Weatherby Nation

I've been looking into the whole fluted barrel thing and figured I'd ask the experts to weigh in on the topic.  I've read about lighter weight and stiffer barrels and faster cooling etc and those arguments.  It seems the benefits are all gauged in relation to barrels of the same diameter or the same weight.  I get all that.
Does anyone out there shoot a fluted barrel? (lots of accumark guys, so i'm certain of it).
In the reality of actually using one, are there real benefits?  I notice that Weatherby only has a fluted barrel on the accumark and on the WNMR.  I always see fluting on stainless barrels but not on blued and I wonder why.  How easy are they to keep clean?  Do they last?  I've read that at higher temps, fluting causes the barrel to warp easier.
I keep finding rifles that I like, but they have fluted barrels, which I dont care for.  I like the look of wood and stainless, but its getting harder to find them without the flutes.
So out of curiousity, is this a fad that looks cool, or is this something that adds value (that is performance value to the shooter) and is here to stay??NBHFC
Connecticut

Petey:I have a couple of fluted barrels and I cant say that are any better or worse than the ones that are not.There are some blued barrels out there that are fluted.I just like the looks of them personally.Roger
Faster horses,younger women,older whiskey,and more money.

Petey, I have had rifles in the  same caliber with fluted and non fluted barrels. I don't know about the claim that they are more rigid than non fluted versions. They might cool off a little faster. No issues keeping it clean  I have an Accumark If I ever get it hot enough to warp I can only assume something really bad is happening on the other end of it. Zombies maybe I dunno.  In all reality I think it probably saves a little weight on a 26 inch #3 contour and it might help with cooling things down a little faster. I don't think it's enough of a difference to really notice one way or the other.

For sake of no argument Fluting is a cosmetic enhancement more than it is for any other reason. I have researched the crap out of it. Then I took the plunge and had it done and will continue to have it done it's just looks good to me but not on all rifles?   

There are even some spiral fluted barrels that are really cool looking.Now if Weatherby would make one of them .Roger
Faster horses,younger women,older whiskey,and more money.

Roger if you remember my T/C Encore has spiral fluting but the guy who did it had to stop it seems that E,R Shaw rifle barrels has a patent on this and is sueing people? tho I think they sold some rights to Savage? due to thier deal already pending for rifle actions to build their own rifles.

Jim:I actually almost bought an ER Shaw with the Savage action in the 257 Weatherby Mag.Just because of the spiral fluting they had.I didn't know they had some kind of patent.They used to want all the money up front and the wait was close to a year so I decided to let it slide.
Roger
Faster horses,younger women,older whiskey,and more money.

Here are the facts, as I know them, about the comparison:
1.  Fluted barrels cool faster than an unfluted barrel of the same diameter due to increased surface area.  It's not an advantage unless you're shooting high volume in a short period of time or you're shooting several loads from something like a 300Wby that heat up the barrel very quickly.
2.  Fluted barrels are stiffer than an unfluted barrel of the same weight.  But, here's the trick - the unfluted barrel of the same weight is a smaller diameter, which is where the extra stiffness comes from for the fluted barrel.  Take two barrels of identical diameter/contour, and they will be equally stiff, but the fluted barrel will be lighter.  So, what you have is two correlations - by weight, fluted is stiffer, and by diameter, fluted is lighter.

Reality is part of the deal here - there are potential stresses introduced during the fluting process, so it can diminish accuracy if not done right.  On the other hand, a properly fluted barrel will shoot more accurately for a longer shooting session due to the improved cooling, versus a smooth barrel.  And, the reality is, you won't see much difference at most traditional hunting ranges and rates of fire.  I'd probably only flute for weight savings on a mountain rifle or perhaps a heavy-barreled rifle I was building (like the Accumark), but I would not expect there to be a tremendous difference in accuracy other than the standard comparison that on average, a heavier contour barrel will be more consistent than a thinner barrel.I believe this is a practical world, and in it I can count only on what I can earn.  Therefore I believe in work, hard work. - The Auburn Creed
The older I get, the less stock I place in what men say, and the more I place in what men do.
Andrew Carnegie

The last comments are right on. Fluted barels are stiffer in comparison if the same length, bore size and weight. I've have a couple of them. Some may remember Weatherby offered chrome moly Mark Vs in the '90s with fluted barrels as well as stainless versions. These were standard contours not the heavy contour like the Accumark. They have more cooling surface for sure but it's really a bad practice to heat up a rifle barrel if you can avoid it. 

One additional comment about fluting. If done correctly the accuracy potential is also improved due to the lessing of harmonic vibrations. One well known manufacturer offers their Sendero model with flutes as does T/C on some of their rifles. I believe this "upgrade" does offer an advantage or two but I question whether the work is worth the price. My next rifle, that I'm picking up tomorrow is a custom barreled Pac-Nor fluted barrel. Fluted by my gunsmith not Pac-Nor.I BET On Berger Busters

Due to the increased surface area, does a fluted barrel heat up faster and get hotter than a non-fluted?  I have 2 fluted, Wtby.(stainless) .257 Back Country & Rem. CDL .300 winnie (blue).  I don't know how fast mine cool down, but I know they heat up awfull quick!JohnP
"If its too good to be true, it is!"

I asked mainly because you guys may or may not own/prefer/have experience with fluted barrels.  I was confused because the accumark has a fluted barrel for accuracy sake, but the ultra lightweight does not.  So the effects of the weight reduction are only for the heavy contour barrels.
I guess for someone like me who only takes a few shots to verify scope zero before the hunting season and if I'm lucky, a few shots at game, its not practical or advantageous for me to have a fluted barrel.  When I buy a ranch and have the space and need for varmint shooting, I guess I'll need the heavier contour barrel and fluting. 
Okay... so the looks are starting to grow on me.NBHFC
Connecticut

Petey the ultra lightweight does have a fluted barrel.Good Hunting And Shooting To all

i think every gun barrell should have it, when you lean it against a tree or leaning post it stops the gun from sliding off.
so its a safety feature.....of sorts.




At least thats what my wife has been 'conditioned' to beleive!!
april 18 2011, boy i wish this snow would leave....

I got a chuckle out of Roger's response.

If the question is hunting accuracy, fluting has absolutely no advantage. It just looks neat. When I rebarreled by Accumark, I didn't have the barrel fluted. It's just a matter of preference. I like the look but just don't think it's worth the money. You can buy a lot of reloading components for the fluting cost.The only time I would flute a barrel is if I were replacing it with a new blank. That way it is fluted before final rifling and is stress relieved.

Good luck with your choice. Either way will be very nice.