Carbon fibre barrel benefits?

[Canhunter35]

I'm trying to wrap my head around carbon fibre barrels. I think they look awesome and may offer cooling properties along with weight reduction.
What I'm wondering is,
What's stiffer:
A 4lb carbon fibre barrel?
Or a 4lb steel barrel?
I'm hoping some gunsmiths with experience can shed light on the benefits. I don't really care about cooling, I don't fire that fast and furious. I like the looks but I'm wondering if they're worth the cost? Or if a steel and carbon fibre barrels of the same weight compare in stiffness and accuracy?

 

[WeiserBucks]

I read a review some time ago by a well respected gunsmith. He took 2 barrels, one C.F., and one SS and clamped the breech end in a vice and hung weights on the muzzle end , measuring deflection with a dial indicator. The SS barrel deflected less than the C.F. , but I don't recall the amount.

After that he installed both barrels and chambered them alike. Using the same ammo , both produced sub 1/2 MOA accuracy.

What I retained from the article was that the SS was notably stiffer, but the C.F. lighter with both producing great accuracy. I'm no expert, just passing along what I remember reading.

 

[Canhunter35]

I believe I read that article. But I noted he compared barrels of the same contour, not weight. Noting the carbon was lighter but not as stiff as the steel

 

[middleofnowhere]

The carbon barrel looks cool, isn't that enough of a reason to get one?

 

[JJMoody]

I mean ....... right?!

 

[JJMoody]

Seriously though, I think a few guys had a lack of good stuff to say early on in the cf days, more and more I hear/read about those guys becoming converts. IIRC, Kirby didn't think much of em but said cf was stiffer per weight but not stiffer per contour size than steel. Please correct me if I'm wrong... but it is pretty cool looking

 

[Shane Lindsey]

JJ, what stock do you have that CF barrel sitting in?

Almost looks like the end of a GameScout.

 

[JJMoody]

Yessir here's a gander at the full beauty... staying on point with the op's original topic of discussion of course 6.5 SAUM btw

 

[FURMAN]

Carbon fiber will be stiffer than steal of the same weight. What that does for us is allows us to run a lighter barrel that will be equally as stiff as steal. This should translate to the same accuracy over many shots with less weight. There are claims that the carbon/resin make up of the barrels aids in dissipating heat which will help keep the chamber cooler. I have started using them this year and I do not see my self going back. I have much lighter rifles and still get the accuracy of a heavier contoured steal barrel. Realistically if you factor in the cost of a good steal fluted barrel a Christensen barrel is not a lot more.

 

[hemiford]

Carbon fiber will be stiffer than steal of the same weight. What that does for us is allows us to run a lighter barrel that will be equally as stiff as steal. This should translate to the same accuracy over many shots with less weight. There are claims that the carbon/resin make up of the barrels aids in dissipating heat which will help keep the chamber cooler. I have started using them this year and I do not see my self going back. I have much lighter rifles and still get the accuracy of a heavier contoured steal barrel. Realistically if you factor in the cost of a good steal fluted barrel a Christensen barrel is not a lot more.

Unless I'm missing something, I thought carbon fiber was a very good heat
insulator, so I don't see how a CF-coated barrel could possibly shed heat quicker
or run cooler.

 

[FURMAN]

It is not the Carbon alone that dissipates heat it is the makeup of the Carbon and the chosen resins.

 

[hemiford]

Well, again I'm not certain, but I'm unaware of any resinous material that
conducts heat better than a metal.

 

[FURMAN]

I am not an engineer nor do I work for any of the Carbon fiber barrel companies. I can only tell you what they claim. There are also carbon fiber manufacturers outside the shooting industry that make the same claims.