Bed and float 700adl

B

BoogieMan

New member
Picked up a new to me 700adl. I noticed that the barrel is NOT floated. This is a factory hunting contour on a 30-06. Bone stock rifle.
I plan to shoot it and see what it does prior to doing anything. Dealer told me that they dont shoot well with that barrel without a pressure point. Seeing as everyone is always talking about bedding and floating I am surprised to hear this from the dealer. Is it due to the hunting contour whipping or is the dealer less than informed?
 
I've heard this before. Seems like I was told:
1) It was due to poor/cheap barrel manufacturing or fit to the receiver and done purposely to save cost.
2) Rifles manufactured like this may not shoot better with the barrel free-floated.
 
You can easily do both. You open up the barrel channel to float the barrel then shoot your best group. Then, you use a piece of folded up paper to create a pressure point and shoot again. If the pressure point results in a better group then put in a permanent pressure point using a dab of painter's caulk. You will wind up with either a stock that is floated and therefore won't change with humidity or you'll have a stock that is touching at one and only one point. Either way, you'll probably be better off.
 
I've never owned a rifle that shot better with a pressure point, and bedding the recoil lug and action usually helps any gun be more consistant

As already stated, putting a pressure point back in is not a problem, but I'm betting you won't need one

The thing about pressure points is the amount of pressure changes with weather, humidity, and how you support the rifle, whereas none of those affect a free floated barrel.

Brownings have similar barrel profiles, and come floated from the factory, so I think it's an arbitrary choice by Remington
 
The rifle probably will shoot better with a pressure point than it will shoot floated. Pressure points will help compensate for poor bedding. If the rifle is properly bedded and then floated, it will most likely shoot better than it shoots with a pressure point.
 
The reason given to me was that Remington (as well as most other production rifles) uses a hammer forged barrel and the pressure point reduces/changes the harmonics. As I said I will shoot it first. But,I cant see how this would work with a wood stock that most certainly moves with humidity. Thing is that IMO it would be cheaper to cut the stock oversize in mass and not risk the potential for rework with a tight fit barrel/stock unless it was needed.
 
Thing is that IMO it would be cheaper to cut the stock oversize in mass
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Floating the barrel doesn't require any cutting of the stock (or any real money spent). You simply need some ordinary sand paper (80 grit for the rough work and maybe some 150 grit for final smoothing), a round dowel slightly larger than your barrel, and some kind of finish to apply over the sanded wood to seal it. I like to use some masking tape on the top edges of the stock just to keep from accidently scratching it while sanding. Sand a little, re-insert the action and check for clearance. Repeat as needed until you can slide a sheet of thick paper cleanly down the barrel until it gets almost to the recoil lug. While you have the barrel out, you might as well bed the action. Lots of Youtube videos on how to do that. If you do that, then bed the action before starting the sanding. When you are all finished,apply a light coat of sealer to the sanded surface to control moisture absorbtion. Then go shoot.
 
There are varying schools of though on this, but if it were me I would bed the rifle first. After my bed job was finished, I would then eliminate the pressure point.
 
@dOYLE- Thanks for the info. I was referring to the production of the rifle. It would be easier to mass produce with more clearance than as a tight fit.
 
Boogieman, I hear you on that. I too have often wondered why rifle manufacturers don't simply free float barrels during the manufacturing process. Seems like it would be an easy thing for them to do.
 
It's because they don't want to take the time to, or spend the money, to properly bed the action or have the stock produced so it properly supports the action (Aluminum bedding block, pillars, etc) to allow for a free floated barrel. Cost vs Profit...
 
Winchester tried free floating barrels with 1/16" or more gap between barrel and fore end. Too many customer complaints about that ugly gap showing no perfect fit of the barrel to the stock. Competitive shooters loved it.

Free floating barrels have repeatable vibrating frequencies (and harmonics thereof) and amplitudes for every shot fired. Those with bedding or pads touching the barrel forward of the receiver don't. Free floated ones are best overall only with a good fit of receiver to stock and its screws torqued right.
 
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Free floating barrels have repeatable vibrating frequencies and amplitudes for every shot fired. Those with bedding or pads touching the barrel forward of the receiver don't.
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This has to do with changes to the "hold" on the front stock, right? Off hand puts pressure in a different place than resting on a bag?
Or am I way out in left field on this one?
 
This has to do with changes to the "hold" on the front stock, right? Off hand puts pressure in a different place than resting on a bag?
Or am I way out in left field on this one?
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I don't think you are out in left field completely but I do think that it has less to do with the object supporting the forearm than it does about the changes in relative humidity making the stock itself "move".
 
I don't think you are out in left field completely but I do think that it has less to do with the object supporting the forearm than it does about the changes in relative humidity making the stock itself "move".
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That's only if it's a wood stock. Synthetic stocks, you are right on CowTowner. Using a Bipod, or shooting bags, solid rest, vs holding with the hand can put different pressure on the stock/barrel and cause inconsistent accuracy.
 
Watch how much a fore end bends using a dial indicator fixed to a free floating barrel with its plunger on the fore end tip at different places on it as the rifle's held in different hand held and benched positions.

Watch how much a free floating barrel bends by its own weight by putting an optical collimating in its muzzle, zeroing a high power scope on it then pointing the rifle straight up. See how much the collimator reticle moves above the scope reticle by the number of clicks apart they are.
 
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Stock manufacturers today are making these things in mass on CNC router and mills. Free float or form fit is only a matter of a cutter offset. Inletting around 3:20 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLXTp1fqhQo
Cost savings would come down the line when the wood moves a little during finishing. The form fit would then have to be sanded or re-cut to fit the action/barrel again.
I never thought of customer complaints about the gap. I understand they wouldnt want to bed the stocks due to extra expense. But floating would cost them $0.
 
Watch how much a fore end bends using a dial indicator fixed to a free floating barrel with its plunger on the fore end tip at different places on it as the rifle's held in different hand held and benched positions.
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This is what I was referring to. Walking the firing line every Sunday, you see all kinds of shooters with all kinds of holds/rests/bags/etc. (Public Range).
I have watched shooters actually twist the front stock slightly with hand/wrist pressure. If the barrel is on pressure points, then the barrel vibration is modified, right? This changes the point of impact and is probably not repeatable so the 100 yard zero is useless. No grouping worth a flip occurs.
 
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