300 win mag barrel float

[nocternal]

Ruger m77 II 300 win mag. It was shooting 3 to 4 groups at 100yds. Then I noticed stock contacting barrel on one side so I sanded it to float it a little more. Now shoots a 2to3 in. group. It still has a pressure point at the end of the stock. Should I sand this down to fully float the barrel? I think I should have better groups. There 180 gn spbt w/72gn Imr4831 fireformed factory fedral cases.

 

[smith1559]

If you fully float the barrel I would really think about bedding the rifle. I have a m77 mark2 in a 7mm mag an I bedded it and floated the barrel and went from 1-1.5inch groups to .75-.5 inch groups...Jason

 

[Bigdog2]

Before sanding out the existing pressure point, try lifting the barrel up and off the pressure point by inserting one or two pieces of credit card under the front lug of the receiver and then retighten the front lug bolt. This may give you an inexpensive check as to the effect of sanding out the pressure point.

I agree bedding the rifle should have a postive effect and it can add to the strength and stability of the stock and it's forearm. You can add a pressure point into the bedding if you want to reestablish a pressure point.

I'd also look into replacing the trigger for a light crisp release. I might even do this before bedding the barrel and action.

Also think about how you use the rifle. With this caliber I suspect you use it for hunting. ONE shot with this caliber should take down any game animal in N. America. The degree of accuracy that you already have is more than enough to get the job done, so further improvements will probably have limited returns.

 

[SodakJim]

I think smith1559 has it right, that you should definately bed the action if you completely float the barrel. I did this on a Ruger MKII stainless in 25-06 about 2 months ago. Five shot groups went from 2 3/4 inches at 100 meters to 3/4 inch, with the best of the handloads that we had at that time. I also would bed the first two inches of the barrel in front of the receiver. Installing an aluminum pillar at the rear action screw is also helpful to maintain long term stability. The Ruger can be a little tricky doing a bedding job, so don't try it without some research.

 

[IDBob]

Keep in mind that if this is the Ruger synthetic boat paddle stock or any synthetic cast stock (You can tell by the big square holes in the stock under the barrel) they do not take well to standard glass bed materials. The plastic they are cast out of has a material very similar to glass bed release agents as part of it's makeup.

If this is a wood stocked model I've found that glass bedding on the average results in at least a 10 percent reduction in group size and often much better.

Bigdog gave you good advice about lifting the barreled action off the front bedding block to see if free floating will help. As mentioned a good trigger is also a great help in shooting tight groups.

What Jim is telling you about a 77 being tricky to bed is because it's the only bolt gun on the market with a slanted trigger guard screw holding the action to the stock. This makes bedding a little harder than most other actions with the trigger guard screws set at 90 degrees from the action.

It's harder but not impossible and you can bed it in steps to make it even easier. Glass bed kits including piller bed kits are available from Brownell's. If this is your first time it's not rocket science, but like any technical job there are some tricks and tips the folks here can give you to do it yourself. If your the "all thumbs" type of guy have a gunsmith do it.

Brownell's has some great articles on bedding in their tech section of their web site that you can copy and download. I'd probably have a gunsmith check out the barrel with a bore scope before I did any accuracy work on it.

 

[tunahunter]

I have to agree with bedding the action. I would also free float the barrel. I have a 300 WM that is built on a Model 98 action a Bansner HITEC stock and a Douglas Light sporter barrel free floated. After a lot of load experiments I found a load that shot the smallest groups around 2 1/2" to 3". Well the rifle went back to the gunsmith for a full barrel bedding job, that didn't work. Next we floated the barrel and added a small pressure point about an inch from the end of the fore end tip. The groups shrunk to about 3/4". My gunsmith then epoxied the pressure to the stock and now it shoots less than 1/2"

This was just the highlights of what we did, we tried a shims here and there on under the action and trigger guard. The whole process drove my gunsmith who is a good friend more crazy than it did me, most likely because I just bought a Savage Model 10 Predator that would shoot .300 to .400 groups.

We usually meet for breakfast once week with another friend a gun shop owner, And I would rib him a little bit saying "boy I wish you could build a rifle that shoot like that Savage" knowing perfectly well he could.

All in all I wouldn't worry about free floating your barrel you can always experiment with pressure points in the barrel channel. I do say again bedding the action is a must another thing I recomend is to also glass bed the trigger gaurd and floor plate if the action is not pillar bedded.