I took apart my wood stocked ruger 22-250 to float the barrel. I noticed there is a raised area just before the forearm ends that is designed to make contact with the barrel. I was wondering if it is best to leave this area or sand it down.

Well I have heard of rugers that shoot well with it and with out it. I guess I would first have to know what type of groups you are getting - if they are bad then get rid of it and float the whole thing and try it out. If the groups get worse you can "replace" that preassure pad with bondo, or I have heard of silicone being used too. but I would go with bondo. Little bit of sanding to "tune" the lump and you may improve the performance.

BTW I have also heard that the bump seems to be most effective on thin contour brls.

It depends on how the gun shoots. Some barrels like to have a little up pressure, some don't. If it shoots OK leave it alone. One thing to consider, a non-floated barrel can have a slightly wandering point of impact, varying with the amount of moisture in the stock. Depends on what you consider most important-good grouping or consistant point of impact. I always prefer a floated barrel, as I want to be sure that first shot goes where it's supposed to. You can always put in a new pressure point with accraglass or your favorite bedding compound, if you float then decide you want it back the way it was.

Sorry for almost the same post as teal325. He must be a faster typist than me.

There was an article in Rifle or Handloader some months back about tip bedding. Most factory fresh rifles are tip bedded, but not well. The barrel tends to wander around. The suggestion is to use some bedding material and fix the barrel better on the tip of the stock. Supposedly cures a lot of problems. Easy to try. Also while you are at it seal all the interior wood with marine varnish.

it is a 22" sporter weight barrel. The gun for the most part seems to shoot ok. ok for me is MOA or less. but I want it consistantly. It seems like it starts to really shoot well and then I get a flyer or two. It also seems to pull shots as the barrel heats up which to me is a big idicator of the barrel needing floating. I sanded a little of this hump out so the barrel sits a little more free in the stock. I tightened the 2 rear trigger guard screws down good and just snugged the one that goes into the recoil lug. I think the gun does have potential it just needs a little tweaking here and there. any other ideas would be appreciated

I think you will find that the front action screw (the one that pulls the lug into its mortise) should be as tight as you can get it by hand. The rear guard screw should be tight. The middle screw should be just snug enough so that it doesn't fall out on its own. Believe me, I have been through all of this (forend tip, no forend tip, free floated, glass bedded, etc.) with my M77MkII 6.5x55 and I about lost my mind. One day it would shoot a 0.5" group. The next it wouldn't even hold 2". I found that the screw tensions were the key to consistant grouping, especially the middle screw. Glass bedding and freefloating also helped.

Here's my take on Ruger bedding for what it's worth. If you ask Ruger, they'll tell you that the 77 was designed for a pressure point and not to remove it. But, we all know that's corporate BS. I believe that for the most part, guns will shoot more loads mediocre with a pressure point and somewhat fewer loads fantastic with a floated barrel. That's assuming that all other parts of the gun and shooter are capable of the task. That's why manufacturers use a pressure point, it's fast, simple, cost effective and yields reasonable results. I have several 77's, two of them have a pressure point, one of which was stabilized as mentioned above by adding some glass bedding. Both shoot super. All the rest are floated and shoot super. I just haven't had time to try floating these. Now for the kicker, the one with the pressure point is a .308 Ultra light and one of the others that's floated is an Ultralight 257R. Those thin barrels can shoot really well when bedded properly.

For those who think Rugers don't shoot well out of the box, I give you my 77R bought last summer. Box stock it shot the first four shots out of the barrel into less than 3/8"@100. The wood on it is so beautiful that I can't bear to cut on it or change it in any way. I'll probably not shoot it much, just keep it to look at, but it is both beautiful and it shoots. I did bring myself to put a timney trigger in it though.

bobby, i think what you said is pretty consistant with what i have read, seems the floating usually makes the gun more finicky but once you find the right load will end up more accurate. I hear about these older guns that had everything bedded that shoot different loads and bullet weights to about the same POI.

I do like the finish on the Rugers these days, seems like they are a notch above most. I got to looking at a Ruger RSM in 375 on the ruger site. It sure has a nice classic look with the barrel band swivel, but what about the scope ring set up. I would want to have a quick release scope mount. does anyone know if you are stuck with the Ruger rings on the RSM

Cummins,

Changing the bedding may not help with fliers if the barrel moves when it heats up. Some barrels, maybe because they were straightened a lot, move as they warm up.

Unless the rifle is for mutiple targets you might be more effective in the field if you concentrated on where the first shot goes from a cold, clean barrel and stay with two shot groups.