Many bolt action rifles I've owned and lots of my friends' rifles have had some problems that either caused them to NOT shoot good groups, or they had deficiencies that caused them to not hold zero from various field positions, sling use, humidity conditions, and temperature variations. Wood stocks with forend pressure points often cause zeros to wander with temperature/humidity, rest holds, or front rest density.
When a rifle is to be used for hunting various critters, especially smaller ones at longer ranges, it's important to make sure that barrels contact barrel channels uniformly, or as I prefer..."not at all" for most rifles. "Not at all", may not shoot the tightest groups with a particular rifle, but at least the should hit the same POI, regardless of how it's held, rested, or under various weather conditions...especially temperature. Regardless of free-floating, I usually remove my sling when on a sitting stand, especially with a rifle rest.
The only problem with having a free-floating barrel is that they're often more sensitive to ammo changes, so it's important to find a load or factory ammo that is POI-consistent in the rifle, yet still be flexible enough to handle the toughness/tenderness range of quarry that may be encountered.
Don't assume that, because a rifle has a bedding block, it is as good as it can get. Yes, you can grind to fit better, but I still prefer to use a good quality epoxy bedding to cradle it within the bedding block to make a perfect fit, while perhaps providing a bit more vibration dampening. It's not hard to do a skim-coat bedding job on those rifles, provided a good release compound is used. (I prefer paste, neutral-colored shoe polish). It releases very well and is easy to clean up.
