To float or not to float

reynolds357, if everything's not repeatable, the bullets won't even come close to landing at the same spot. Accuracy's the reduction of all variables to zero; or as close to zero as possible.
 
I hate to intrude on a good hair-pulling fight, but I'm with BartB. I'll say it my way, but I do believe that the fewer variables you have that are impacting barrel whip (flex, harmonics, call it what you will), the better your rifle will or can shoot. Barrel pressure points in the stock of consumer firearms are there for a purpose, but I think that purpose is to reduce or dampen accuracy problems that arise from other parts of the stock. Note that I say "consumer firearms".

Regardless of how thin the barrel is, the harmonics should be repeatable if you have good match type ammo and a properly stocked and bedded action. Repeatable harmonics should allow good accuracy. The thinner the barrel, the more that barrel quality should matter. If you have a thin and lower grade barrel or one of those cheap synthetic stocks, you will need that pressure point in the stock.

I have a Ruger 77 Compact with that short thin barrel, and it seems to like the pressure point. It shoots quite well, so I just leave it alone. If I start messing with the stock, I'll want a new high quality stock and I might as well get a great barrel while I'm at it. I just can't make myself get started on that project when the rifle is so good as-is. It's the only non-floated rifle that I have. If I need to shoot a pig at 400 yards, the rifle is fine. If I need to shoot a pig in the left eye at 400, I'll go get the Swift with the aftermarket barrel and tuneup.
 
603country, all you've said above is true. . .except for one thing.

Barrel weight, or how thin it is, has nothing to do with accuracy. Each barrel has the same fundamental frequency it wiggles at plus the harmonics that are multiples of the fundamental. With equal bore, groove and chamber dimensional quality they'll bot shoot with the same level of accuracy. In other words, barrel weight, thick or thin, has nothing to do with accuracy. Period.
 
BartB, you missed my exact statement on the barrel. I said "if you have a thin AND lower grade barrel". I do believe that a thin barrel of good quality will do just as you say. However, a thin and less-than-good barrel might go a little serpentine on you when it gets hot. Not every barrel is a great barrel. I think that if a fellow wants an ultralight rifle with a real thin barrel, he should get top notch quality. I sure would. But, as I've said, I have that Ruger Compact with the short thin barrel and pressure point or points. I'm not messing with that one. It ain't broke...so...
 
603, all barrels do a "little serpentine" when fired. That's caused by the harmonic frequencies above its resonant/fundamental one. Their quality has nothing to do with that. It's basic vibration issues well understood by mechanical engineers who use formulas to calculate it for all sorts of reasons; earthquake proofing structures and other things such as smoke stacks (a really big barrel in effect) that's held rigid at one end and free at the other. Check out Modes 1 through 3 in the following and note the serpentine in 3:

http://www.varmintal.com/amode.htm

I don't think I missed your exact statement, but the way it was worded was why I commented as such. If I did then, OK.
 
Let me try again. Not all barrels are great barrels. At a theoretical level, a heavy barrel and a thin barrel may be equally accurate. At the consumer level however, I do believe that the accuracy of a thin barrel is impacted more by barrel quality and quality of the bedding of the rifle. In other words, a standard or heavy barreled rifle with mediocre stock bedding will mask the negative effects of the bedding better than a thin barreled rifle will. That's why I said, and why I believe, that if you want an ultralight rifle you really want a high quality barrel. And, high quality bedding.

As for the original point of this thread - to float or not - I do believe that floated is the way to go, if the rifle is bedded well. Again...back to my Ruger Compact with the short thin barrel. I wanted the barrel floated and I had an extra short-action synthetic Ruger stock (came with my standard barrel Hawkeye). I dropped the action into that synthetic stock and it was instantly floated, but the rifle just didn't shoot worth a darn. Like I've done before with other rifles, I put a lot of reloads through it and tinkered with loads for days and days, trying to find the elusive great load. I couldn't do it. Hmmm, maybe it's the darn stock, since the Hawkeye didn't shoot that great in that same stock. So I put the action back into the original wood stock with barrel pressure points and it shoots great. I have absolutely no doubt that the rifle will shoot at its best in a high dollar well-bedded stock, but that's a lot of money to spend just to shrink the groups by 1/4 of an inch, so I'll leave it as is for now.

And...I do have that short action synthetic Ruger stock for anyone that wants it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top