bedding vrs floating

REBJr

Saw a kit of glass beads today to" achieve a tight fit between barrel and stock to improve accuracy" I thought this was bad, hence floating barrels so the stock doesn't touch barrell and create vibrations, resonance, etc. So now I'm cornfused! whats better to improve accuracy, begging/floating?-Ralph

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Nothing very, very good or very, very bad lasts for very, very long.

rick_reno

It depends on the rifle. Many guns will shoot great with the barrel floated - some require a bit of pressure on the barrel to shoot great. I've never seen the product you described, but I'd guess it's used to apply pressure to the barrel.

Der Gebirgsjager

I think that your original understanding of free-floated barrels was about right. Whenever I turn out a custom rifle, or re-stock one for a customer, I start by free-floating the barrel. Most rifles will perform best if the action area from about one-half to one inch forward of the receiver ring back to, and including, the rear action screw tang is glass bedded; and the remainder of the barrel free-floated. Some, however, will require a pressure pad just inside the fore-end tip exerting a little upward pressure. This system has been used quite a bit by Remington. If the rifle won't shoot as well as expected free-floated the pressure pad is next. Occassionally there is the odd rifle that will shoot best with a full-length glass bedding job. Pillar bedding has become quite popular. This involves drilling out the action screw holes and inserting a pillar of aluminum (or other material) through which the screw passes. This provides a very solid base for the action. Many gunsmiths still use glass in combination with the pillars, and the barrel is still free floated. Hope this makes it all a little clearer.

He Dog

I generally glass bed the first 4" or so of the barrel, as well as the action area in most cases.