Bartlein Barrel - Precision 6mm Remington Varmint Barrel

When it comes to achieving peak accuracy and performance in your firearm, the choice of barrel is paramount. Bartlein Barrels presents the ultimate precision solution with its 6mm B#13 Remington Varmint barrel, designed to meet the rigorous demands of shooters who demand excellence. Explore the key factors that make this barrel a game-changer in the world of firearms.

Do Contours Affect Barrel Weight?

Yes, the contours of a barrel do affect its weight, and this has a significant impact on its performance. In situations where a barrel experiences residual stress, commonly found in button-made barrels, and is subjected to the heat generated during shooting without any adjustments to the scope or sights, the result can be wandering groups and shots on the target. Here's where a heavier contour barrel shinesÑit resists the movement and wandering of the barrel as it heats up, maintaining your shot placement.

At Bartlein Barrels, we exclusively employ single-point cut rifling, which doesn't induce stress into the barrel blank. Thanks to this method, we emphasize that the contour is not as crucial as it would be for barrels produced using the button rifling process.

Does Contour Affect Accuracy?

Indeed, the contour of a barrel does affect its accuracy. Heavier barrels typically offer better accuracy due to the added weight, which helps the shooter manage recoil and experience reduced fatigue. This translates to the ability to shoot more rounds over an extended period with improved control.

However, it's essential to note that lighter weight contours can perform exceptionally well and may even surpass heavier counterparts. The critical factor is the balance between contour and other aspects of your firearm setup.

Suppressors and Barrel Contours

Suppressors should not be indiscriminately attached to any barrel contour. When using a suppressor on a heavier barrel, it typically enhances shooting performance. This is because the suppressor adds weight to the barrel, affecting its harmonic vibrations in a positive way. We recommend not using suppressors on anything smaller than a medium palma contour for optimal results.

Advantages of Single-Point Cut Rifling

Single-point cut rifling, as employed by Bartlein Barrels, offers distinct advantages over button rifling. In button rifling, a lighter weight contour can introduce significant stress into the blank, potentially affecting bore sizes and consistency as the contour size decreases. This issue doesn't arise with single-point cut rifling, ensuring bore size consistency throughout the barrel's length. Similarly, threading the muzzle for accessories like muzzle brakes or suppressors is more reliable with single-point cut rifling, as it avoids common problems associated with bore opening in button-rifled barrels.

Significance of Fluting a Barrel

Fluting a barrel serves several important purposes:

• Weight Reduction: Fluting removes material from the barrel, reducing its weight without altering the contour.
• Barrel Cooling: Fluting increases the barrel's surface area, allowing for more effective heat dissipation.
• Aesthetic Appeal: Many shooters appreciate the unique look that fluting adds to their barrel, making it both functional and visually appealing.

FAQs About Fluting:

Do we have a minimum depth for fluting?
You can flute barrels too deeply, potentially causing harmonic and vibration issues that negatively impact accuracy. If you cannot add fluting while browsing for your barrel, it likely means that the contour is too shallow.

Does fluting make the barrel stiffer?
In general, fluting reduces the stiffness of the barrel. However, it's important to consider how stiffness is measured. The trade-off between weight reduction and stiffness should be carefully balanced.

Importance of Rifling on a Barrel

The rifling on a barrel plays a crucial role in determining accuracy and performance. Bartlein Barrels offers three different types of rifling: 4-groove, 5R, and Conventional-5. The number of grooves doesn't significantly affect accuracy or barrel life, as proven by feedback from ammunition and bullet manufacturers who use our test barrels.

Additional Benefits of 5R Rifling:

The 5R style of rifling offers specific advantages, including improved resistance to bullet failure. Its gentler angle on the sides of the lands, as opposed to conventional rifling, results in less deformation of the bullet jacket during the transition from the case into the rifling. This helps prevent bullet failure and contributes to better flight characteristics.

We've learned that 5R rifling can even enhance the flight of the bullet, as confirmed by an ammunition and bullet maker in late 2019.

Exceptions to Note:

One exception to consider is with short jacket 6mm bullets, typically in the 65-68gr range, used by short-range bench shooters. These bullets may not perform optimally with 5R rifling, resulting in group sizes in the upper .2xx's to a flat .3xx. This effect is usually more pronounced with boat-tail bullets due to the specific characteristics of short jacket bullets in combination with the "R" style of rifling.