To flute or not to flute?

[Bominiscious]

Having a lightweight (to me) 308 built for southern deer hunting. Saddle and climbing stand hunting for deer and hogs. 18" Shilen #2 contour on a trued 700 short action. Gonna put a 2.5-8x36 Leupold (or something similar) in Talley LW's. Stock and build being done by Accuracy Innovations in Andrews, NC.

I am torn between fluting or not. On a barrel that light already is there anything gained. Also love to hear some opinions on how fluting looks (that actually matters to me on this rifle ). The stock will be a light weight walnut stock that I am picking the blank for. I like working with Wes and want this build to be a wood stock build as the factory stock was pretty beat up. I wanna keep the same look as before.

Would love to hear some thoughts on this.

 

[K.E.C.]

18" number 2 barrel is not much to work with. You might get 10" of fluting.
And unless you get it done before you chamber and cut and thread the muzzle.
Most places will not flute a short finished barrel. Straight fluting would look good.

 

[lancetkenyon]

I like the looks of flutes.

With the small profile, and largish bore, you won't have very deep flutes, so it will pretty much be cosmetic and not to lose any weight. I like spiral fluting myself.

I say, if you want flutes, flute it. With the description of the build, sounds like it will be a fairly short-range rifle anyway. Even MOA will be plenty for 500 yards.

 

[Rick Richard]

Go for it,…….however for what it will probably cost you I would just consider something in carbon fiber.

 

[lancetkenyon]

Go for it,…….however for what it will probably cost you I would just consider something in carbon fiber.

I think a CF might weigh more than a #2. Maybe the Bartlein #4 CF? But if it was going to be run suppressed, I agree 1000%.

 

[VALKYRIETP]

For an FYI here, The smallest Bartlein contour LRI will do is a #3

T.P.

 

[Bominiscious]

I love asking questions at LRH. Always get good input. This is helpful.

 

[Bominiscious]

So I just came from the shop which fortunately is local to me, so easy to drop in. Decided to go with flutes on this build and I think it will look great at least. I looked at another rifle there with some 10" flutes and it sold me.

Several months out from having it all done. I looked at blanks today and think I picked a really pretty walnut one that is plenty light. Now gotta mail down a scope choice.

When it's all done I will report here.

 

[26Reload]

I had a 22" proof #3 65284 fluted by LRI....knocked off a lot of weight...
Dont see as much being taken off your
308 caliber.....maybe a diamond cut would be your best fluting...if you want the look.....

 

[charlie 7]

The great Gale McMillan once said: it would shoot if fluted at the right point in the manufacturing process. I always felt that they shoot in spite of being fluted but as long as shooters will pay a barrel maker $1.50 a minute to flute one you will see them on the line.

Mind you, it was opinion given nearly 30 years ago and as valid today as it was ten.

 

[26Reload]

I forgot to mention...I had my rifle put together to see how ot would feel and shoot...before fluting....shot okay....pulled it apart..cleaned it well...sent the used barrel to LRI.....got the heavy spiraled flute...received it..put it back together....shoots goods..it is my favorite for packing and shooting....no real reason..as my other 65284 with a now 22" cutdown cf proof shoots well too....both 8# scoped and loaded....my other AntiX 65284 weighs the same....but I don't like it much at all.....at twice the price....
Just prefer the fluted steel barrel

 

[Bominiscious]

I forgot to mention...I had my rifle put together to see how ot would feel and shoot...before fluting....shot okay....pulled it apart..cleaned it well...sent the used barrel to LRI.....got the heavy spiraled flute...received it..put it back together....shoots goods..it is my favorite for packing and shooting....no real reason..as my other 65284 with a now 22" cutdown cf proof shoots well too....both 8# scoped and loaded....my other AntiX 65284 weighs the same....but I don't like it much at all.....at twice the price....
Just prefer the fluted steel barrel

That sounds like a good looking rifle. She not only shoots but she looks good doing it. What did you scope that fluted rifle with?

 

[Grumpah]

I experienced extensive "barrel flip" and heat with my Tikka T3 Superlight that had a factory fluted barrel - in 6.5 Creedmoor. That rifle was all over the place. So much so, I sold it and bought a regular Tikka T3. I'll put up with packing around a heavier barreled rifle.

Yours sounds like a winner. I was simply put off of "superlight" higher power rifles with my experience.

 

[26Reload]

That sounds like a good looking rifle. She not only shoots but she looks good doing it. What did you scope that fluted rifle with?

Vx5hd 3-15x44 windplex
Have shot all 65284s across a canyon at 689yds....rock cliff...couple hundred feet above sea level.....I did not change altitude on my strelok app.....dialed correct and shot......all three shot to within inches of the small branch...and to previous bullet marks....