Barrel Questions
- Thread starter fljp2002
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Hmm..well, barrels are made differently for a host of different reasons. Leaving "flutes" out of it for a moment, heavy barrels are felt to be more rigid/stable when shooting with a rest...and having more mass, can be very slow to heat up. Less vibration, etc. All considered good things from an accuracy POV. Favored by target shooters, varmint hunters..any time you anticipate a high-volume of shooting, and a stationary shooting position WHILE shooting. They tend to be too muzzle heavy for off-hand/unsupported shots.
Flutes (straight) achieve a few things. They allow a barrel to be a larger diameter and cash-in on the rigidity that brings, yet with material milled away...weight is reduced and there is a greater surface area to dissipate heat more quickly. So...some of the benefits of a heavy barrel, with less heft/carry weight. Spiral flutes (if that's what you're asking about, not the appearance of some hammer-forged barrels?) achieve, I think, some of what deep...straight flutes do depending on how many/how deep, but seem to be more of an aesthetic consideration.
There seems to have always been some debate (when it comes to 22LR) about whether or not heavy barrels make any difference because quite frankly, there isn't enough powder burning in a 22LR round TO generate much heat. Especially in the land of 5-10 round magazines.
Even more the case with bolt guns~you just can't fire them fast enough! However, having owned lots of standard-weight AND heavy barrel rimfires, I FAR prefer heavy barrels unless it's a rifle I'm carrying long distances..and shooting very few shots with. I might also add, most of the spiral flutes I've seen on rimfire barrels are so shallow that they are likely nothing more than an aesthetic treatment. Centerfire rifle barrels (where heat DOES become an issue quickly) tend to have real fluted barrels, with deeply-milled slots to do what they're actually meant to do.
My opinions only...
Flutes (straight) achieve a few things. They allow a barrel to be a larger diameter and cash-in on the rigidity that brings, yet with material milled away...weight is reduced and there is a greater surface area to dissipate heat more quickly. So...some of the benefits of a heavy barrel, with less heft/carry weight. Spiral flutes (if that's what you're asking about, not the appearance of some hammer-forged barrels?) achieve, I think, some of what deep...straight flutes do depending on how many/how deep, but seem to be more of an aesthetic consideration.
There seems to have always been some debate (when it comes to 22LR) about whether or not heavy barrels make any difference because quite frankly, there isn't enough powder burning in a 22LR round TO generate much heat. Especially in the land of 5-10 round magazines.
Even more the case with bolt guns~you just can't fire them fast enough! However, having owned lots of standard-weight AND heavy barrel rimfires, I FAR prefer heavy barrels unless it's a rifle I'm carrying long distances..and shooting very few shots with. I might also add, most of the spiral flutes I've seen on rimfire barrels are so shallow that they are likely nothing more than an aesthetic treatment. Centerfire rifle barrels (where heat DOES become an issue quickly) tend to have real fluted barrels, with deeply-milled slots to do what they're actually meant to do.My opinions only...
for a paper plinker, I like a heavy barrel b/c I find it easier to hold steady on target for multiple shots.
In places where it really matters (military, police or even PRS competition), rifles are built with medium-heavy barrel profiles and without fluting. Obviously there are exceptions (ie PGW Timberwolf, STEYR 50) but issue M40/M24 type rifles are not fluted. The Shilen barrel people (for whatever it's worth ) don't offer fluting and won't warranty a barrel that has been fluted.
For a 22 I don't think it matters. I saw one in a SHOT show pic that had the barrel contoured like a wrought-iron railing. Not my thing but I doubt the gophers care!
In places where it really matters (military, police or even PRS competition), rifles are built with medium-heavy barrel profiles and without fluting. Obviously there are exceptions (ie PGW Timberwolf, STEYR 50) but issue M40/M24 type rifles are not fluted. The Shilen barrel people (for whatever it's worth ) don't offer fluting and won't warranty a barrel that has been fluted.
For a 22 I don't think it matters. I saw one in a SHOT show pic that had the barrel contoured like a wrought-iron railing. Not my thing but I doubt the gophers care!
Not to derail this thread...but I think you underestimate the lowly gopher's sensibilities.
I found they have a strong preference for CZs/BRNOs...but will also find their way to that great gopher patch in the sky when whacked by a Marlin 17HMR. Discerning, but willing to compromise.What .22LRGUY says in Post #2 is good. Heat is not a factor in a .22LR when it comes to target shooting (unless you leave your rifle out under a hot sun). There is no advantage to fluted barrels over a regular heavy barrel except for a weight reduction while still having the rigidity of a heavy barrel. The heavy barrel serves two main purposes. First, it makes the barrel more rigid than a sporter contour barrel and thus less responsive to vibration. The second, and perhaps no less if not more important reason is the weight. A heavier rifle is easier to shoot well than a lighter rifle, all other things being equal. A twisted heavy barrel is made to have a cosmetic factor that appeals to some shooters. Of course, whether a heavy barrel or not, fluted or not, matters not a whit without good quality ammo, without which accuracy will remain elusive.
Just to expand upon that point, as I have nothing much to add that hasn't already been said, to quote from an article by Lilja "The fluted barrel of a given weight and length will be stiffer than an unfluted barrel of the same weight. The fluted barrel will not be stiffer than a barrel of the same taper and length that is not fluted." http://riflebarrels.com/a-look-at-the-rigidity-of-benchrest-barrels/
A fluted barrel for .22 LR is mainly a compromise between barrel stiffness and weight, however that might apply to the shooting you do (offhand, perhaps?). .17 HMR can get a little toasty during extended fire, the heat dissipating characteristics of a fluted barrel may be of interest to a gopher hunter using this caliber, although I have noted perfectly fine "minute of gopher" accuracy in my .17 at 100 yards while firing 50 consecutive shots, making my "pencil barrel" too hot to comfortably touch.
As an aside, a stiff, thick barrel has no more accuracy potential than a thin sporter barrel, assuming equality in the barrel making process. Either barrel that is shooting "in tune" will provide excellent accuracy, but it may be noted that the stiff barrel is less "picky" about the ammo that shoots well in it, and is less extreme in it's inaccuracy when paired with incompatible ammo.
In theory the shorter barrel will be stiffer and more accurate. In practice I doubt you would see a difference in accuracy. If you are using iron sights, the longer sight radius of the 21" barrel will make your aiming more precise.
There is likely little accuracy difference between a 16 inch and 21 inch barrel. As noted by Pr589, a longer barrel has the sight radius advantage over a shorter barrel. A 21 inch heavy barrel is relatively short for a heavy barrel and is length found on CZ and Savage. Those barrels are not going to be noticeably more accurate than their sibling's sporter configurations, but the added weight over a 16 in barrel might help make a difference off the bench.
I think one can't underestimate the value of a good trigger, and ammo a gun likes too. Clearly, hold/fit/barrel weight/action all are huge factors, but even the best gun with the best trigger (on a solid rest) will shoot most ammo types with differing degrees of accuracy. I look at every new 22 rifle as though it has secrets...and it's my job to reveal them all.
