Barrel Free Floating

[Yamavira]

Hi
Have recently acquired a Ruger M77 Mk1 in 0.308 Win..
The barrel does appear to be free floating. There is no clearance between the barrel and forend wood.
Should the barrel be free floating for best performance.
Would welcome your comments / experience.
Thanks
yamavira.

 

[Art Eatman]

What CAN happen, but not always, is that as the barrel heats up with continued shots, the expansion of the steel against the wood can result in a change in the pressure of the stock against the barrel. That makes groups open up and become larger. If the receiver is glass-bedded and the barrel is stiff, it's less of a problem.

So, free-floating alleviates that problem. I have found that a shim at the front of the forearm acts as a damper and gives uniformity to the vibrations of the barrel. I don't want more than about a four- to five-pound pressure to separate the forearm from the barrel to allow insertion of the shim. I use a strip of kitchen wax paper, maybe 3/4" wide, folding it back and forth until the desired thickness is reached. Insert; trim with razor blade. My joke is that it's a "poor man's B.O.S.S."

 

[NCsmitty]

I personally have never had a rifle shoot worse when the barrel was free floated. Every rifle that I have floated, has had better groups than when the stock was touching.

Many standard sporting weight barrels can heat up and wander shots, if the stock has any pressure against the barrel.



NCsmitty

 

[TonyAngel]

How is it shooting now? If it's shooting good, I wouldn't mess with it. If it ain't broke....

 

[suzukisam]

I have pillar bedded a few stocks and floated the barrels.. always seems to give better results. if it's shooting good don't worry about it.. but if you just wanna see how good it can shoot, there are many good videos on how to do it.

 

[timbertoes]

IIRC, Rugers use a pressure pad at the end of the forearm.

Free floating one can make it worse.

 

[dirtykid]

My brand new REM-700 VTR .243 with it's "gimicky" triangular barrrel was dumped into a somewhat frail plastic stock,and after sending about 100 rounds thru it and only being able to keep 5" groups at 200 yards. I started to explore the possibility of such problem as bad barrel harmonics, and sure enough there at the fore-end of stock were 2-molded "knubs" to support the barrel or something and only 1-side was touching the barrel,, so I applied Dremel wheel followed by fine sandpaper,re-assembled and took straight to the range. I dropped 4-Hornady 58gr-"molys" into clip and proceeded to drill a hole in my 200-yard paper target slightly larger than a .25,,, No need to test further (until i find a longer range)

 

[Welding Rod]

What people tend to over look about floating is consistant POI.

It is better IMO to have bullets impact in the same location every time, than to have a smaller group, when the location of that group moves around depending on how you support the gun or when ambient conditions effect the stock.

 

[M1key]

Before you do anything, shoot a group with your ammo of choice and note where each round hits.


M

 

[Yamavira]

Free Floated barrel

Once again thanks for the info & advice. Have already made up some rounds to it out try as it is.
Very much agree with the old adage " if it ain't broke etc".
Using 150 grain FMJ BT with canellure bullets (Hornady) with H4895, Varget , H335 & N150 powder will see how it performs

Thanks Again Guys
yamavira.

 

[grubbylabs]

I have yet to shoot my new Win model 70 in 300 win mag but I was wondering about the same thing since there is a huge hunk of hot glue right under the barrel at the back of the for end. I herd rumored that it is good to bed these rifles because of that hot glue.