Cutting and Threading a Fluted Barrel

I’m looking for advice and opinions on having this done. I currently have a Tikka T3x Lite chambered in .300wsm with a 24” barrel. I recently added a Mesa Precision Altitude stock and upgraded the bottom metal. I’m running a suppressor on it, and I’m considering cutting off 2-4”. I love the suppressor, but hate the added length. It’s currently threaded to 5/8-24. I definitely need to keep that thread pattern. There is only about 1 7/8” of smooth barrel before you get to the flutes so regardless of how short I go, it’s going to be cut into the flutes. I talked to a gunsmith that seems to think it won’t be a problem, but would like to see what others think of this before I commit. I know I’ll loose some muzzle velocity, but do you think I’ll be sacrificing accuracy?

Rebarrel it don't cut it off

I would rather do that without a doubt, but I can get it cut and threaded for $125, and doing that is gonna put me over $1000 from what I’ve seen. Any particular reason you say that other than the obvious?

You need a new gunsmith if he is willing to thread into the flutes. And a rebarrel should not cost $1000.

I see you’re from North Alabama. Do you have any recommendations? I guess I should’ve stated that I would want to rebarrel with carbon fiber barrel or another fluted barrel to cut back on as much weight as possible. I’m definitely open to other options. I just want to be as light and short as possible with this setup.

It only costs $125 but could possibly affect the accuracy of a big money setup. If it’s a $1k to rebarrel just sell that rifle and buy another the length you want.

I have a question and not being a smart ass. Just curious. What advantage do u have with a suppressor on a 300wsm?

It's about 600 to rebarrel with barrel included. My gunsmith charges $250 to chamber and 50 to thread the muzzle

Same as any other rifle reduced sound and recoil.

Cutting off barrels is a crap shoot sometimes it doesn't effect accuracy sometimes it makes it worse sometimes better. You can get it rebarreled for around 600 and will definitely have a more accurate rifle

I shoot so much more accurately with a suppressor. Especially on larger calibers like this. This guns a shooter. I love everything about it except for the length. Here is a 100 yard 3 shot group I recently shot.

My suppressed 7 mag has the recoil of a 243. It is a blast to shoot, but the 24" barrel and 9" of suppressor is a bit unwieldy.

DO NOT thread into the flutes.

Tooter Meredith in Athens

I actually talked to him this morning. I was actually referencing pricing I got from him on rebarreling. He did also say the cutting and threading was possible as well. Not saying he recommended it, but that it was possibly doable. I’ve heard really good things about him and heard he does great work. Another gunsmith quoted me the $125 and said he would do it…

New barrel.

IMO, as good as the group above is, you're not going to be happy if you cut that barrel down. That's going to completely change the harmonics of the barrel and it apparently, really likes the length it is.

Listen to him when he tells you don't do it.

Carbon fiber barrels are a lot more expensive and not all are equal. Proof and Benchmark are tops.

He doesn't charge that much for a rebarrel unless he is ordering you some high dollar specialty barrel. I only shoot Brux or Bartlein barrels and can get them chambered and threaded for around 600. The last one I had done was a Blake in 7FCP and it was 450 for the barrel and 350 for chambering and threading for a tuner and Blake barrels are more expensive than most. You can get a good barrel for 350 max. My full bull no taper 30in finished Brux 6mm barrels are 385 shipped

But would that gun not shoot the same group without it

The gun might be capable of it, but not with me behind the trigger. Before I had this gun I had another Tikka T3x lite also chambered in .300wsm. It was not threaded. I was very lucky to shoot sub 1.5” moa. It does pretty much what a muzzle brake would do, and also eliminates the blast. Much easier to shoot in my opinion. It has greatly improved my accuracy. I won’t buy another rifle that isn’t threaded for a suppressor unless I just plan on keeping it in a safe.

It’s worth a $125 gamble if you don’t like the current length. If it doesn’t work out then you are only out $125 and you can’t get that much for the tikka barrel now as is. The gunsmith that says it will work would probably chamber a new barrel at a discount to make up for the bad advice.

Me either. WOW !

I've never done it myself, but one of the things all the Tikka fanboys are always touting is that they're built to be modular and swappable. you can swab bolts, barels etc and everything will headspace back perfect. Assuming that's true I would be on the hunt for a new pre-fit barrel

Well dang. I've got a tikka (recently purchased from someone) with 24" barrel, that i was wanting to trim down to 22" myself. Mines fluted also, but I'm gonna have to bust out the measuring tape later, because i thought mine had plenty of Barrel hanging off passed the flutes, to cut off 2" and crown it (not threaded this one)

I’ve been toting a 16” barrel gun since last season and pulled out my 22” barrel gun and it just seemed ridiculously long by comparison

I'd like to know where you are getting Brux barrels for $385 shipped

Cutting and threading a fluted barrel is possible but depending on how deep the flutes are, you may need to go 1/2-28 rather than 5/8-24.
That's not a problem since you can get a 1/2-28 threaded adapter for the suppressor.

I did a TC Barrel for Limabean a while back...It didn't look bad once I crowned and beveled the muzzle

From Brux 400 plus shipping from Bugholes if you need one faster

You are getting a better deal than me.
Even with an FFL, Brux won't give me any discount and what I get from SPR for having an FFL basically covers shipping

Actually I just realized the Brux barrels I use are $380.00. Add $30.00 shipping to that and you're at $420.00.
It cost me the same to get one from SPR, so we are at the same cost either way

I won’t speak to the flutes, but I’ve rarely seen a barrel that was cut down, crowned, and threaded RIGHT, not shoot at least as well as it did before. I just had a 270 lopped off to 18” and 5/8x24 just for running a suppressor on. If anything, it shoots better. Barrel got stiffer for the suppressor, and velocity loss is not my worry. I’d rather not be carrying a massive antenna around trying to hunt. I’d bet most any issues with cutting down a barrel and losing accuracy could be traced to the cut/crown job….not the barrel being shortened itself.

Yeah I've got one customer that's had me cut 2 Christensens to make the barrel stiffer and thereby maiking it more accurate.
I don't know what his group sizes were before but I know the groups after were very impressive

I would just cut it off where I wanted it and thread it and not worry about it. I don't think it would look bad with the flutes terminating against the back of the can. I mean, it's not optimal but otherwise who cares.

If I could NOT live with that I would just sell it and build a rifle like I wanted it from scratch that way you can get a better action.

You won't know about accuracy until you cut it off.

Also wouldn't get hung up on a Brux. They make good barrels but so do a lot of other companies. Just get another one it's that simple.

FWIW, I’ve yet to regret shortening a tube to a handier length.

Me I wouldn't touch it.ive fooled with so many rifles shortening barrels , bedding,mad it came out heavier than expected.whatever
If it shoots leave it alone.buy/ build another rifle and be happy to have two
Start chopping cutting on rifle shooting ragged holes it can get expensive and disappointing .not to mention complete rework and load development on a barrel with x amount of rounds down pipe.yeah you get lucky sometimes.good luck

I'd keep it as is or start from scratch.little weight and length I've decided I like and prefer
You might spend a big coin and never be happy.im that OCD sob that has learned leave it alone if it shoots ragged or one hole groups
And in a few weeks you might be upset with velocity loss.
Sounds disappointing to me.take a good shooting rifle and basically start over on everything you know about it.cause it's heavy and long.uhgga
Been there done that .be a hard pass for me

Only out $125 if it doesn't shoot or get you happy.😜 Yeah ok

Going against what some on here said, I went ahead and chopped off 3”. I’m actually really happy with the results. It doesn’t look bad at all to me, and I’m a lot happier with the length now. Here is the last group I shot. It was shot with a hot barrel, and I wasn’t really taking my time. I was more focused on getting my new muzzle velocity. Pretty sure I can tighten it up. I lost 90-100 fps, but I expected that. Still deadly out to further than I need to be shooting.

I wouldn’t complain with that at all.300WSM is a snappy round. Hell all the WSMs seem to be. Bought my brother a 700 SPS stainless 300
Wsm back in 2005. It is a jaw rattler. Uncle has a grey wolf Sako 85 270wsm and it’s uncomfortable for being in a laminate stock rifle. Suppressed magnums are my new favorite thing. But I was shocked after shooting my 7mag suppressed, versus 28 Nosler with brake, and also suppressed. . The factory browning brake recoiled about like a 270. With the suppressor it was noticeably more recoil, like a 180gr 30-06. POI changed a little, but groups were still pretty good. Never realized brakes were so effective, but I couldn’t shoot one without ear protection in the field. Ears already ring constantly.

Looks to me it's not shooting as good as it did before the barrel cutting. Be mighty hard for me to touch anything on a rifle that shot as well as that one before it "went under the knife."

I know what you mean. It was a hard decision, but I wasn’t going to be happy with it any other way. I’m pretty confident I can tighten that group up. I wasn’t really taking my time, it was fairly windy, and that was on a pretty hot barrel if that makes any difference. I was really just trying to get it dialed in close, and shooting to get a muzzle velocity average. If I’m not happy in the long run, I’ll just re-barrel it. That was actually my plan from the beginning, but wanted to give this a shot before I did.

I'd think you can make that group better with some tuning being it's you first try under less than ideal conditions.. Not that it's a bad group.

You’ve changed harmonics, not accuracy potential with loads in its preferred window. You may just have to find what that is all over again. I firmly believe a suppressor can be a larger factor to differences than cutting/threading done right, but that’s me.

I took my time at the range today. I didn’t change anything with my setup. This is a 3 shot group. I’m very pleased with the gun overall.

Nice chootn specialk!

That'll work , BTW that's about 3/8" center to center , you're measuring overall.

Yes, I just took the outside and subtracted by .308”, and came up with a .352” group.

Um... I think you are going to be fine. Wow.