.300 Weatherby

[FPH]

I am trying to bring my groups down and am glass bedding the action of my Mark V.  However, I have read that you should not free float the barrel, as the pencil thin barrel needs the barrel supports for harmonic balance .  Thoughts?.....Thanks

[Lloyd Smale]

Ive floated and bedded probably 50 bolt guns and have yet to see one shoot worse. Im not saying it doesnt ever happen but i havent seen it. Ive seen some that didnt get any better doing it but none that got worse.

[FPH]

Thanks, I,bedded the action and free floated the barrel on many with success .  I just read that a Weatherby's barrel should not be free floated . Therefore, I was considering only pillar bedding it.

[roper]

Thanks, I,bedded the action and free floated the barrel on many with success .  I just read that a Weatherby's barrel should not be free floated . Therefore, I was considering only pillar bedding it.

If synthetic stock I like pillars installed plus bedding and under chamber bedded and rest of barrel floated.  I have few sporter barrels and most times I can get good 5 shot group and that's it till barrel cools down.  I have one that does good for 3 shots and that's fine it's hunting rifle.

If it's a wood stock I still like them bedded under chamber area also I don't do the work myself I have gunsmith do it as I'm not handy  and I'm not about to spend money on things that don't work.

[Darrell Davis]

I'm 100% with Lloyd!
 
I have seen rifles shoot better, but never worse after floating!
 
I come down hard on first shot consistancy, and that comes with a floated barrel for the major portion of hunting rifles.
 
Maybe a rifle will shoot better with some kind of barrel pressure, some say that is so, but hunting gives no "sighters" before you shoot for "score" so you better know where that first shot is headed before you pull the trigger!
 
Crusty Deary Ol'Coot

[FPH]

I am going to bed the action and pillar it also.  I will make sure the barrel is free floated.  I can always replace the barrel suports later.  I am going to use the rifle as is for a cow hunt in Jan., then the fun begins.  I don't like 1.5 " groups at 100 yds.

[Swampman]

I've seen rifles shoot worse after bedding and or floating.  Do a temp float and see how it shoots.

[FPH]

I've seen rifles shoot worse after bedding and or floating.  Do a temp float and see how it shoots.

I may do that before my hunt and test it at the range.

[Lloyd Smale]

problem with temporarily floating a barrel is you dont get a true picture of the final product. Just floating a barrel without bedding your stock rarely helps and if fact usually will make a gun shoot worse as the barrel pressure tends to keep the action tighter in the stock. About the only real way to test it is to bed and float it and then afterwards try adding the barrel pressure back to see if it helps but after bedding a stock it rarely if ever will. think on it this way. Whens the last time you saw a custom rifle or a competition rifle that wasnt bedded and floated? floating and bedding are about the first thing any company that accurizes rifles will do. Even an ar15 benifits from floating the barrel.  Also would you go to the range and shoot groups resting your barrel directly on the bags? Thats about the same thing your doing by having a pressure point. granted it might not cure a poorly built gun that shoots like crap and could even make a gun like that worse but ive found it rarely doesnt help making a decent gun better.
 
 quote author=Swampman link=topic=271314.msg1099633388#msg1099633388 date=1356824289]
I've seen rifles shoot worse after bedding and or floating.  Do a temp float and see how it shoots.

[FPH]

I'll see about time......sounds like I need to well enough alone until after my hunt.