Free float barrel?

[idamaster]

I have a Remington 700 ADL in 30-06 with a synthetic stock. The barrel contacts the fore grip not even an inch deep. I was going to free float the barrel but I read an article last night that the rifles are actually more accurate the way they are. Should I not bother doing this? Any pas experiences?

 

[DAVE_M]

Contac Ritten on here. He will have all the answers for you. From my understanding, free floating the barrel, whilst inletting/bedding the action is the most accurate.

 

[Barney88PDC]

The stock is probably a Hogue which flex badly and contact the barrel in the forearm area. The best thing to do is to replace the stock with a good aftermarket one. But yes IMO it is always best to have a free floated barrel.

 

[idamaster]

The stock and the barrel's contact points

 

[Elite_KG]

I've bedded and floated two Remington synthetic stocks like that. In my opinion you cannot float that type of synthetic without bedding it. If you simply cut away at the contact points you will likely find the stock warps upward and contacts again in another spot. Without proper support of bedding, you may likely just ruin the stock by continually cutting away at it.

The first one I bedded, I had to re-bed because the stock was under tension at the time of the epoxy setting which caused the forearm to flex back to the barrel one I removed the spacer (tape) upon completion.

There is a good series of videos on YouTube by a English European that beds a synthetic ADL. It's a nine part series of video. Good luck.

 

[Ritten]

The stock in that picture IS synthetic, but specifically, it's plastic. It MIGHT be worth the $25 you paid in internet services researching about it. It's not designed to have the barrel floated (plastic flexes too much) and when articles talk about a rifle shooting better with a pressure pad underneath a sporter weight barrel it never addresses the problem of various amounts of pressure being put on the same stock. For instance, it might shoot great strapped down in a bench rest, but when the shooter slings up to shoot from sitting, or rests the forearm against a pole (as in shooting against a tree), the pressure coming from a different direction will translate to the barrel and affect the shot and harmonics. If an article said that all rifles will shoot better with a pressure pad then the writer was an idiot. Your level of expected accuracy and how the rifle currently shoots within those expectations should dictate what you do. You can't go wrong upgrading your stock and as stated before, generally a free floated barrel is better.