Bedding the barrel channel or free float?(Test results on pg. 3))

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pyscodog

Active member
I just read some posts about bedding the barrel channel on a mountain rifle. Any of you ever fully bed the barrel channel as opposed to floating? I have always thought floating was the best way but on the tiny barrel on the mountain rile, I am wondering if bedding it might be better. Suggestions??
 
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Never had a rifle that didn't benefit from free floating. My vote would be 'no' to the barrel bedding.

My logic (
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) sez that I want to allow the barrel to oscillate freely (as opposed to just 'up' from being bedded). Having said that, I have read of good smiths using pressure pads under uncooperative barrels, albeit rarely...... Similar physics?

I would ask the top smiths that are actually building the guns. They would probably have more feedback than anyone else.

What is the reasoning given for bedding it?
 
I have a Ruger Ultralight that I had to bed all the way to the end of the forearm, action included. Before I did, 3" groups at 100yds. was the best it would do. Mel Forbes beds his NULA rifles all the way also.
My Kimbers are free floated.
The rifle will let you know what it wants.
 
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Unless you have a very light weight (pencil/sporter) type barrel, a fully bedded barrel is a tricky proposition and requires a lot of tweaking to do it right...Also the type of stock being used will have a positive or negative effect...

You didn't indicate the caliber of the rifle, but most fully supported barrels require a barrel band, similar to the old military and some lever action rifles since the barrel requires a degree of upward pressure applied by the stock/forearm to reduce potential barrel whip from the harmonics..
 
The rifle is a Remington 7 Mountain rifle in 260 Remington and is in a laminate stock. I bed the action and floated the barrel and accuracy is just so so. It was a used rifle when I got it and had a Leupold scope on it. Pretty sure the scope took a dump on me so I sent it in to be repaired or at least get a clean bill of health. From the time I got it and opening morning of deer rifle, I didn't have time to work up a good load. Missed a good buck and a coyote the same morning and later realize the POI was way of from when I zero'ed it at the range. I was just wondering if floating the barrel may have caused a problem and bedding the barrel channel might increase accuracy. I'm actually thinking its scope related but won't know till the scope is returned from Leupold and I can shoot the rifle again.
 
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Originally Posted By: pyscodogI'm actually thinking its scope related but won't know till the scope is returned from Leupold and I can shoot the rifle again.

I wouldn't mess with the bedding until you can role out the scope as the culprit. Only change one variable at a time, or else you won't know what the cause actually was.
 
Originally Posted By: KyleWoodsOriginally Posted By: pyscodogI'm actually thinking its scope related but won't know till the scope is returned from Leupold and I can shoot the rifle again.

I wouldn't mess with the bedding until you can role out the scope as the culprit. Only change one variable at a time, or else you won't know what the cause actually was.

This^^^^^^in spades!

As for whether bedding a barrel is beneficial, many light weight barrels shoot extremely well if full length bedded. Floating works for most heavy barrrels (if the action is securely bedded)but its not a universal answer for light weight barrels.
 
No crapshoot, I did shoot some factory ammo through the rifle the day after I got it. Made sure it would break paper and just get a general feeling for the rifle. Got some dies and brass and loaded up a few rounds for dialing in. I didn't like the groups I was getting so I then floated the barrel and bed the action and adjusted the trigger a little. Then, back to the range for some more load work. I had a load that was, IMO, plenty good to hunt with. Sighted in dead on and an inch high at 100 yds should kill anything in the area I was hunting.

Kyle, I don't plan on doing anything till the scope gets back then I'll start the load work up all over and see how it acts.

Like most, floating the barrel has generally helped accuracy. I was just wondering being the barrel is so skinney if maybe it should have some pressure on it????? Guess I won't know till the scope gets back in a few days. No hurry, rifle season is over.
 
For what its worth, Ive had a couple lightweight rifles back in the day that I just sort of built up a small pressure pad of some sort toward the forend of the rifle, and that was enough to make it shoot. Some rifles like that. I personally do not believe that free floating is the best thing to do for every rifle.
jmo
Mark
 
In my experience, lightweight barrels have performed more consistently with full length bedding, or a pressure point near the end of the forend. There are several variables that will make differences though, as others have stated. A good solid laminate, kevlar, or fiberglass stock is a must if you plan on bedding the full length of the barrel. The cheaper plastic stocks are not stable enough.

Varmint/heavy barrels do perform better when free floated, because they are much stiffer than a pencil/sporter weight barrel. Properly full-length bedding a sporter barrel will decrease vibrations and barrel whip, and give you more consistent accuracy. Someone else mentioned this is what Melvin Forbes does with the NULA rifles, which are incredibly accurate. But the kevlar stock he uses is stiffer than steel, and helps decrease vibration.

Sorry for rambling. Anyway, I would start by adding a slight pressure point near the end of the forend, and see if that makes the rifle shoot more consistently. I've done this with cardboard or plastic before, just to see what the rifle likes before using bedding compound as a permanent fix. Good luck.
 
I've had good luck both ways, the biggest plus that I have noted with FL bedded rifles is that they tend to shoot lots of different loads and lots of different bullet weights to the same poi.



 
You will need to get the rifle to where it is holding zero point of impact with the best grouping it can do, then try putting a pressure point under the barrel at the end of the stock, if it does not already have one (assuming it is free floated now). Then play with the pad thickness and action torque for what changes the grouping to better or worse. When shooting, I would let it ride in the front bench rest or bipod and not hold on to the fore end of the stock when shooting groups. You can have a free floated barrel and be shooting off a bipod and just by holding on to the forward end of the stock create enough torque that it is no longer free floated or at least change the point of impact. The stiffer the stock the less effect. I have noticed with some of my 700s they shoot better with a pressure point.
 
I'm with Rich in VA, never owned a rifle that didn't benefit from free floating. Even my model 70 featherweight is free floated.
 
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