Free floating a barrel question

15 December 2009, 16:46

When floating a barrel, do you free the entire barrel (from where barrel joins action on) or do you bed the first few inches of the barrel and free float the remainder of the barrel?

Does that first few inches of barrel need to be bedded to the stock to support the mating-area of the barrel and action, or is that joint strong enough by itself??

My rifle is a Winchester M70 7mm Rem Mag

Thanks!

15 December 2009, 16:57

Rub Line

I have seen rifles bedded both ways, even on long range competition guns. MHO I like to bed the action and float the entire barrel.

16 December 2009, 02:37

Leopardtrack

Rub Line,

So support from the stock is not needed where the barrel joins the action? I can just glass the action only?

quote:
Originally posted by Rub Line:
I have seen rifles bedded both ways, even on long range competition guns. MHO I like to bed the action and float the entire barrel.

16 December 2009, 03:05

p dog shooter

I personally like to bed tha action and about 3 inch of the barrel then free float the rest. I have had very good luck in getting rifles to shoot using this.

16 December 2009, 03:08

Alberta Canuck

I have rifles done both ways which shoot outstandingly well. And I have rifles done both ways which don't shoot near as well as I had expected/hoped.

I suspect that the particular actions and barrels may be part of the explanation for that, but it may also be that just how WELL the bedding is done is the major part of the difference.

16 December 2009, 03:31

merlinron

i always thought of it as , a heavy barrel that doesn't resonate much doesn't need the support or dampening, where as, a thin barrel that whips and resonates will benefit from the chamber being supported and it's dampening affect on the barrel.

16 December 2009, 03:39

Fjold

I'm not a gunsmith but I like to bed the area of the barrel under the chamber and free float the rest.

16 December 2009, 06:28

Chris K'nerr

Just so happens I have one in the shop - a post 64 M70. You can see where I ended the bedding. The rough area is where I still have to smooth things out. Where to end the bedding? Give or take a little doesn't seem to make a lot of difference. I do try to keep the bedding under the barrel at a minimum because of heat. When you shoot several rounds, the heat builds up. I try to keep the minimum amount of "insulation" around just the barrel when floating. The tweezers points to an area I will be putting a little bump into. Found out 7-9 pounds of pressure going upward really makes an amazing difference on pencil barrels. The bump goes all the way around the barrel channel.

One thing I would like to point out - fully bedded barrels are almost always more accurate. True full bedding usually means custom work. All the effort involved to properly bed a barrel just is not cost effective for a factory.

Of course - this stock is an exception. The figure in the wood just about guarantees the wood is going to warp. Also, whatever I use to bed with is not going to stop it. Sooooo, it is floated. (I have used drill rod in the past - customer doesn't want to pay for all the extra work though.

[IMG] http://i96.photobucket.com/alb.../CKn-01/Floating.jpg [/IMG]

Hope this helps,
Chris

16 December 2009, 08:44

Westpac

quote:
Originally posted by Chris K'nerr:
Just so happens I have one in the shop - a post 64 M70. You can see where I ended the bedding. The rough area is where I still have to smooth things out. Where to end the bedding? Give or take a little doesn't seem to make a lot of difference. I do try to keep the bedding under the barrel at a minimum because of heat. When you shoot several rounds, the heat builds up. I try to keep the minimum amount of "insulation" around just the barrel when floating. The tweezers points to an area I will be putting a little bump into. Found out 7-9 pounds of pressure going upward really makes an amazing difference on pencil barrels. The bump goes all the way around the barrel channel.

One thing I would like to point out - fully bedded barrels are almost always more accurate. True full bedding usually means custom work. All the effort involved to properly bed a barrel just is not cost effective for a factory.

Of course - this stock is an exception. The figure in the wood just about guarantees the wood is going to warp. Also, whatever I use to bed with is not going to stop it. Sooooo, it is floated. (I have used drill rod in the past - customer doesn't want to pay for all the extra work though.

[IMG] http://i96.photobucket.com/alb.../CKn-01/Floating.jpg [/IMG]

Hope this helps,
Chris

By "the rough area" do you mean the area where the front of the receiver sits? It does look rough. Particularly around the lug and front guard screw area. Are you going to cut all that old crap out and re-do it?