most GOOD barrel makers will flute the barrel in shop before the final tempering/heat treating as to prevent the customer from blaming a missed shot on the least obvious reason ive tesed many, many milled parts before they leave the shop to be tempered and ive never found cutting operations to change the rockwell harndess of material (first, most obvious and worst sign of "stressed" steel)UNLESS the part was only rounghed out with no finishing cuts. unless you are dead set on hill country, and they wont build you something with a fluted barrel, go with another smith. rule number one of running a business is that so long as the customers isnt going to blow himself up, he is always right. if you want flutes go out and get flutes. your going to drop alot of money on this rifle and it has to be built exactly right. if not you might hate it. when i had my first custom rifle built it was really a comprimise and it really got on my nerves