Weight saved between barrels

[nhenry]

Hello all,

I have a question that google can't seem to understand. If you go between calibers in the same profile barrel, there has to be some weight saved/gained. Say you have a .243 caliber barrel and a .308 barrel with the same profile-- how much weight do you actually save with the bigger bore size?

 

[homers]

I would think not much. Could calculate this by determining the different amount of metal due to the diameter differences per inch X length of barrel and then for the chamber as well.

The reason I say not much is that I don't see gun manufacturers post different weight for the same gun/barrel length based upon caliber.

 

[winmag]

Think of it as comparing the volume of two cylinders with different diameters.

Stainless weighs 0.28 pounds per cubic inch. If you take the difference in volume between a 24" long .308" diameter cylinder and a 24" long .243" diameter cylinder, that difference is 0.6761 cubic inches. 0.6761 x 0.28 = 0.189 pounds; or 0.008 pounds per inch of bore. So the .243 will be 0.189 pounds heavier than the .308 given 24" of bore length.

Factory stated weights are rarely accurate anyway, much less between calibers.

 

[rideold]

But the 308 ammunition weighs more than the .243

 

[Deleted member 16014]

Pac-Nor barrel weight calculator: Pac-Nor

 

[Millsworks]

Not much for sure.
Several ounces at most.

 

[longbow51]

I don't mean this critically, but why is this important? Neither .308 nor .243 are particularly varmint rounds where you might shoot enough rounds where barrel mass makes a difference. I get it with .204, .222, etc., for dog towns but in a hunting rifle for big game/coyotes why does it matter?

 

[nhenry]

I don't mean this critically, but why is this important? Neither .308 nor .243 are particularly varmint rounds where you might shoot enough rounds where barrel mass makes a difference. I get it with .204, .222, etc., for dog towns but in a hunting rifle for big game/coyotes why does it matter?

It was just on my mind. I don't actually care about weight saving all too much. I thought about it at work, couldn't find an answer, and so I decided to ask.

 

[std7mag]

I get what Nhenryyy is after.
Ounces equal pounds the further from the truck you go.

Alas, in this case, it really is only a couple of ounces. And the weight can be better taken off from someplace other than the barrel.

Case in point would be a Forbes rifle.
He uses a 24" magnum contour barrel, but rifle weight is still a measly 5.5 lbs.

Ok, maybe i didn't get what he was after.

 

[nhenry]

I get what Nhenryyy is after.
Ounces equal pounds the further from the truck you go.

Alas, in this case, it really is only a couple of ounces. And the weight can be better taken off from someplace other than the barrel.

Case in point would be a Forbes rifle.
He uses a 24" magnum contour barrel, but rifle weight is still a measly 5.5 lbs.

Ok, maybe i didn't get what he was after.

Really all I was after was something to satiate my curiosity I don't subscribe to the lightweight = better mentality. My backcountry rifle is 7.8 lbs and it's perfect. I was literally just curious and Google wasn't understanding what I was asking

 

[std7mag]

Google rarely understands me either...