Carbon fiber weight savings

[Burley]

I am looking into a carbon fiber barrel. I'm wondering how much weight savings people have had by switching to a Caron fiber wrapped barrel. I have a Rem 700 LR in 300wm that I am trying to reduce weight by changing the barrel.

Doesn't seem like a lot of info online. I see a lot of opinions about accuracy, barrel life, heat dissipation. Plenty of info and opinions on that. However what I was hoping for would be a list from people on just how much weight savings they have gotten out of them.

So if you have experience with carbon barrels please post below.

 

[Rich Coyle]

A couple years ago I did a couple wildcats. A larger one and a medium one. The large one was a 6.5RUMLN. A 7RUM necked to 6.5 with the shoulder pushed back about .100" to make a longer neck. It had a 26" Christensen carbon wrap barrel. The other was 6.5SLR. It holds about two grains more than a .264 Win Mag. It used a stainless Pac-Nor barrel that finished at 27" (.550" at the muzzle) with deep flutes that took seven ounces off. I think both barrels weighed 40 oz.

 

[Burley]

A couple years ago I did a couple wildcats. A larger one and a medium one. The large one was a 6.5RUMLN. A 7RUM necked to 6.5 with the shoulder pushed back about .100" to make a longer neck. It had a 26" Christensen carbon wrap barrel. The other was 6.5SLR. It holds about two grains more than a .264 Win Mag. It used a stainless Pac-Nor barrel that finished at 27" (.550" at the muzzle) with deep flutes that took seven ounces off. I think both barrels weighed 40 oz.

How much weight do you think it saved you doing carbon fiber over a standard barrel?

 

[lancetkenyon]

I am in the process of rebarreling and rechambering a rifle of mine.

It used to be a .25-06AI with a 28" #4 Shilen .257" barrel. The barrel blank, when it eass new and uncut weighed 4lbs 5oz. Finished weight at 4lbs even.

The new barrel going on is a Proof Research Sendero Light in .284" that will finish at 26". Weight as it arrived new and uncut is 3lbs 2oz. This is totally raw, without tenon, cutting off the barrel end, and clambering. I think finished weight should come in around 2lbs 10oz or so.



I know length is reduced by 2", and bore increased from .257" to .284", but I don't think those are enough to make a 1lb 3oz difference in weight, and the gain in stiffness is an added bonus.

Even without cutting length, venom and clambering, the Proof is already 14oz lighter than the finished Shilen #4. Not that much difference in larger bore size.

 

[Burley]

So I should anticipate at least 1lb or more.

 

[lancetkenyon]

If you have an R700 LR, I think 1#+ is an easy assumption with the factory heavy taper barrel it comes with.

 

[jrock]

From Proof Research's website, lance's weights are spot on. An equivalent contour barrel would be something like the Remington Varmint which weights about 4.5 lbs. So about 1.5 lbs of weight for an equivalent contour. However, if you went with the smaller metal contour, a #1 at 26" would be about 2.8 lbs.




As I see it, the lightest proof barrel would be about the same weight as a standard magnum contour. Of course it would be stiffer but also cost an arm and a leg more.


All this info can be found on the barrel manufactures website.

 

[ohiohunter]

Unless you need a rebarrel, I'd start with a lighter stock.

 

[Rich Coyle]

Unless you need a rebarrel, I'd start with a lighter stock.

I had Lone Wolf, which was purchased by Proof Research, install their lightest stock on my Weatherby Mark V six lug. Their stock weighs 24 ounces with a Weatherby shape stock (no longer available). The Weatherby cheek piece shape added six ounces. The factory stock weighs 36 ounces. So you get something that knocks off twelve ounces from the weight of your rifle and does not need to be replace like a barrel does.

Now there is a company in Pendleton, Oregon. (oregunsmithing.com) They make about the same shape for less money and it is about two ounces lighter. My next one will come from him.

Now back to your regularly scheduled thread.

 

[ohiohunter]

I didn't read where his barrel needed to be replaced, must have missed that. Otherwise I'm not quite sure what you're saying.

12oz is substantial.

**If its still wearing the BC m40 stock, going w/ a manners EH or Mcm edge your weight savings will be in the neighborhood of 1lb or more.

 

[waveslayer]

I am looking into a carbon fiber barrel. I'm wondering how much weight savings people have had by switching to a Caron fiber wrapped barrel. I have a Rem 700 LR in 300wm that I am trying to reduce weight by changing the barrel.

Doesn't seem like a lot of info online. I see a lot of opinions about accuracy, barrel life, heat dissipation. Plenty of info and opinions on that. However what I was hoping for would be a list from people on just how much weight savings they have gotten out of them.

So if you have experience with carbon barrels please post below.

It all depends on what steel barrel you are comparing to a carbon barrel. You can get a Sendero contour for a carbon barrel and get a pencil steel barrel, the steel will weigh less.

As for heat dispersion... carbon barrels heat up and cool faster. I use a Proof barrel, recently Bryan Litz and his buddy tested barrels. Heavy steel bull barrels still performed the best, at a cost of weight. The very performing barrel overall was the Christensen Arms barrel, very light! Less POI shift when heated, weighted down for stiffness, etc. Go Chistensen Arms! It will save you a ton of weight. I was sad to see the poor performance from Proof

 

[landonm]

My rule of thumb is you'll end up with almost identical weight at the same barrel length with a proof barrel or a standard sporter weight barrel. You can actually get lighter with a light profile, fluted steel barrel at the same length. The benefit of the carbon barrels is the stiffness of a heavier profile barrel at the weight of a sporter.

 

[waveslayer]

Fluted barrels have no real advantage , it saves ounces.. it heats up faster and is less stiff. The tend to flex more, causing it to have more POI when heated. Also, doing load work ups take longer to account for the increased vibration. They aren't less accurate they are more temperamental to loads. Proof barrels tend to weigh a tad less then sporters, just depends on length etc.. they do heat up more. But Christensen is top notch a d worth the price. The performance will outweigh the cost.

 

[ohiohunter]

If the performance outweighed the cost you'd see these on the firing line... not so much. Did you just say a proof is lighter than a sporter barrel?