Hi there

I am new in the game and would like to be directed to links where I can read up on the differences between floating and bedded barrels. Does the barrel of a bedded rifle push completly against the stock etc ?

Cheers

Wharthog

Warthog(SA),
the trick is a free floating barrel on a bedded action.
There is some rifle that has a point of pressure on the barrel to avoid stock damages (Es. Stutzen stocked rifles), but normally is as I wrote above.

bye

Wharthog(SA),

Welcome to the forum.

We have two ways of bedding our rifles.

1. For target rifles that have heavy, interchageable barrels, we bed only the action, and leave the barrel completely free floating.

2. For all other rifles, we bed the action, and about 1-2 inches of the barrel, leaving the rest of the barrel to float freely.

Warthog,

Whew! Damned near had a child support check coming your way. You and my ex wife share the same name and initials (SA)...


Anyway, I was at the range this past Sunday and a fellow was sighting in his newly bedded and floated Vanguard in 7mm Rem Mag and was cussing up a storm. After listening to about all I could stand, I walked over and asked him what his problem was.

Seems like his pet load was shooting like lightning. Never hitting the same spot twice. I looked his rifle over from the crown to the fit of the stock and everything in between and it appeared to be fine, so I whipped out a couple of business cards and wedged them between the barrel and the forend tip. His groups sucked down to just under 1".

It has been my experience that the majority of weapons shoot better when they are free floating, but every once in a while one comes along which requires some form of pressure as in the above example.

Unfortunately, there is no real hard and fast rule. Every gun is different and as such, will require you to experiment to see which works for you.

Good luck,

Malm

And all of my sub MOA rifles save one have "restrained" barrels. But Mel Smart bedded them, so that probably is part of the equation.

Warhog,
There are 3 basic methods of inletting a barrel and one is no better than the other...It ALL depends on the harmonics of the barrel and a couple of other things....Were talking sporting rifles today.

1. Tight
2. 3 point bedding, Tang, lug and pressure on the forend tip.
3. Freefloating
NOTE: It MUST be performed in this order.

When I build a stock, I always bed it tight, shoot it and if I am not satisfied, I will then go to 3 point bedding (usually very good on fwt. guns), if that does not work then I will freefloat the barrel...To observe them you could not tell which method I used....

Keep in mind that I would rather have a rifle group a 1.5" clover leaf than a 1" horizontal or vertical grouping....I would rather have a free floated gun that shot 1.5" than a tight bed or 3 point bed that shot 1".....Free floated guns are argueably more stable and consistant.

But the point is that no method of bedding can be said to be better than the other, regardless as to how it works out for some..All barreled actions are an inity unto themselves and react differently to different bedding operations.

Most folks will learn in time that a good barrel that will shoot will show only minor or no differences in how it is bedded and a bad barrel will never shoot regardless of how it is bedded...

Folks that swear by free floating (for instance) just free float the gun, it shoots, so they are sold on free floating when in reality it may shoot even better tight or with pressure, then again it may not, you will never know until you try it all three ways....

One thing about bedding and barrels, NOTHING IS WRITTEN IN STONE....