Walnut stock: free float or full-length bed?

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Elkins45

New member
I'm fitting a replacement walnut stock to a rifle. What is the general consensus (if there is one) on which method is most accurate? Should I bed the action and float the barrel, or should I bed the entire length?

Thanks for any info.
 
It has been my experience that free-floating a standard weight barrel in a wood stock will cause more problems than it solves. Also, if you bed the whole thing, use a good solid epoxy. Some "bedding" material that is sold turns out like hard rubber when cured.
 
A properly bedded rifle is the most accurate, its also the most expensive way to go, which is why free floating became so popular. But with a wooden stock its going to move and shift with temperature and humidity changes... So free floating might be best if you plan on using this rifle year round. But even free floating has problems if not properly done. Without proper clearance down the length of the stock you can have pressure points along the barrel where it touches the stock, which can throw off accuracy. Some people use the credit card trick when this happens. To adjust the pressure point. Mcmillian does full length epoxy glass bedding, and they're pretty renown for their stock work, might want to look them up because there used to be a lot of good info on their site, been awhile since I've checked it out though.
 
Mine are all fully bedded receiver +2" of barrel , with the rest of the barrel floated. This is what we were taught in gunsmithing school. Accuracy and POI are the same 35 years later !!:D
 
I've always free floated my rifles where possible. That said, I glass the entire barrel channel and have a couple layers of masking tape applied to the barrel, back to about 2" in front of the chamber. The full length glassing in of the barrel channel keeps the wood from warping. Looks good, shoots even better.
 
Best to think what you are going to do with that rifle before deciding how to bed it. I suspect most of the people for floating a barrel are open country hunters or out west hunters. If you hunt mountainous, thick areas where you are constantly getting grit and dirt under the barrel, I would think about solid bedding that barrel. Old model 70's are so tight that it looks like the tree grew around the barrel and most shot quite well. If you do go with a solid bed, it is best to have a screw in the fore arm attaching it to the barrel.
 
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