Gunsmithing My rifle needs Jenny Craig

S

Scarface26

knuckle dragger
Full Member
Minuteman
Feb 14, 2017
436
208
Southeast OK
#1
Gents,

I've got a rifle that I love but the barrel is heavier than I'd like. Didn't know as much when I had it built as I do now, and if anyone wants the backstory I'll share, but I'd like this rifle to lighten up. How best to do it?

Flute the barrel?

Have the barrel turned down to a lighter contour?

Re-barrel for the desired weight and balance?

The only reason I'm wasting your time with these questions is that the rifle is truly a tack driver. A few years back I shot three three-shot groups in a row that measured under 2" at 700 yards. Haven't done that since, but it's my fault, not the barrel. FWIW, this barrel is a Rock Creek .308 26" and is almost an inch at the muzzle. It's from when Mike Rock was still with them and I think it's an MTU contour. Any position not using a rest is something you've got to get psyched up for - the rifle weighs 17 pounds. Fine for an F-class rig, but not for a sissy like me.

Thanks in advance for your thoughtful replies.

God bless America
 
#5
Best thing I ever did for my 308 was lop off 6" of the barrel. Actually improved accuracy, probably from the new crown, cut the weight down quite a bit and helped with balance... Of course, I promptly screwed that up by adding a 24oz can to the muzzle, but that's not really relevant to this discussion.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using Tapatalk

 
#6
Gents,

Thanks for your thoughtful replies. I am considering shortening the barrel by two inches. After that, the fluting or turning down part makes me nervous. There's a lot of guys on both sides of the fluting fence, and each camp has guys in it with some street cred. Nobody's mentioned turning down. Right on on the quality smith.

Another thought, if I'm going to spend that kind of money might it not be wiser to re-barrel in 6.5CM with a barrel that meets weight and balance requirements?

Thoughts on cryo treatment: snake oil? a good place to burn money? money well spent?

Thanks again and God bless America
 
#7
Keep it and build another rifle. The GS money you'd put into messing with this barrel might as well go into another. Actions are cheap considering you'll still have an action worth close to what you paid for it. You didn't say what stock you're running, sometimes that's the toughest bullet to bite, having something premium setting around only getting used occasionally. But it's nice to have a .308 for backup, it's the easiest to easily get accurate ammo for so it's easiest to grab and go at the last second or lend to a buddy and let them buy their own ammo. If the scope on this gun is too dear to have setting around put it on your new build and get an SWFA for the .308, inexpensive but very serviceable. There are guns I regret getting rid of but the ones I have I don't regret and can still sell later. Besides, once you have a couple of similar ones the spouse seems to lose track and it's easier to add another to the safe.

Don't need anything heavier than Rem Varmint contour. More weight isn't really more accurate, it's just easier to shoot when your technique is developing because it has less inertia. Keep shooting.
 
#8
Dinc3,

Good points all, from new build, to scope, etc.

My stock is a McMillan A-5, but I put on an EFR, which makes it hard to part with. Scope: SB PMII 4-16 - which might jump over to the 300WM. It's possible I could get my .308 fix from my OBR, but more thought required. Could invest in a barrel vise and action wrench and switch barrels.

You guys are supposed to help me save money, not spend more than I planned.

God bless America
 
#9
If it were mine I would probably shorten the barrel to 20 inches. I like short barrels though and don't mind the velocity loss. I think a .308 is best suited to a short barrel as it does not lose as much velocity as other calibers. I wouldn't consider re-contouring but I would very much consider sending it to someone to have the barrel fluted.
 
#10
Youve got a rifle shooting sub half moa........honestly i wouldnt touch the barrel or the action with a 10foot pole.

What does the rest of your setup look like?....stock, bipod, mounts, scope?

There may be an opportunity to shed weight elsewhere and leave the barrel alone

Also The weight of the rifle is not nearly as important as the balance of the rifle.....ive seen 5' 100lb girls handle a 15lb match rifle with ease.

You might be better actually adding weight in the stock to offset the barrel
 
#13
mcameron said:
Youve got a rifle shooting sub half moa........honestly i wouldnt touch the barrel or the action with a 10foot pole.

What does the rest of your setup look like?....stock, bipod, mounts, scope?

There may be an opportunity to shed weight elsewhere and leave the barrel alone

Also The weight of the rifle is not nearly as important as the balance of the rifle.....ive seen 5' 100lb girls handle a 15lb match rifle with ease.

You might be better actually adding weight in the stock to offset the barrel
Click to expand...

^^This^^

I own a Savage 110 FCP in .338 LM that was barrel heavy as received stock. While adding KMW cheek piece hardware, I added about 2# of lead mixed in epoxy to the stock. Now that rifle, as big and heavy as it is, balances really well and goes right to your cheek when raised up to your eye. It sounds counter-intuitive, but it works.
 
#14
My 2 cents worth;

Don't re-contour the barrel. I've done it on my lathe, but IMHO, it's not worth it. Buy a new barrel in the contour of your choosing and have a good 'smith chamber it for you. Then, barrel vise & action wrench. FWIW, I've done that, then decided it's too much of a PITA and just built a whole new rifle. Consider going the "Switch barreled action" route. It's faster/easier.

Flute/don't flute; I have both. I cannot say that fluting harms accuracy and I can say that fluting does not improve accuracy.

Cryo; I had a couple of Lilja .30 cal barrels cryo'd after having shot a couple of hundred rounds through them. I believe cryo improved accuracy, albeit slightly. Perhaps a placebo effect. I haven't cryo'd any barrels recently, but I'm considering it.
 
#15
Gents,

Thanks again for your replies.

Mcameron seems to feel the same way I do - I asked this august group for advice because I am loathe to mess with, in any way, a rifle that shoots as good as this one does, WITH factory Federal 168's no less. Don't tell Frank. WRT the stock, it's a McMillan A-5, and Lash's comment about balance may have applications here. Weight aft in the stock would definitely help with balance, AND, I wouldn't touch the pot of gold I have in this barrel and action. Also, I like Terry's design more than the one on the A-5. Maybe my smith could help balance the rifle - she'd be like the fat chick that can do cartwheels.

Might be a moot point soon - barrel's got almost three thousand rounds on it, although it IS a Rock Creek. Might last a lot longer. Isn't hard to clean. Doesn't foul much.

Nova, The rifle weighs 17 pounds before scope, and the scope is a SB PMII 4-16, so not lite.

Petrov, getting in better shape is always sound advice. At 46, my best days may be behind me, but I can still be better than I am right now.

Threadcutter, thanks for the advice on turning down. That COA is no longer in the decision matrix. Still considering the switch-barrel route, but I'd have to sell the M1A and/or the 40X to fund it. Guess I could put a 6.5 barrel on the 40X, though. Still lots of money.

Mord, when the barrel opens up I might flute it and shorten it. Until then, the wallet stays in the pocket.

Thanks again to all who took the time to help.

God bless America
 
#18
Mine weighs 18.8lbs with the can and ill be using it in PRS. the Gen II razor does not help with the weight... I went to a 15lb rifle for a little and actually did not like the weight decrease after i was used to my heavier rifle. those extra couple pounds really took recoil down a huge chunk. I'm no beast either at 5'11 175lbs.

i wouldn't touch something that shoots just to save a few ounces, or even a lb or two.
 
#19
The only reason the barrel would lose accuracy being fluted, shortened or re-contoured is it wasn't normalized/tempered correctly in the first place. For those of you not familiar with the process, it's keeping the barrel at an elevated temperature to alleviate stresses,, usually over a 24 hr. period of time.

If this is done correctly, and most aftermarket quality barrels are, as Longrifles said, you can turn or flute these to what you need without damaging accuracy. Harmonics might change, but the groups will remain consistent.

I used to believe that only super-bull sized barrels were accurate enough. I've found that depending on your cartridge, you can get clear down to a heavy sporter diameter without killing accuracy. Obviously, reloaiding and finding a load that matches barrel harmonics is paramount. I often see people loading up for that last little stich of velocity, not complementing the harmonics of the barrel. Find where your barrel shoots ;and stick with that. It even helps to find a lower node and save your barrel a bit,. Then you have better accuracy longer in the barrels life.
 
Last edited:
#20
Patruck225,

Thanks for your reply. Guess I need to get tough or start hitting from the ladies tees. Longrifles and sand warrior thanks for the education on fluting, etc. Anyone else want to chime in on cryo?

God bless America
 
#21
Chad does great work.....just saying....
My 308 weighs 16+ and is only a 20" barrel...
You might wanna start to doing some lunges so you can carry that stick around.....lol....
 
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