700 barrel float ?

[243tom]

This may have been asked before , but I couldn't find it. The built up stock pad in the barrel channel at the front, has anyone sanded it off to float the barrel entirely and with what results ? Better or worse shooter ?  700 lvsf 223, composite stock.   Thanks for any replies.

[sniperVLS]

Some members here have sanded that off with their VTR 700s and with good results. I haven't heard of any getting worse(All accuracy stayed the same or got better). That doesn't mean yours will have the same results but give it a shot.

If it's already very accurate, personally I wouldn't bother. Happy Holidays 

[243tom]

I really need to shoot the gun a bit more before I make any altering decision,, but my initial range session was not as pleasing as I had hoped. I don't want to be too hasty,,, as I'm comparing accuracy with my handloads in this 700 to an AR and a heavy barrel Savage......which may be asking a bit much.
The factory loads I put through the 700 shot best, which makes me wonder if the 1 in 12 tends to like a higher velocity as most factory stuff is. My reloaded ammo tends to stay nearer the low to middle specs in the manual. But those were also shot from faster twists, 1 in 8 AR and 1 in 9 Savage.
The stock//barrel pad just got me thinking about a total free float option.

Thanks for the reply....and any others.

[Graybeard]

It has been my experience that heavy barrels take well to floating but thin barrels really don't. I'd remove it ONLY as a last resort after having exhauted all other options. The one and only time I've removed one I had to put it back to get the gun to shoot. I tend to leave them along since then. More often than not the problem isn't the pressure points but lack of proper action bedding and/or the barrel channel not cut correctly so that side pressure on the barrel is uneven.

Glass bedding the action and first couple inches or so of the barrel, making sure the rest of barrel is free floated and having a good even pressure point and the recoil lug bedded properly makes most any Remington rifle shoot like a champ. They have good barrels with excellent accuracy potential the stocks really are the single weakest point on them.

Remington does not make their own stocks they buy them and some times the supplier cuts those barrel channels off center. Remington will replace them if they are cut improperly or did for me even tho I picked it up used. They do not put enough time into bedding the recoil lug and that is a place where some improvement often is needed. Not all pressure points are done properly either. I just traded one off rather than rework it that had an improper pressure point. I'm sure I could have just sanded it off and rebuilt it with glass and it would have shot nicely but I wanted another rifle a bit more and had spent too much lately on ARs so really had to trade to get it. That rifle seemed like the most likely candidate at the time.

[AtlLaw]

Glass bedding the action and first couple inches or so of the barrel, making sure the rest of barrel is free floated and having a good even pressure point and the recoil lug bedded properly makes most any Remington rifle shoot like a champ.

+1  I do this to all my rifles as a mater of course.

[wareagleguy]

I did my VTR.  Can't say it made a difference or if was my handloads but either way it shoots the lights out!  One hole 5 shot groups @ 100 easy.

[island66]

Pressure points in the stock are there for a reason.  If you have to float your barrel, make sure you do that in conjunction with a good bedding job. 

Jason

[Swampman]

I'd remove it ONLY as a last resort after having exhauted all other options. The one and only time I've removed one I had to put it back to get the gun to shoot. I tend to leave them along since then.

What Graybeard said!

[243tom]

I was shooting both the LSS '06 and the 223 LVSF yesterday, checking out some new loads.  The '06 seems to like a factory green box 180 gr best. I'm hoping to come up with a more all around type load that shoots well.  

So I loaded up 5 rounds each with 165gr Rem CLPSP using 6 different powders that I have on hand, keeping all loads in the 2800fps muzzle vel range as listed in the manual. Of the 6 powders, 50grs of 4064 and 49grs of Varget were the most accurate. H4350 at 56grs was a close third, and I was hoping for better results from 4350. I may have to tweek the 4350 load since I have more of it.

As I was at the my range a neighbor, who has a ton more knowledge than I about rifles, walked over and was watching the goings on. Between shots he asked if the barrel was free of the stock, and I told him it was except for the pad at the end.  He claimed that all the 700s' he ever used, he took the pad out and they all shot better. So I'm still up in the air with removing the pad or not,,,,and I also do understand that they were put there for a purpose.
He also said that he glassed the actions of his rifles, and offered to do mine if I wanted them done.  What a deal !  Not bad having other retiree friends with time on their hands.

The 223 is my carry rifle for varmints and it really impress' me with the factory Win white box 45gr and also the Ultramax 50gr TNT rounds.  But I also had good accuracy from the 50 and 55gr SP that I loaded.  Back to the loading bench for the Vmax loads though.......they all shot right of zero, no matter the powder, H335 was the closest and best group.

Thanks for the replies guys,,, I enjoy reading others experiences and knowledge.

[safetysheriff]

243'

what i've done with a few remington model 700's is adjust the trigger for pull weight, sear engagement, and overtravel.   with a couple of them we've replaced the original factory springs to get the pull weights to come down where we wanted them.   the latter ADL synthetics seemed to have a different screw in them so it became more difficult to adjust the pull weight with the factory spring.   we had to buy the springs from Wolff.   the sear engagement has to be judiciously, reasonably re-set.   then a proper trigger-weight gauge is needed to verify consistent pull weight.   the dangerous parts in this trigger work are too little sear engagement and too little pull weight leaving one with an unsafe trigger on a deadly weapon.   

adjusting the trigger, shimming the recoil lug if the barrel'd action has too much 'slop' in it (forward to rearward)  --   and leaving the pressure point alone  -- has made a big difference for us.   so, too, does a proper handload with a bullet and other components in the recipe that are 'liked' by your rifle.   

my .223's are not bolt-actions (they're NEF single-shots).  BUT, they have liked:   BL-(C)2 and wc-846(bulk), with 50, 55, and 60 gr' hornady spire points, and remington 7 1/2BR primers.   i can't remember right now which brass worked the best.   just a suggestion for your use.   

take care,

ss'