Well do I or don't I? Havent shot it yet. Got it friday, rings and scope on monday. So I just sat there tinkering and noticed that the famous piece of paper would'nt pass between barrel and stock.
Posts: 1102 | Location: Denmark | Registered: 15 October 2001
You're not going to know what it needs until you take it to the range and shoot it. Before you go, you can look the gun over for obvious trouble spots like the forearm making contact with the barrel on one side versus the other etc. If the forearm looks like it is making uneven contact with the barrel then yes, make it even by removing all contact.
I free floated mine because I like to use a sling with lots of tension in some positions and not in others. The ruger comes from the factory with pressure at the very end of the forearm on the barrel. This makes using a sling a bit unpractical unless the stock is stiff (the older synthetic stocks are NOT stiff).
After floating I noticed some changes in grouping, but nothing major, and it didn't seem to be an improvement, it just now favors slightly different loads.
As important to free floating the bbl (if required) is going to be bedding the action. Rugers are notorious for front to back play. Bed the actionon and you may be amzaed with the results.
I have 3 Rugers, none of them are bedded or floated and all shoot great. My new 243 is shooting an inch and a half at 200 with factory. Only thing i did was have a Timney put in it.
