To free float or not?

[DanK3Pos]

Factory Remington 700 .243 with original wooden stock. It has never been free floated.

1) Is there any good reason not to float the barrel?

2) Also, why does Remington not have barrels floated from the factory?

 

[edwardware]

1) A few. Some light profile barrels are excessively whippy when free, and might shoot better bedded. The downside is that a bedded barrel is really sensitive to small forearm strains, and hence to shooter position and technique.

2) Free float it, observe how long it takes you, and you'll know why factories don't.

 

[BWS]

#2.....It isn't just Remington;

It's a wood thing. Think of the environmental changes a stock/rifle has to go through,from factory to wherever the rack is that it's going to for sale. The barrel gap being equal on both sides is,or can be a complex issue. Not every mass produced barrel to reciever is deadnuts perfect..... combined with wood movement.

Easier,and more efficient from the manufacturer's perspective to leave a "locating" pad out front on the forearm.

So,be mindful of this potential movement,especially on thin sporter forearms if you decide to de-pad it. Not sayin,"don't"..... because I feel most rigs benefit from free float. Just sayin,tread lightly before just hogging out wood.

Good luck with your project.

 

[BWS]

Here's a pic.

New(to me) tang safety M77, in 7X57 Ruger. It was orphaned here,being a problem for it's cpl,or 3 previous owners. Stock is unmolested,just as it came from Ruger. It's a sporter barrel with a pretty durn tight wood to barrel fit. The chambered throat,leade,and headspace are all..... "generously" HUGE. Which creates problems on the loading bench. Now throw in the forearm "pull".... well,you sorta see why it kept getting pushed down the rd.

I got it drilling bugholes with a low node cast(FAT bulle

 

[BWS]

Something happened to my post?

Anyway,yes a fat,low node cast bullet got this old bird shooting. Undecided on any stock work?

 

[BWS]

 

[AlfieB]

I had a Remington 700 22-250 HB which was bedded with Acraglass all the way to the nose. It shot many 5/8" groups @ 300 yd. All my other rifles shoot the best free floated with business card clearance.

 

[Sun Tzu warrior]

I have a Remington 700 in 270 win. At 50 yards I couldn't hit a pie plate. After free-floating the barrel I can get quarter size 3 round groups at 100.
STW

 

[herrwalther]

The question that must be asked before performing any gunsmith work is how does it shoot now? If it shoots accurately enough for your purposes there is little reason to free float the barrel. If it shoots minute of torso at 50 or 100 yards, yeah it might be worth free floating.