To Float or Not to Float…..

[skipglo]

Great topic @memtb ! Another title could be FAD,FACT, OR FICTION? As the years fly by...just about everything changes....some have minor changes....some massive....science today...WOW!... Always a new " This is the Bestest and Only way Ever" expert.

 

[Mike Matteson]

I have done it both ways..... was having trouble getting what I wanted out of a lite barreled 300wm..... got it down to a .75moa gun....with handloads.... but wanted more..... tried an "O" ring out on end of forearm to test it..... it helped..... so....put a 2" pad of silicone out on the end of forearm.... took gun to 3/8moa...

Interesting. I'll have to looking this.

 

[memtb]

Actually..... paranoia is A REAL POSSIBILITY here!

"Here" …..as in me, or "Here" as in this forum! memtb

 

[highfinblue]

"Here" …..as in me, or "Here" as in this forum! memtb

I believe it runs in the community. Some things border on voodoo or superstition, but some of the stuff really does seem to make a difference in accuracy. There's simply not enough time to sift through it all.

 

[Jon Bischof]

Acraglass, Shoot & Grind, Grind & Shoot till you get what you are willing to stop grinding--this is certainly NOT the way I would go after consistency with a new rifle. With today's rifles, you don't need to do this.

But if I ever acquire another Model 70 and it doesn't group like I want it to...then back to bed, shoot and grind and shoot and grind.....til I get it to shoot.

In other words, bedding and playing the harmonics works with older guns, but it is a lot of trouble.

Nowadays, the easy button is to just buy a Sauer 100 with its own unique Ever-Rest bedding built into the stock and the barrel and go shoot Sub-MOA. And no, I don't work for Sauer. I just know a better thing when I see it.

 

[std7mag]

My Forbes w/ Shaw barrel is full length bedded. I can send a 3 shot string on a 500M target with no problems.

Ok, I'm at a loss here...

Are you saying that Forbes put an E.R. Shaw barrel on your rifle when built?

Or was the rifle rebarreled?

 

[skipglo]

"Here" …..as in me, or "Here" as in this forum! memtb

YES!

 

[skipglo]

Acraglass, Shoot & Grind, Grind & Shoot till you get what you are willing to stop grinding--this is certainly NOT the way I would go after consistency with a new rifle. With today's rifles, you don't need to do this.

But if I ever acquire another Model 70 and it doesn't group like I want it to...then back to bed, shoot and grind and shoot and grind.....til I get it to shoot.

In other words, bedding and playing the harmonics works with older guns, but it is a lot of trouble.

Nowadays, the easy button is to just buy a Sauer 100 with its own unique Ever-Rest bedding built into the stock and the barrel and go shoot Sub-MOA. And no, I don't work for Sauer. I just know a better thing when I see it.

Or....buy a tuner brake or slip on first....just me

 

[Jon Bischof]

Or....buy a tuner brake or slip on first....just me

I guess a tuner brake might make more sense if you are planning to hunt with it or add suppressor someday.

 

[Ltbullken]

Mitch Kendall built it. It's a featherweight barrel. Probably why it was full length bedded. Here's a pic with its latest freezer contribution! Not the greatest pic of the rifle (in 65CM).

That's great. I was being deliberately conservative. Did Melvin build it with the Shaw? What barrel contour?

This got me thinking, I did so digging. I believe this may mostly be a Melvin build, but Mitch did some finishing work on it. All in all, a very accurate and dependable gun!

 

[Ltbullken]

Ok, I'm at a loss here...

Are you saying that Forbes put an E.R. Shaw barrel on your rifle when built?

Or was the rifle rebarreled?

It's possible! I did some more digging. And looks like it may have been originally a Forbes build. My gunsmith, whom I got it from, only did some finishing work on it. Maybe it was rebarreled before it came to him.

 

[jimmybrost]

that is the question!

* Your mission, should you choose to accept it……answer the questions!

It seems that I've never seen a post whereas "full-length" bedding is recommended!

My hunting rifle has "full-length" bedding, which was offered as an option when I had it built. I think that it shoots pretty good…..considering the " loose nut" behind the trigger.

* Am I the only one that shoots a rifle with "full-length" bedding…..it seems that way.

* Have any of you experimented with full- length bedding? If so, your results.

* If you have not tried it….Why? Are you simply following the path of everyone else, or is a "free floated" barrel always the best path to take?

Thanks for any and all responses! memtb

Renowned riflemaker Fred Wells told me one time, if you can't get a free-floated rifle to shoot well, then bed it solid all the way to the forend cap. Stop all that vibration at least to that point. If that doesn't fix it, it's a tent stake.

 

[skipglo]

I'm sorry...is the topic.....Tomato...or Tom-at-o?

 

[MagnumManiac]

Have any of you experimented with full- length bedding? If so, your results

I must have missed this thread until now.
I bed wood stocked rifles the same across the board, except Rugers.
With Ruger rifles, there is a real issue of the action being forced down AND rearward due to the 60° front screw angle, so mine get bedded under the lug, no clearance anywhere, the entire action rails and tang.
Pillars are done first, front first, then tang, then from front to back, the entire action is bedded. You have to remove wood all along, make dams and have it all perfect first, this is because the middle screw will bend the action if it's not supported underneath.
I have never had a rifle come back due to poor accuracy after doing this.
I do similar to Ruger No.1's, a little different, but it supports the fore end as it should.

Cheers.