with a different processes. With this too, there is no complete agreement on which process is better for cooling.
Cell phone revisions or Jerry Springer Show? I'm guessing cell phone. Glueing on a bolt might cause it to freeze up in your action at any temperature. I am curious however as to how you know when it is so cold that "you shouldn't be there"
A fluted barrel is stiffer than a non-fluted barrel of the same weight. Both barrels having the same weight means that the unfluted barrel is skinnier/thinner in profile. Fluting a barrel does not add stiffness.
From the Lilja web site:
Fluted Barrels
Fluting barrels for both competitive target and hunting rifles is quite popular. There are two advantages to using a fluted barrel. Improved accuracy is one advantage because of increased barrel stiffness. If we compare a fluted barrel to one that is not fluted, both weighing the same, the fluted barrel is stiffer. This is because the fluted barrel will be of a larger diameter than the unfluted barrel of the same weight and length. Increasing the diameter of a barrel greatly increases its rigidity. Fluting may also allow for a longer barrel, if weight is a consideration. Another advantage to fluting is the increased cooling rate of the barrel because of the greater amount of surface area exposed to the air. Please look at our FAQ section on fluting too.
If you skim read the statement, it sounds like fluting a barrel improves barrel accuracy by increasing barrel stiffness. If you read the whole statement and take it in total, they are simply saying that a fluted barrel will generally be more accurate than an unfluted barrel (of the same weight) because it is larger in diameter and hence stiffer.
Fluting a barrel can affect accuracy on an already finished barrel, like when fluting is done on some factory rifles. Most good smiths and barrel makers recommend that fluting be done prior to boring and rifleing. If done after boring, etc., the fluting process can induce accuracy hurting stresses in the barrel. I have several fluted barrels and like them, yet one very good custom smith I use does not guarantee accuracy from a fluted barrel if that is what you order. He's had too many complaints about fluted barrels not shooting as well as non-fluted in his business experience.
The barrels I'm talking about with this smith were factory fluted by the barrel maker. His belief is that some fluted barrels might be fluted after boring by the barrel maker as orders arrive, and hence accuracy may suffer from barrel to barrel. The smith will not do fluting himself on a bored and rifled barrel for this reason.
I'm not certain what their current policy is but at one time Hart barrels would not guarantee their normal level of accuracy from a fluted barrel that was fluted after boring. Others disagree considerably, so it seems the jury is divided on the accuracy issue.
In total, in absolutes, all fluting of a barrel does is reduce the weight of the barrel and make it look nice to most eyes if done properly. And a gun smith makes more money selling a fluted barrel. The accuracy part is a variable that might change from barrel to barrel and when the fluting is done.
There are those who say a fluted barrel increases cooling of a barrel. Military testing using infrared technology shows it does. However, other tests done for the military using the same infrared technology shows that bead blasting a barrel surface also increases surface area and is perhaps a better process for cooling barrel steel. Same result with a different processes. With this too, there is no complete agreement on which process is better for cooling.
joed
New member
Originally Posted By: Winny Fan
From the Lilja web site:
Fluted Barrels
Fluting barrels for both competitive target and hunting rifles is quite popular. There are two advantages to using a fluted barrel. Improved accuracy is one advantage because of increased barrel stiffness. If we compare a fluted barrel to one that is not fluted, both weighing the same, the fluted barrel is stiffer. This is because the fluted barrel will be of a larger diameter than the unfluted barrel of the same weight and length. Increasing the diameter of a barrel greatly increases its rigidity. Fluting may also allow for a longer barrel, if weight is a consideration. Another advantage to fluting is the increased cooling rate of the barrel because of the greater amount of surface area exposed to the air. Please look at our FAQ section on fluting too.
If you skim read the statement, it sounds like fluting a barrel improves barrel accuracy by increasing barrel stiffness. If you read the whole statement and take it in total, they are simply saying that a fluted barrel will generally be more accurate than an unfluted barrel (of the same weight) because it is larger in diameter and hence stiffer.
Fluting a barrel can affect accuracy on an already finished barrel, like when fluting is done on some factory rifles. Most good smiths and barrel makers recommend that fluting be done prior to boring and rifleing. If done after boring, etc., the fluting process can induce accuracy hurting stresses in the barrel. I have several fluted barrels and like them, yet one very good custom smith I use does not guarantee accuracy from a fluted barrel if that is what you order. He's had too many complaints about fluted barrels not shooting as well as non-fluted in his business experience.
Thank you Winny Fan, I don't think anyone was taking in the whole statement "of the same weight". And a fluted barrel weighs less then a heavy barrel.
My gunsmith explained how the fluting needs to be done before boring and maybe Savage didn't do that with the rifle I purchased. For what that rifle cost I expected better. I replaced it with a Rem 700 VS that shot circles around it.
I won't own another fluted barrel. I'll leave them to the guys that think it looks cool. Four heavy barreled rifles in the safe, all will shoot 1/2" or better, one fluted barrel that strung shots.
From the Lilja web site:
Fluted Barrels
Fluting barrels for both competitive target and hunting rifles is quite popular. There are two advantages to using a fluted barrel. Improved accuracy is one advantage because of increased barrel stiffness. If we compare a fluted barrel to one that is not fluted, both weighing the same, the fluted barrel is stiffer. This is because the fluted barrel will be of a larger diameter than the unfluted barrel of the same weight and length. Increasing the diameter of a barrel greatly increases its rigidity. Fluting may also allow for a longer barrel, if weight is a consideration. Another advantage to fluting is the increased cooling rate of the barrel because of the greater amount of surface area exposed to the air. Please look at our FAQ section on fluting too.
If you skim read the statement, it sounds like fluting a barrel improves barrel accuracy by increasing barrel stiffness. If you read the whole statement and take it in total, they are simply saying that a fluted barrel will generally be more accurate than an unfluted barrel (of the same weight) because it is larger in diameter and hence stiffer.
Fluting a barrel can affect accuracy on an already finished barrel, like when fluting is done on some factory rifles. Most good smiths and barrel makers recommend that fluting be done prior to boring and rifleing. If done after boring, etc., the fluting process can induce accuracy hurting stresses in the barrel. I have several fluted barrels and like them, yet one very good custom smith I use does not guarantee accuracy from a fluted barrel if that is what you order. He's had too many complaints about fluted barrels not shooting as well as non-fluted in his business experience.
Thank you Winny Fan, I don't think anyone was taking in the whole statement "of the same weight". And a fluted barrel weighs less then a heavy barrel.
My gunsmith explained how the fluting needs to be done before boring and maybe Savage didn't do that with the rifle I purchased. For what that rifle cost I expected better. I replaced it with a Rem 700 VS that shot circles around it.
I won't own another fluted barrel. I'll leave them to the guys that think it looks cool. Four heavy barreled rifles in the safe, all will shoot 1/2" or better, one fluted barrel that strung shots.
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