Each contour has different dimentions... one might be X amount of thickness 5 inchs down the barrel from the chamber and then taper down to Y amount of thickness... or it might steadily taper down all the way from the chamber end to the muzzle... or you can get a "striaght tube" which is perfectly symetrical all the way down the barrel... meaning if the chamber is 2 inchs in diameter... it will be 2 inchs in diameter all the way to the muzzle. However... each manufacturer has different contours... so a #7 contour from one company might not be the same as a #7 contour from another company. Sniper grade barrels are "normally" a #7 to #8 contour. This is kind of the "rule of thumb" if you will... for Sniper grade barrels.triggerhappy said:So I was looking at the SC rifles and realized that, although I was familiar with the terms, I had no idea what contour #6, #7 or #8 really meant. I mean, whats the differences?
The larger the number of the contour... the "heavier" the barrel is. However... barrel contour has nothing to do with length unless otherwise noted in the name of the contour.triggerhappy said:Which one is the heaviest...lightest
Yep! Not only calibers... but styles of bullets and twist rates! But more importantly... style of rifle. You dont want a #8 contour 26 inch barrel for tactical urban shooting... and you dont want a #6 contour 20 inch barrel for 1,000 yard shooting. This is why the #7 to #7.5 contour 24 / 25 inch barrel is pretty popular with the Military...triggerhappy said:is this tactical game so down-to-a-science that certain contours are preferred for individual calibers?
The chamber diameters are all 1.2" (this is common on most barrel makers)Ballistic_Coefficiency said:Mel... what are the chamber diameters of the Montana Rifleman #6, 7 and 8 contour barrels? Are they all 1.2" ? Also... does Montana Rifleman take custom barrel orders? ( i give them the dimensions i want and they make it ) ?
