Hornetfan,
You seemed to have missread my post. (I do write funny.)
MY Light barrel DOESN't wander. But then it's not a Ruger.
It isn't even bedded or free floated. It's a cheap
syn stock that touches everywhere, and anywhere, depending
on the screws mood. Shoots like a dream. (For a lightwt.
field rifle, ie off bench,loads it likes, 3shots down to
3/8" 5shots 3/4 or less. Vertually always under the inch.
hot or cold. As i said prev. too hot to hold and still in
the money. I MEANT to ask, why would a GOOD LIGHT free-
floated barrel wander?? (As opposed to a stressed out one.)
JL

I have a old Tikka 308 that shoots interesting groups. The gun has not been worked on but the trigger is very good. The first shot is always dead on. Clean barrel or dirty. It shoots almost all bullets into the same point of aim. Going between different bullets and factory loads (165 Accutip, 150 SST and Interbond, 150 Partitions, and 165 soft points) the first shot is almost in the same hole.
Here's the unusual part. The next two shots will be almost exactly 1 1/4 inch left in a vertical string. Any more shots and I don't know but will within a couple inches of the first. This is with a minute or less time between shots. If I wait five minutes between shots and groups it will put the first shot dead center again. What do you think the problem could be? (Pillar bedding maybe) Or is this just how the gun shoots and I should deal with it.

Don't know much about it but i'll start the ball rolling.
Sounds to me, if the bedding screws are just "firm",
that it the barrel would be touching the forend somewhere.
Check by running some paper between them. If tight somewhere
then free float it.
John L.