quote:

This is my opinion on fluted barrels. And I can prove it with a lap run through any fluted barrel, including rimfire. When you flute a barrel, you remove material from the O.D. which in turn increases the diameter of the I.D. or the barrel. You will never see a centerfire or rimfire benchrest gun barrel fluted because of this.

The latest record holding rimfire benchrest barrels are reverse tapered to create a choke at the muzzle end. The barrel O.D. at the breech is smaller than the barrels O.D. at the muzzle.
In other words, the more material you remove from a barrels's outside diateter, the larger the inside diameter will be.

Centerfire benchrest barrels are tight neck chambered with only .001 clearance between a loaded round neck and the chambers neck. Most centerfire BR barrels are very large in diameter from breech to muzzle so It doesn't effect the inside diameter as much with a slight taper towards the muzzle end.

Fluting is for bling and serves no purpose in accuracy. This can easilly be proven if you know how to use a lap or wish to compete with your fluted barrel in a formal benchrest match. Caliber makes no difference. Benchrest shooters go to great lengths to keep their barrels cool during a string at a match, but fluting is not one of them.