Advice needed on hunting rifle build, Carbon barrels?

[Potshot21]

Howdy folks!

Currently have 2 Savage actions in the arsenal waiting to be built into full functioning rifles.

The first one is a stainless long action standard boltface I plan on sticking a 35 Whelan barrel on.
The second is a short action that I'd really like to make into a 284 Winchester.

When it came to the 284 idea, I kind of made a goal of trying to make it as lightweight as reasonable and without spending a small fortune on it. This is what brought me to carbon wrapped barrels. I've scoured the internet to try and figure out what the weight savings are and let me tell you, that's not an easy answer to get straight. Many claim they are basically the same weight, but stiffer and better at shedding heat, some claim no discernible difference at all.

If there is actual weight savings to be had, I might consider one for the 35 Whelan as well. Both will be hunting guns and be carried from miles upon miles, so even half a pound makes a big difference.

Also, if anyone can recommend a decent lightweight stock for a short action savage, it would be appreciated. All I've managed to find is Manners that I would assume to be worth a kidney once north of the border.

Thanks for any insight! All general comments and pointers are welcome as well. These will be my first builds, and the more information I can gather, the less likely I am to make a complete ass of myself!

Thanks!

 

[Potshot21]

Nobody out there running a carbon wrapped barrel care to comment?

 

[jiffx2781]

A carbon fiber wrapped barrel is going to be considerably lighter than steel barrel of the SAME contour. However a carbon fiber wrapped barrel isn't necessarily going to be lighter than a LIGHT contour steel barrel.

If you want lighter weight AND the benefit of a heavy steel barrel go with the CFW.

If the lightest weight possible is your goal go with a light contour steel barrel.

 

[EJG]

I recently got bits together for my first carbon barrelled rifle. Objective was a lightweight hunting rifle that will shoot ok to 1000yd or more, use a tactical stock I am familiar with and is capable of taking long range fox as well as our small Sika deer. Also wanted to possibly shoot the odd comp with her if she performs. Chose a 6.5 Creedmoor, never had one before.
Barrel is a 20" Hardy with 24mm muzzle diameter, weight of the barrel blank weighed 1.2kg which is about 200grams lighter than a 24" 7mm Lothar Walther sporter profile blank lying in our workshop. Meaning the weight of a heavy varmint sized barrel in carbon weighs as much as a sporter steel barrel.
I used a Rem 700 action. Fitted a PSE E-Tac4 stock that was built extremely light at 820grams. We also fitted an Atlasworx AICS floor plate and use a 10 shot MDT mag, 20MOA Spuhr pica rail. Total weight of the rifle is 3040 grams without scope. Just shy of 6.7lbs.
I think the 284 is the better hunting cartridge. We fitted a 16" 284 barrelled action to a stock for a customer, he annoys others at 600yd comps with it and hunts with her.

The 16" 284

edi

 

[Potashminer]

... old man who hunts deer with single shot rifle shakes head over a discussion involving "hunting rifle", "lightweight" and "10 shot magazine"...

 

[45C]

I’ve owned carbon six, Proof and Christensen arms CFW barrels.
I found they weight about the same as a light contour barrel.
All of mine were finished at 19-20 inches.

The CFW barrels are excellent for shooting 10 rnd strings without any POI change.
And all 3 were equally accurate.
And if your wondering about FPS loss on the shorter barrels, I’ve done testing on a 24 inch .308 barrel and was losing about 19 FPS, per inch.
So , the biggest benefit of the CFW barrels are there ability to shoot 5 and 10 rnd strings, fairly fast, without heating up.

 

[Potshot21]

I was curious about barrel lengths. As I'm going for light weight, I figured cutting inches off the barrel would be an easy way to do it, but was concerned over lost performance.

All my reloading manuals show velocities for 22 inch barreled M88s. So if I'm only losing 19 to even 50 fps an inch, I think I'd easily be safe to go to 20" or even as short as 18" and still have the horsepower required at a reasonable distance.

As this is a hunting rig, the ability to shoot larger strings will likely never be utilized except during sight in. Given me much to think about!