I have a mid 80's remmy sporter wieght 270 ADL, was wondering if you guys have had best luck accuracy wise free floating or making a pressure point

I do not float my Rem barrels. You will get post that say its the straight road to Jeruselem but I have not found that to be true. Before doing anything permanent, try this: Shoot a couple or three witness groups with the rifle like it is. Then cut some washers from card stock (aka biz cards) and put them on the action screws between the action and the stock. Use enough to "free float" the stock and shoot some groups with it set up like that. Lastly, to cover all bases, if there is only modest pressure at the front of the stock, put one strip of biz card between the barrel and the stock at the pressure point and give that a go.
That should give you a pretty good idea of what to expect. Those little pressure points are much harder to put back than to take out if you find you've made a mistake.

I have found (as w/ several guns) you just have try it and see what YOUR gun likes. I have an old 721 that likes pressure on forend. I had a .338 that didn't seem to care one way or another. I had a 7mm Mag, that shot decent until I put it in a brown precision stock and floated the barrel. From that point on, it thought it was a varmit rig. EVERYTHING shot MOA. 150 nosler BTs shot 1/2 MOA.

Stick a couple of shims from a coke can both for & aft of the front action screw to float it. See how it shoots. Or if it's already floated, use playing cards to apply presure at the forend and see if groups improve or degenerate.

quote:

Originally posted by cummins cowboy:
I have a mid 80's remmy sporter wieght 270 ADL, was wondering if you guys have had best luck accuracy wise free floating or making a pressure point

Yes, try it first. I have one Remington that just likes the forend pressure pad and that's that. I floated it and then had to go back and reconstruct a pressure pad from bedding epoxy. At least it fits the barrel now...

All of my rifles have free floated barrels because they seem to provide a more consistant point of impact in varying climate conditions.

The whole floating thing is a bit misunderstood I think. If a dollar bill will run under the barrel all the way to the recoil lug, then the barrel is already free floated. If this changes as it heats up, and the bill will no longer slide freely, then you have a barrel contact point which needs to be removed. A barrel can be free floated when it's cold and NOT free anymore once it heats up and warpage occurs.

If you bed the action (and I mean from the recoil lug to the tang and around both sides, then the barrel will likely not need that spot in the barrel channel removed as it will sit just a bit higher. But, removing that spot never hurts. The bedding of the action seems to me to be where the increase in accuracy comes from. Holding that action firmly, and uniforming harmonics better with the newer tighter fit, makes for the action settling back in the same position each time and will show accuracy increase.

This is all of course unless you have a barrel that was considerably straightened at the factory, in which case it will always start to sling the pills once it starts to heat up. Nothing will help that barrel but a barrel vise and an action wrench and a trashcan.

quote:

Originally posted by cummins cowboy:
I have a mid 80's remmy sporter wieght 270 ADL, was wondering if you guys have had best luck accuracy wise free floating or making a pressure point

Many sporter contour Remington barrels shoot better with a pressure point. I would suggest you first have a gunsmith check the action/barrel for square. Then, if all checks well, try glass bedding the action including about 1 to 2" of the barrel next to the action when you free float the barrel.

Then shoot a known (your preferred hunting) load to test it. You may need to do some load development as the glass bed may change the rifle to where it likes a new load. Also test shoot it with a pressure point and compare the results. If the rifle responses well to the pressure point you will need to do some more experimenting to determine what kind of pressure point even possibly full length glass bed.

All this sound like a lot of work and $. But the knowledge and confidence of your rifle you will gain from the journey will be worth the effort!

slip a folded biz card under the barrel, about 3".. see if the groups tighten up...

i prefer to full length bed rifles...and if they dont shoot well, then it's just sanding to float them

jeffe

I have always had my best luck free floating the barrel. I glass bed the action and about 3 inchs of the barrel in front of the action.

This has worked well on many a rifle.

Free floated barrels, especially heavier profiles, benefit greatly from having the receiver pillar bedded rather than just glass bedded.

quote:

Originally posted by p dog shooter:
I have always had my best luck free floating the barrel. I glass bed the action and about 3 inchs of the barrel in front of the action.

This has worked well on many a rifle.

That's my recipe too.