For you guys with a 257 WBY Mag, have any of you floated the barrels on this rifle with good results? I have a thin sporter weight barrel on mine with a pressure point that Weatherby insists is necessary for accuracy. Just wondering if the odds are in my favor that this will increase accuracy/consistency in this particular rifle. It's not doing too well at this point.

The thing to do would be the same for any rifle. You have done it right so far by trying it. Since the first shot counts the most anyway for a game rifle freefloating is a good idea.

What stock do you have? We don't want to rip it out without considering how to get out of it. For instance if it's a nice wood stock now you might consider getting an aftermarket composite stock for it and floating that.

Take the barreled action out of the stock, and reinsert it with enough pieces of thin cardboard just in front of the action, that you "float" the barrel - without changing the stock. It won't look very pretty, but it will give you an idea about how it will shoot with a floated barrel. If you like it floated, then change the stock.
- mike

S99, the stock is a beautiful piece of walnut that comes with the Mark V Deluxe. It really dresses the rifle up and I would like to keep it on. Granted, a synthetic stock with bedding block would be best, but I want to work with what I got.

MHO, good idea, but will the cardboard be rigid enough? Wouldn't it compress and allow the action to move around slightly? I'll probably give it a try once I check my scope to ensure that's not the problem either.

You may shim the action with aluminum sheet to test this, available from many sources. Brass sheet is also available at hobby shops. It is easy to work with and inexpensive. IMO card stock is fine for testing pressure point at the tip of a forearm, NOT fine for an action on a cartridge as fiesty as the .300 WM. In any case it may or may not identify your problem, but it won't hurt. Shears, a hack saw and a hand drill should round out your equipment list. Maybe a file?

Dan, do you use the aluminium or copper sheets the way I suggested for my "card stock" - i.e simply insert "enough" into the barrel channel just in front of the action?? I ask because I have not run into the expression "shimming the action" before.
- mike

Haven't tried that approach actually. Ruger 77, under the flat of the action forward, and tang. Rem 513S some years back. I assume it would work with a round action centerfire. Results on the 77 were positive, the 513S inconclusive. It may be that the 513S was unstable in that configuration as it only has one action screw and precious little contact once the action and barrel have been raised. The stock I used was .015" in thickness, just enough in both cases to allow the barrel to clear the channel, or so said the Dental floss.

I own a .270 WBY Euromark with a 24" #1 barrel. This rifle gave me fits trying to get it under 1 moa. I finally floated the barrel and pillar bedded the action. The first time I had it to the range I was working up a load for 150 grain nosler partitions grainers using the then new RL25. I was holding on a bulls eye at 100 yards but was really paying more attention to the chrony. When I walked down to retrieve the target I was floored to discover that the entire 25 round load test, (over a 2 grain range in powder charge), had gone into 3/4 of an inch. So it worked for me. I think that there's three issues here which can work against you:
1.Skinny barrel which heats up fast.
2. Wooden pressure point which exaggerates the heat distortion of the barrel, and which will change over time.
3. Inadaquate action support by the wooden stock which also compresses and changes over time.
I used aluminum pillars and steel filled epoxy to bed the action. It was really not that hard to do. It made a good winter project and so far has paid off with a couple of nice white tail bucks at longish, (for my old eyes), ranges. I'm hoping to add an elk next season. BD

i built mine on a rem 700 action with a TI stock. had a ultralight take off. ended up full length bedding the whole thing. the flutes are kinda a pain but clay took care of it.
first two groups with factory ammo went .452" and .350". just food for thought................
woofer

woofer,



That's fantastic shooting. I recall the pics of your cammo rifle on 24 hr. Does it stay sighted in as well?



What are the details of the bedding? Pillars-bushings?



A friend has a 257 Weatherby in a Mark V and the only load it shoots well is the 117 RN factory. It shoots that very well so that's what he uses. He has had it to Afica twice and it blows down the smaller plains game just like that.

My Wby 257 mag puts all the bullets in a 1" circle at 100 yds. Thats why I did nothing to my barrel.

Old credit cards for shims. I have had best results with bedding the whole action and the entire chamber area of the barrel, float the rest, I have removed the pressure point on 7 of my rifles.

s99,
the ti stock has factory pillars. i bedded everything front to back. it does not move. the factory stuff was 100 horn sp's. i have always had great accuracy with these in a number of calibers.
the tsx 100's are next on the block......
woofer

Pillars are good. The forum you hang on has someone who favors full barrel bedding with synthetic stocks. It's a right answer. My M70 is doing very well in a plain Bell & Carlson bedded full length without the benefit of pillars or bushings for that matter.

I am chasing one MOA impact changes however and blaming the scope at the moment after power changes. Once you free float then it's a lot of work to fill it in if it's not as good as before.