Litehiker
Well-Known Member
Most of us have heard about or seen Proof Research carbon fiber wrapped barrels.
Like synthetic stocks, be they "plastic", fiberglass or metal, CF wrapped barrels break away from tradition.
COST-> Looking more closely at the plusses and minuses of a CF barrel we see the big minus is cost. So what if they last longer? Maybe we can buy two Brand X barrels for the cost of one CF barrel.
But wait, there's more - the plusses.
COOLING-> But longer barrel life is just one plus. It happens because, amazingly, a CF wrapped barrel cools faster than even a fluted steel barrel.
STIFFNESS->Greater stiffness is another factor that is important because it means that when cold/cool heat up CF barrels will "walk" point of impact much less than a solid steel barrel, especially vertically. My carbon fiber cross country ski racing poles are extremely stiff so i can put more energy into propulsion and less into bending the poles.CF barrels are extremely stiff, cutting down on harmonic vibration and also permitting a wider range of bullets to be accurate. (Yes, a cooler barrel also helps mitigate walking. So with CF wrapping you get the best of both worlds.)
LIGHTNESS-> Finally lightness is a big factor for mountain rifles and CF barrels are about 15% to 20% lighter than all steel barrels.
I like Bartlein barrels and the fact that Proof Research uses them is encouraging to me.
So, given these advantages, it looks likely that other manufacturers will join in the CF wrapped barrel market in the near future. Accuracy is a product of consistency and CF barrels appear to be very consistent in their performance.
It seems that with recent advancements in bullets, cartridges, scopes, stocks/chassis, and barrels we are entering a Golden Age of rifle shooting. Are we worthy?
Eric B.
Like synthetic stocks, be they "plastic", fiberglass or metal, CF wrapped barrels break away from tradition.
COST-> Looking more closely at the plusses and minuses of a CF barrel we see the big minus is cost. So what if they last longer? Maybe we can buy two Brand X barrels for the cost of one CF barrel.
But wait, there's more - the plusses.
COOLING-> But longer barrel life is just one plus. It happens because, amazingly, a CF wrapped barrel cools faster than even a fluted steel barrel.
STIFFNESS->Greater stiffness is another factor that is important because it means that when cold/cool heat up CF barrels will "walk" point of impact much less than a solid steel barrel, especially vertically. My carbon fiber cross country ski racing poles are extremely stiff so i can put more energy into propulsion and less into bending the poles.CF barrels are extremely stiff, cutting down on harmonic vibration and also permitting a wider range of bullets to be accurate. (Yes, a cooler barrel also helps mitigate walking. So with CF wrapping you get the best of both worlds.)
LIGHTNESS-> Finally lightness is a big factor for mountain rifles and CF barrels are about 15% to 20% lighter than all steel barrels.
I like Bartlein barrels and the fact that Proof Research uses them is encouraging to me.
So, given these advantages, it looks likely that other manufacturers will join in the CF wrapped barrel market in the near future. Accuracy is a product of consistency and CF barrels appear to be very consistent in their performance.
It seems that with recent advancements in bullets, cartridges, scopes, stocks/chassis, and barrels we are entering a Golden Age of rifle shooting. Are we worthy?
Eric B.
