What’s the smallest barrel contour that could be fluted?

Alex Wheeler said:

6lb 5oz with the scope. Like you, I have never seen accuracy fall off with smaller diameter quality barrels.

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I totally agree that Light weight/barrel contours can/will shoot accurately.

My experience has been that the lighter the barrel the more finicky they become and only a few loads will work good enough for me. I have some light weight rifles and understand that it will take more effort to find a good load. Normally, only a few loads shoot well. and hopefully I end up with one very good load.

Heavier barrels are less finicky to loading and even the fire form loads will shoot less than 1 MOA most of the time and even factory ammo of most brands shoot well enough to hunt with at reasonable distances. the heavier contours will normally have many load combinations shoot well and with luck you will find one or two loads that are just scary accurate.

In my opinion, an extra pound of barrel weight is well worth the forgivingness and accuracy potential it provides.

If I am going for long range accuracy, I normally start with a minimum of a #4 contour and go up. My favorite contour is something in the range of a Sendero contour up to and including a #8 taper for the big bores.

PS: If I want a fluted barrel, I go with one size larger than a non fluted one that I would normally use for the caliber/purpose.

Just My preference

J E CUSTOM

Thats not been my experience at all. Thin barrels will shoot bigger groups when in between a node, but the nodes are still there like in heavier barrels. I have settled on very good barrels that I know work well in small contours though.

Alex Wheeler said:

Thats not been my experience at all. Thin barrels will shoot bigger groups when in between a node, but the nodes are still there like in heavier barrels. I have settled on very good barrels that I know work well in small contours though.

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Alex,please elaborate on this. What brand barrel do you find/use when ordering small contour?

Kind of what I said. I don't want bigger groups any time, and when I can avoid them, I do but when a lighter rifle is needed or required, I except the downside.

As I have said before, The only advantage a light rifle has over a heavy rifle is weight all other advantages go to the heavy barrel/rifle.

The best example of this is that you don't see any #1 or#2 contours on bench rest or dedicated long range rifles.

Just My preference.

J ECUSTOM

Alex Wheeler said:

Heres the top 4 shots of 1000yd ladder test in a 6.5 creedmoor with 147 eldms I chamber for an ultralight. 2.5" at a grand for 4 shots isn't too bad considering its a fluted #2.

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I need to find some of the magic dust you put in your cartridges to get the velocities you get. It looks like I need to find some RL16 for my CM. Do you find it to be temp insensitive?

That ladder was shot by the owner. But yes RL16 makes good speed, and is very stable.

trueblue said:

Alex,please elaborate on this. What brand barrel do you find/use when ordering small contour?

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Alex
Trying to put together a light weight 6.5, so yes, I would like to hear what brand barrel you like to use on these light weight rifles

trueblue said:

Alex
Trying to put together a light weight 6.5, so yes, I would like to hear what brand barrel you like to use on these light weight rifles

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I have a Krieger #1 blank I would sell.

GAP uses a fluted Bartlein #3 ss on their Extreme Hunter 6.5 SAUM. They don't seem to have any problems with accuracy.

bigngreen said:

How can that be, we all know that light weight guns can't group at range!! Isn't that rifle just over 6 lbs with optics?

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The secret is of course the cerekote you did, the pink action bolts are the key!

Tom

Well, I for one do not believe the wallet group posted earlier represents repeatable 1kyd results. I don't believe the marked aim point, and I don't believe anyone here can expect implied results with a 6.5lb gun(of any sort)..

What I do believe is that such an event, which I'll concede as possible, would be more an anomaly than basis.

Mikecr said:

Well, I for one do not believe the wallet group posted earlier represents repeatable 1kyd results. I don't believe the marked aim point, and I don't believe anyone here can expect implied results with a 6.5lb gun(of any sort)..

What I do believe is that such an event, which I'll concede as possible, would be more an anomaly than basis.

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It was the top end of a ladder test, not a group.

Here is the paper, in front of the backer with the "actual" aim point. I just poked a pen through so as to mark the aim point before peeling it to see my sharpie colors. Repeatable 1/4 moa no, repeatable 1/2 (AT DISTANCE), yes..... repeated no less than 4 out of 4 times



Have to admit, the mark ar 4-12 hinders me more than the light weight of the rifle.


Tom

Mike, your results are yours alone.
Heres a 3 shot group at 1k with my 30 nosler and a 600 yard ladder from my old 28 nosler. #5 on the 30 and a rem sporter contour on the 28. I dont care how small the barrel, if it wont do .3 moa theres an issue. Whether a guy can shoot, load, tune, and get good condition's? Thats on them, but the guns are capable.

rfurman24 said:

I need to find some of the magic dust you put in your cartridges to get the velocities you get. It looks like I need to find some RL16 for my CM. Do you find it to be temp insensitive?

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Thanks but its not magic, Just the loading and chambering philosophy
that I prefer.

I don't believe that you have to seat the bullet against the lands to get accuracy, so none of my rifles are set up this way.

When barrels were so so, bullets were iffy, and chamber reamers were not that good either, plus many poor gunsmiths, It was necessary in order to get any kind of accuracy.

Now all of this has changed and with a little careful selection of components and quality reloads, with all the other improvements, (Many helped by long rang hunting/shooting demands) Seating bullets to the lands is not necessary to get accuracy in my opinion and it cost us velocity unless we exceed recommended chamber pressures.

I believe in 98% to 105% case density @ max SAMME pressures, Plenty of loaded or chambered free bore, Cartridge lengths that will fit into standard magazine lengths, And with all the best chamber reamers and smithing that is possible, fed the best/most concentric loads I can load
in order to get accuracy with velocity at standard pressures.

Simple, not magic . This is just a philosophy that I have migrated to over years (50+) of loading and shooting that has made many things that were considered a Must obsolete for me and proven to produce the highest velocity with the best accuracy. My accuracy goals have always been sub 1/4 MOA and preferably less than 1/10 MOA (possible, but harder).

And to the heat sensitivity of powders, I prefer to go with powders that are the least sensitive to heat and exhibit the lowest SDs for the most "Consistent" Shot to Shot performance and then work on the best loading for it.

Some will not agree with this philosophy, and that is fine because they have had good accuracy using other methods. I am greedy, I want it all. Accuracy, speed, consistency, dependability, safety, Barrel and brass life, ETC. so I leave no stone unturned and results are there.

J E CUSTOM