Hello Crashnronda,
I shoot with a buddy that has the one screw Bullberry forend. Gerry is a very good friend and we have shot two days a week for the past 4 years. I'm telling this to let you know that I have watched and experienced Gerry's sucess and failures with the Bullberry system.
When he first got the barrel and forend, the gun would drive tacks and shoot a 6 to 8" group on a Silhouette Ram at 547 yards. He also, had a Harris bi-pod on the stock. The stock was all the way out to just one inch from the end of the barre.
On the beginning of the first shooting day and after about 20 shots, the accuracy went to hell in a big way. We couldn't hit the barn if we were inside. The forearm screw came loose and was rattling around. After tightening the screw, it went back to great accuracy. However, the screw kept coming loose and it was necessary to tighten it up every 10 shots of so.
Gerry shot a 35, 37 and 38 in the 40 round rifle silhouette match with his 15" Bullberry. (we set the rams back on the rail so they will go over with a heavy bullet).
After 3 matches, the accuracy went away and has not returned to date and that was a year ago. I shoot with 5 guys regularly and I lost my accuracy in my Van Horn heavy barrel. I realized that my barrel had been touching the fore arm to the point of wearing the bead blasted barrel to a shiny area. I free floated the barrel and it is back to having great accuracy.
My buddy, Gerry, still contends that Bullberry (Fred Smith) says the hanger does not need bedding. Well, if it was my gun, I would bed the hanger bar in the fore arm slot.
I have another buddy that has a Pachmeyer hanger bar and he made his own fore arm with a slot to fit it. He has to use brass shimming material to keep the forearm from moving and touching the barrel.
We have been through this free floating with 5 of us in the past few months. The only one that is still having problems is the Bullberry barrel.
I don't like one screw holding the thing together. I've never experienced any problem with the forearm touching the frame, but there might be something to that too. I used to think the forearm didn't matter either.
If I had a hanger bar, I would have the barrel maker make it for ttwo screws. If the barrel maker won't do it, I would be dealing with Van Horn in Arizona. I know Fred Smith of Bullberry has his fixed ideas and he has refused to make a barrel for two friends of mine and they went elsewhere.
Well, that is my two bits worth.
Harold Clark
