16.5" Barrel - Carbon Fiber or Steel (Fluted)

[ChevyKevy]

Hey all - I'm in the final phases of selecting all the components for my light weight suppressed .308 build.

I will be using a McMillan hunter stock, Defiance Anti action, and 16.5" barrel......

I was going to go with the Proof Research Sendero Lite but now I'm wondering if it's worth the extra expense? With a barrel only being 16.5" long....would it even be lighter than a contour fluted steel barrel?

I will be having Alamo Precision build this rifle. FYI

Any input would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks

 

[Tahoe1305]

Depends what contour. I’ve been messing around with same idea only at 20”.

Owning a CF barrel now (23”) and numerous lighter profile steel flutted barrels I think I have the plan to save barrel weight.

I think personally the shorter a barrel you use the less beneficial CF is. I also think you will almost always be lighter with a sporter flutted steel barrel than a CF.

The issue is having a thick enough muzzle to suppress. This is were CF is nice and the only benefit I see.

As an example for my build. If I do the lightest profile CF barrel that I know about, at 20”. I’m guessing it will be around 40oz.

If I build a benchmark #3 heavy flutted I think it will be below 36oz (benchmark said closer to 32oz). This will allow .675” at muzzle which will support 9/16-24 threads for suppressor and meet my needs.

I imagine at 16” you’d be around 30oz (or less) with a similar contour and maybe .725” at muzzle (can do math based on contour you choose).

 

[Antares]

Hey all - I'm in the final phases of selecting all the components for my light weight suppressed .308 build.

I will be using a McMillan hunter stock, Defiance Anti action, and 16.5" barrel......

I was going to go with the Proof Research Sendero Lite but now I'm wondering if it's worth the extra expense? With a barrel only being 16.5" long....would it even be lighter than a contour fluted steel barrel?

I will be having Alamo Precision build this rifle. FYI

Any input would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks

I have a pretty similar rifle. Mines a .308, Tikka action, 20" Proof CF barrel, and a McMillan Game Hunter (EDGE fill) stock.

One thing I will mention, the Game Hunter forend is pretty wide. It's meant to be wide enough for Sendero contour barrel channels. If you put a sporter contour steel barrel in there it's going to look a little weird. You'll have a piece of forend materiel about as wide as the barrel on both sides of the barrel. Mostly just an aesthetic thing, but you'll also have some extra weight from the forend being bigger than it needs to be. The McMillan Game Scout has a narrower forend that's made for skinner barrel contours.

 

[ChevyKevy]

I have a pretty similar rifle. Mines a .308, Tikka action, 20" Proof CF barrel, and a McMillan Game Hunter (EDGE fill) stock.

One thing I will mention, the Game Hunter forend is pretty wide. It's meant to be wide enough for Sendero contour barrel channels. If you put a sporter contour steel barrel in there it's going to look a little weird. You'll have a piece of forend materiel about as wide as the barrel on both sides of the barrel. Mostly just an aesthetic thing, but you'll also have some extra weight from the forend being bigger than it needs to be. The McMillan Game Scout has a narrower forend that's made for skinner barrel contours.

The stock Alamo uses is their own version of the McMillan Hunter without the cheek weld. See below.

MCMILLAN HUNTER

mcmillanusa.com

APR Classic Hunter

Nothing represents a classic better than highly figured wood and deep polished bluing. But nothing holds up to real world punishment better than good synthetics, modern ceramic coatings and stainless steel. The APR Classic Hunter captures all of these elements in a modern precision hunting...

aprifles.com

I'm assuming they would be able to fit their APR contoured barrel in that stock without looking goofy. I'm really just curious if it's worth going CF when its only 16.5" (if the contour is essentially the same). I just can't see the weight saving being huge with that short of a barrel..

 

[gbflyer]

I’ll tell you when my 17” CF barrel from X-caliber gets here. I have a similar contour that’s steel, same length

 

[Antares]

Disregard. I thought you were looking at a Game Hunter.

 

[762 ULTRAMAGA]

Hey all - I'm in the final phases of selecting all the components for my light weight suppressed .308 build.

I will be using a McMillan hunter stock, Defiance Anti action, and 16.5" barrel......

I was going to go with the Proof Research Sendero Lite but now I'm wondering if it's worth the extra expense? With a barrel only being 16.5" long....would it even be lighter than a contour fluted steel barrel?

I will be having Alamo Precision build this rifle. FYI

Any input would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks

You won't save any weight with CF, and fluting won't really be worth it either.
I have a 16" ss barrel on my 6.5 saum that's .730 at the muzzle and it weighs 2lbs 4 oz.
I recently got an 18" tikka factory contoured barrel with the muzzle flared to .730 and it weighs 2lbs even
Here's a pic

 

[JoeDirt]

You won't save any weight with CF, and fluting won't really be worth it either.
I have a 16" ss barrel on my 6.5 saum that's .730 at the muzzle and it weighs 2lbs 4 oz.
I recently got an 18" tikka factory contoured barrel with the muzzle flared to .730 and it weighs 2lbs even
Here's a pic
View attachment 375348
View attachment 375350

Wish more barrels were profiled like this, who did the work?

 

[HandgunHTR]

A lot of the barrel manufacturers are starting to offer contours with flared muzzles to accommodate 5/8-24 threading.
That being said, if you build a 2B or 3 contour (or Wilson #4) barrel, at 16.5", you should have plenty of meat to thread it.

I just built a 7TCU Remage rifle with an 18" barrel, Wilson #4 from Ragged Hole barrels, spiral threaded, with standard BDL bottom metal and a Stocky's ultralight stock (https://www.stockysstocks.com/stocks-by-feature/intended-use/ultralight-hunting/huntercf.html). With a Burris Fullfield E1 3-9X40, EGW base and Burris Signature Zee rings, the whole package is a bit less than 7#.

 

[762 ULTRAMAGA]

Wish more barrels were profiled like this, who did the work?

McGowen barrel

 

[ChevyKevy]

You won't save any weight with CF, and fluting won't really be worth it either.
I have a 16" ss barrel on my 6.5 saum that's .730 at the muzzle and it weighs 2lbs 4 oz.
I recently got an 18" tikka factory contoured barrel with the muzzle flared to .730 and it weighs 2lbs even
Here's a pic
View attachment 375348
View attachment 375350

Wow that is awesome. Proof's website shows the 16.5" Sendero Lite at 2 lbs 4 oz. So if I can get a steel (fluted or not) at the same weight....no brainer for me. Even the regular Proof Sendero is 2 lbs 6 oz.

Hopefully Alamo has realistic weights of their APR contoured barrels at that length.

 

[QuackAttack]

Chad Dixon at Longrifles inc has a fluting profile that gets most heavy contour barrels to the same weight as a carbon wrapped barrel. If you haven’t talked to him, might be worth the time to give him a call and explain your goals. He has a lot more tech than most. gunsmiths…5 axis CNC, 3d print, and so on.

 

[762 ULTRAMAGA]

Wow that is awesome. Proof's website shows the 16.5" Sendero Lite at 2 lbs 4 oz. So if I can get a steel (fluted or not) at the same weight....no brainer for me. Even the regular Proof Sendero is 2 lbs 6 oz.

Hopefully Alamo has realistic weights of their APR contoured barrels at that length.

I would tell them you want the minimum contour for a .730 muzzle and your weight criteria.
If they're pros it should easily be done without any fluting

 

[gbflyer]

I lost .75lbs going from a spiral fluted 16.25” savage magnum contour in 6.5mm to the lightest contour X-caliber CF 17” in 6mm. The CF is ever so slightly thinner, maybe .030.

 

[ktmkaratechips]

I lost .75lbs going from a spiral fluted 16.25” savage magnum contour in 6.5mm to the lightest contour X-caliber CF 17” in 6mm. The CF is ever so slightly thinner, maybe .030.

What we’re that actual weights? If you don’t mind me asking.. very good info in this thread!