When going a #2 contour or below is there a concensus as to whether or not a barrel should be free floated or bedded the length of the forend? I have noticed that Mel Forbes at New Ultra Light arms is adamant about bedding all the way to the end of the forend yet Mark Basner and Rifles Inc. like to float even the thinest barrels "99% of the time". My guess is that I will have to play with it both ways but Im looking to hear from everyones experience.

The Kimber 84M's that I have shoot really small groups and are free floated. More important than groups to me is staying sighted in and they do that as well. These rifles are bedded in walnut stocks with glassed in pillars and glass out under the barrel shank.

If I were starting with a plastic stock I would bed it tight to the barrel. This may produce good groups and hold it's zero ok. This is not a rebuttal of what Kimber does. It's just easier to bed it tight and then file it out afterwards if necessary by hand.

I was speaking from the circumstances that I found. When I did a couple of Bell & Carlsons they came with a small barrel channel molded in. It was hard to avoid trying it bedded full length first rather than cutting all the material out and then finding that I wanted a bedded barrel.

With the Banser UL the channel was very wide. So wide in fact that I was forced to fill it and paint the stock. It was easier to fill it even. I can file it out later.