As stated in the other post, I am going to have my first custom rifle work done by having a rifle re-barreled. I plan to build a 338-06 and I'm using a Remington LSS Mtn rifle to be re-barreled. My goal is to have a 7.5 lb. rifle when I'm finished. I will use a Brown Precision stock to replace the factory laminate stock. I have the bases and rings (Burris dual dovetails) and scope (Leupold Vari-X III 2.5-8) already purchased.

So what contour do I use? Do I go one heavier and then have it fluted for rigidity? This is my first time at this custom stuff and I'm just not sure. Thanks.

C-ROY

C-Roy,
I just did a #5 shilen contour, 24" in 375.. the gun finished about 9.5... loking back, I wish I had done a #4...
if you are going light, use the lightest possible, and i think that's a #3.5 for most makers volume makers, douglas, shilen, pacnor, etc.

jeffe

Hey'
David Gentry,made a .338,mountain rifle for me.It is 22",WEIGHS 7.5 lbs,composite stock.The contour looks to be3 or3.5.It's a Douglas supreme barrel.Made in the mid 80's.
1geejay
www.shooting-hunting.com

The .338 win mag I'm building on a Mauser action will be wearing a Douglas #4 barrel. I wanted a 26" barrel so the #4 was the lightest I could use. You could use either a #3 or even a #2.

For starters, your choice of cartridges is a good one. I own a .338 Win Mag and love it, but would like to have a light weight rifle in 338-06.

Your choice of scopes and mounts is also quite good. I much prefer the dual dovetail set up and have two 2.5 X 8 Leupolds.

But, back to the barrel. I have fluted barrels, several of them, but all are on varmint rifles. I am not sure they are at all necessary on a hunting rifle. (Although, my dad's Weatherby Ulta Light is fluted and it is a nice rifle for packing around.) I would just tell my gunsmith what I wanted in the way of weight, length, etc. and let him use his own judgement on countour.

Sounds like you have an interesting project and should wind up with a great hunting rifle.

R F

On my 338-284 I went with a Pac Nor #1 contour. Remember, every manufucturer uses different #'s for their contours.

Mine is 23" and starts at 1.150" and finished at .650".

FWIW,

Jim

C Roy
If you take a 5 lb 8 oz barrel and take off the
8 ozs by fluting it will be just as rigid as a
5 lb barrel (everything else being equal),but not as rigid as a 5 lb 8 oz barrel.

Go to benchrest.com and ask the engineers.Remington double talks in their ads.

I have had my benchrest barrels flutted to reduce weight and it didn't hurt the accuracy.The extra
area exposed did not help with cooling to any measurable degree (not an issue in a hunting rifle)

IT SURE DID LOOK GOOD!!!but not good enough for the extra $100 +

Food for thought and enjoy your project for I am building new rifle VZ24,classic stock design,
Shilen #6 profile in SS Select Match (barrels I use on my benchrest rifles).I haven't found an action that meets my specs.yet.Any thoughts you have would be welcomed.

Best of the holidays to you and yours

Once

MC,

Respectfully, the whole point of the fluting is to reduce the weight and keep stiffness, keeping the same barrel DIA leaving the same rigidity intact, but weighing less.

With the same weight barrels, the one with the fluting will be stiffer because the one without fluting would have to have a smaller DIA which gives up its stiffness.

In your example the 5.8# barrel fluted and reduced to 5.0# is as stiff as the 5.8# original.