What are the advantages of fluted barrels?
- reduced weight?
- faster cooling due to increased surface area?
- Would they not heat up faster with the flutes - less material in barrel?
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What are the advantages of fluted barrels?
- reduced weight?
- faster cooling due to increased surface area?
- Would they not heat up faster with the flutes - less material in barrel?
Honestly, its mostly cosmetics. The weight difference is only 1 or 2 oz. They are slightly stiffer, and shed heat a bit more. Most high use varmint rigs arent fluted, but have heavier contours to soak up the heat.
I think it has to reduce some amount of weight just due to the material removed by fluting, but it's still a heavy barrel. I'm guessing my fluted bull barrel on a .223 is at least 7 lbs. That adds much to the total weight and gives it a barrel heavy balance.
It doesn't heat up nearly as quickly as a sporter barrel and the barrel isn't as "whippy" as a sporter barrel shooting.
The advantage of the fluted barrel is the consistency of POI due to stiffness and it's ability to reduce warping.
Mainly cosmetics some fluted barrels shoot very well, but then again there are many non fluted barreled rifles that are just as accurate . It's a six of one , half dozen of the other type of deal .
You can take two identical rifles of fluted barrel configuration , and one will be more accurate than the other shooting the exact same ammunition . The same thing happens with non fluted barrels .