How much of the barrel should be free floating?

Barrel shouldn't touch anything but the action itself

I'd remove all barrel contact all the way back to the recoil lug. There's other opinions on that though, some folks bed the chamber, some prefer to have no contact until the forend tip and then a pad right there.

After some suggestions from guys on this site, I've also gone to a 16th of an inch Gap minimum.

It depends on who you ask. At one time the thinking was to bed the recoil lug and the 1st 2 " or so of the barrel. Roughly where you are now. Many have barrel contact putting upward pressure on the barrel near the tip of the stock for best accuracy. The Ruger MK-II, and Hawkeye do. But most people anymore free float the whole barrel.

And some gun builders full length bed the barrel to the stock. Kenny Jarrett used to and as far as I know still does. Done right I think either method can work. I just think it is easier to free float, than to get a perfect fit to bed the whole barrel. From what I've seen barrel profile matters too. A super lightweight barrel might do better full length bedded, or with some pressure near the tip of the stock, and a heavy target barrel might be better full length free floated.

I'd shoot it before doing anything else. More stuff gets messed up by trying to fix what ain't broke than anything else.

My Rem 700's varmint barrel is glass bedded and a dollar bill slides all the way to the recoil lug. It shoots laser straight.

I'm with jmr -- I'd shoot it awhile and see.

All of the barrel should be free floating, with 50-60 thousandths clearance.

I like mine to go all the way to the recoil lug. I did have one with some bedding compound under the chamber that shot well.

I free-float the entire barrel, entirely. Some suggest a pad of compound under the chamber.

Looks like a hunting rifle? I would shoot it and leave it the way it is if it shoots well and holds point of impact.

Shoot it first

Walleyewarrior7 said:

Thanks, I’m a newb on these things. I actual had to look up recoil lug. Lol. I’ll work it back to the receiver junction. I drew an arrow on the attached picture to where I plan to take it back to.

there are some other fit problems but the rifle is fairly old so I don’t blame the stock maker for it.

Click to expand...

Shoot it first. I've bedded barrels both ways and can't tell a difference on a hunting rifle.

The rifles groups will tell you a lot.