I have a rifle with a #4 weight barrel and why this was put on is beyond my limited realm of comprehension. Its on a 7x57 AI and started off at 24 inches. In an effort to save some weight I had it shortned to 22. The gun is just plain heavy and after lugging it up and down the mtns of Colorado deer hunting I had enough and got it shortned. I have decided that this rifle is to be a gun used in a stationary blind while deer hunting, and won't be toting it over the hills and through the woods. I have lost some performance with the shorter barrel so my question is what would be the weight difference between a 24 inch std bbl and a 24 inch fluted bbl? Or should I just leave well enough alone and keep it as is?

Rick Sir:

While it's a little late now, why not take the barrel off and have it profiled to the contour you need, the last thing I personally would ahve done was to shorten that tube. Fluting (in my opinion) is a waste and looks ugly.

Remember, don't eat yella snow.
CLarence

A barrel that heavy can be fluted very deep to make a noticeable difference. What would it look like if you reprofiled the barrel from the stock fore-end to the muzzle and then fluted the barrel to match the new profile from the stock fore-end back well upon the bell? Would that be cool?

I've carried a lot of severly free floated barrels around those Colorado mtns.All shot great and not one elk or deer ever told me any of my rifles looked ugly. I'd rather be able to breath through my nose and have someone snicker at my lite ugly rifle than be panten all day long by trying to be a weight lifter in those mtns. Think about it. You could always become a bean field deer hunter. roger

It is also very easy to remove the barrel for new contour and remove the bedding with a dremel or flex-shaft grinder and then rebed with the new barrel. The bedding will show but with the bedding job you may improve accuracy as well.
Just a thought.
Frank