I honestly don't get all the hype on carbon fiber barrels. Someone explain it to me that makes sense from a hunter and shooters stand point. There's 3 reasons why I don't get the hype.

1- I don't see any weight savings
2- Steel barrels shoot just as good and maintain consistency longer
3- Cost

Point 1- I don't see any benefit to the weight savings. A #2 sporter weight barrel (2 lbs, 12.8 oz, standard hunting contour, 24" long) is lighter than a carbon fiber barrel (3 lbs, 24" long). A Bartlein #2B (thicker barrel at 3.2 lbs, or 3 lbs 3.2 oz) is EXACTLY the same weight as a Proof Sendero carbon fiber barrel (.308", 26" barrel is 3 lbs 3 oz). This #2B contour (Medium Sporter contour) makes for a great hunting rifle with a decent amount of target shooting mixed in. If you went up to a #3 contour (Heavy Sporter), a Bartlien steel barrel is 3 lbs 8 oz, and the Proof is 3 lbs 3 oz, only 5 oz more (the #3 contours are my favorite contour). I would always want a steel barrel over a carbon fiber barrel, no matter who makes the carbon fiber barrel. You do get the "bull barrel" look in the carbon fiber, but functionality, I don't see the benefit of 5 oz weight savings from a #3 contour steel barrel to a Sendero CF barrel. Yes, they do make a Sendero Lite contour, but I've yet to see one of these shoot well, especially after 2-3 shots, which brings me to point #2.

Point 2- Almost all of the carbon fiber barrels I've tested will start opening groups up after about 3-4 rounds. I've seen some carbon barrels shoot the same hole at 100 yards (1/4 to 1/3 moa accuracy), but open up groups drastically once the barrel heats up after 3-4 rounds. The steel barrels, even in regular hunting #2 contours, will maintain consistency longer than the carbon fiber barrels. And another big item shooters do not think about is the barrel mirage on a carbon fiber barrel. After about 2-4 shots, the carbon fiber starts to dissipate the heat off the barrel. When looking through the scope, you get major barrel mirage coming off the barrel when looking at the target through the scope. The target moves around so much from the mirage off the barrel that you can not get a good sight picture.

Point 3- $900 carbon fiber barrel vs $330 Bartlein. All that needs to be said on that.

Why would you want to go with a carbon fiber barrel? Enlighten me!

Marketing hype. Never fell for it myself

To your point #2, the carbon fiber is it's own worst enemy. Carbon is thermally conductive, and is pulling heat, cooling the barrel. This sounds like a great concept, until you think about the energy the metal is exchanging. The law of thermal dynamics is simple, hot moves to cold. As the heat leaves the barrel, there is movement of the structure. The faster it cools, the more movement of the metal. We all know what this does to accuracy. Graphite foam is carbon based, and anisotropic, pulling heat rapidly on the Z plane. Carbon Fiber is the same in this respect. You also have what is known as a CTE (coefficient of thermal expansion) mismatch. These two materials don't expand at the same rate when heat is introduced.

I feel like after you said Z plane I was gonna read something about how to to curve bullets in the matrix or using the force. I must need more

Weight savings while trying to maintain a profile big enough for a suppressor...need a .725 shoulder for a 5/8-24 thread. My personal opinion is this is the only reason to own a carbon barrel.

I have one..I don't particularly like it for the reasons you mentioned above...it heats up faster and cools down slower too. My gawd the mirage is terrible.

But they look cool, I do like the look...especially when the barrel ends are blacked out.

All a carbon barrel is good for is prying another 4-500 dollars out of your wallet..
aside from looks nothing comes to mind..

I’ve seen more carbon barrels be more fickle and hard to tune than steel.

Personally I’ll never buy one.

Judd, so even then with the suppressor with the added weight on the end of the barrel would seem to enhance the problems of consistency issues?? Yes, no? Just curious.

Mine shoots well for 3 shots...then it has to cool. That's just fine for hunting and I've never pushed it. It might but I like short rigid barrels, mine is 16.5" long sendero and I don't have any issues suppressor on (never shot it without, why would I haha).....for 3 shots. Then it opens up and soups up the scope.

The other two I've been around a fair amount is the same way but 24" long and not suppressed so I cannot say one way or the other on the longer barrels and suppressors.

The only point I was trying to make is yes, a #2 or #3 at 22-24" weighs close but you can't thread either of those for a 5/8-24 suppressor and get your .725 shoulder. It will need to be shorter than 20" and maybe even shorter yet to get the correct shoulder diameter.

You mean like wedging a tooth pick under a fully floated barrel to raise (Z) impact? The things you read on a forum, right?

He lost me at "anisotropic"(im not googling it) so I never got to "Z plane".
No offense at all Chad, just funnin on a friday.

The heat moves faster up, than it does side to side or forwards and back with this material. If it were isotropic, the heat would move at the same rate in any direction.

I have a 10/22 and a 77/22 Mag that both have Volquartsen carbon barrels. Super light in a .920 diameter and very accurate. I'm not a paper puncher I'm a hunter, so I'm not concerned with heat from multiple shots.

Looks is about it.

I’ve got 3 rifles with carbon fiber barrels, all Proof Sendero profiles. The first was already built in 28 Nosler with a 26” barrel and a very effective brake it’s set up just about perfectly for long range hunting. I’ve only shot 3 shot groups out of it but it’s consistently in the .3s and .4s, about 650 rounds tired so far. The second was a barrel I had installed on a model 700 that had a Varmint profile barrel in a McMillan stock that was just to heavy for what I wanted to do with it. The 18” barrel always has a direct thread suppressor on it and I feel this is where a CF barrel has some real benefit. The third rifle is one I just had built 22” CF in 6.5 Creedmoor always has a brake or suppressor on it. I’ve shot a lot of 5 to 9 round strings and have not had a mirage problem so far but it just started to get hot. The CF barrel gave me the profile I wanted for the brake and the suppressor at the weight I needed. I’ll say this, if your building a rifle with custom action, quality stock, good trigger and bottom metal with top shelf optics and mounts the price difference becomes much less significant.

They do look good in my opinion also, however about 80% I’d still use conventional steel barrel.

They look cool, thats it. Judd just throw a 9/19 to 5/8 adapter on a thinner barrel.

Aside from bore thickness...do you have something against 1/2 threads or well machined adapters?

Adapters just stack tolerances. One of my suppressors is "tight" enough that one of my 300 Hamr barrel's bullet will kiss the end cap. Don't take much to be off, to create a baffle strike. So no, I do not like adapters.

I'm not a fan of is sticking a piece of metal that weighs close to a pound on a skinny barrel either. Saying all of this...I haven't done any personal testing with skinny barrels and suppressor weight but I've messed around with tuners enough to know what it'll do.

The questions was why...I gave what I consider the only valid answer, that I will stick by...save weight while maintaining a profile for a 5/8-24 suppressor shoulder.

I hear ya on the later and that seems to be the most common answer I get when I ask the same question as the OP. The other “benefits” are mute points IMO and I’ve worked with my share of CF barrels.

Guess I’m just lucky as I’ve had zero issues with baffle strikes on lots of barrels with quality adapters and barrel profiles down to include Kimber Montanas. Only thing that has nuked the baffles on a SilencerCo can is Hornadys 147 ELDMs...grin...

Yep. Just like Trojan ads. I'll keep buying Bartleins and paying child support.

You are such a mess Jerm. I love it!!!!

I’d rather thread any barrel 5/8”-24 to avoid use of an adapter with my suppressor, but I’m on my 3rd or 4th tikka lite threaded 1/2”-28 and using an adapter with no issues. These are on 22 and 24 cal bores, haven’t tried anything larger with 1/2” threads.

If I were to re-barrel a hunting rifle to be used with a can I’d go with a bartlein 3 or 3b to get 5/8” threads and a good shoulder at 16-20”, wouldn’t even consider a carbon tube at 2-3x the price.

Remember Boz’s baffle strike with an adaptor... ya that woke me up

2k can turned into a marachca

All I know is my bsf carbon fiber barrel on my ar is the most accurate barrel I’ve ever shot. I’ve had probably 20 barrels and it shoots lights out.

I like my proof barrel on my 28 nosler. Super accurate at long distances and a great hunting rifle for long hikes in the mountains. Has traveled with me on a million hunting trips and taken down several animals across the western states. I def don’t shoot it more than 3 round strings because the barrel heats up but I do like the contour and it fits supperors very well. Don’t get me wrong I absolutely love my bartleins and muller works barrels for competitions but for hunting the carbon barrels sure do a good job for me.