Why use a carbon wrapped barel?

[Send it 284]

I pulled my 22" #5 fluted Benchmark barrel tonight, and out of curiosity I put it on the scale.
Its .720 at the muzzle and shoots .2s with a suppressor. I paid $450 for the blank
So why is carbon fiber all the rage right now

 

[sierracharlie338]

B-b-b-b-because all the cool kids are doing it

 

[GLTaylor]

Just got a #4 Brux, fluted, 26".
Scant ounces more than a carbon wrapped same length?????

 

[ZSteinle]

I wish more weights would be published. One can find weight calculators online but hard to find someone that will say exactly what said barrel will weigh.

 

[bdlesh]

To be tacti cool.

 

[Skimbleshanks]

For the same reason that you put a spoiler and fart can muffler a Honda Civic.

 

[martinakl]

For me, it's only looks. Only reason I've ever wanted one is so that I can have a heavy profile barrel that isn't super heavy. To me, muzzle brakes and suppressors just look better on the thicker barrels.

I don't feel like carbon wrapped barrels offer me any real performance advantage.

I also like to get my custom barrels fluted and cerakoted. By the time I do that, there's not a huge price difference between steel and carbon wrapped.

So, I'll just circle back, it's all about looks.

*I don't current own a rifle with a carbon barrel.

 

[Idaholandho]

The 2 I own are built to hunt long distance (as in hikes)and I know for a fact they cool faster at the range during load development.
Yep, they are cool and I also own 2 6.5 Creedmoors .

 

[Kimber7man]

I pulled my 22" #5 fluted Benchmark barrel tonight, and out of curiosity I put it on the scale.
Its .720 at the muzzle and shoots .2s with a suppressor. I paid $450 for the blank
So why is carbon fiber all the rage right now
View attachment 238760

out of curiosity what is it chambered in and why pull it? I've never owned a Benchmark, did you get good barrel life out of it?

 

[nksmfamjp]

I'm really surprised how light your #5 is..even at 22", that seems light.

Of course the carbon fiber wrapped barrels save quite a bit of weight. I'm not sure they are as accurate as what you have, but you seem to know all that.

 

[highdrum]

I like having 0.700+ muzzle for 5/8 muzzle threads, or even 0.900+ for 3/4 muzzle threads on 308 or 338 builds. Just for supressor purposes only. Barrels that thick are HEAVY in steel config.

 

[North Idaho Hunter]

I've never been a fan of the "look" of a steel light contoured barrel suppressed - the heavier contour sendero light just is more aesthetically pleasing in my opinion. The look of heavy barrel is appealing to me, the CF gives that look, but at a fraction of the weight.

Money/cost is not an issue to me, save up a few more months and be happy with the purchase (at least that's what I do!)


this is the greatest part of this day and age, we are so fortunate to pick up our phones/computers and order darn near whatever we want!

 

[FEENIX]

It boils to personal choice. Posting a video for what it is worth ...

 

[Calvin45]

This is a question I was also thinking about lately, glad it came up here. They are cool, they look cool, and I don't think I'll ever want one, which is fine, hooray for options and personal preferences right?

to my mind I like the "keep it simple stupid" philosophy. I wouldn't say for a second that these are less accurate than anything else, obviously the manufacturers have really honed this process to an exact science, but it is still an additional thing to go wrong, a complication that is not necessary. Same reason that I often shy away from "premium" hunting bullets - the simple ones generally shoot better!