Floated barrel... or not

[Jose_Luis_G]

Hi guys!
I see now and then, a new trend to what floating barrels is concerned, when it comes to small bore rifles.
Some manufacturers and shooters have a new, different opinion and think that non-floated barrels are more accurate than the regular ones.
You may have seen those rifles in which the barrels are held in two points of the stock and the action is floated, i.e. Whalter KK500 new stock.
Some others insert a special rubber between the barrel and the stock, leghtwise or in several points, to prevent the barrel vibration.
From this point, I would like to read your opinions and experiences, of course based in the small bore, such as 22LR.
Thank you in advance for your expert advices.

 

[watercam]

For myself I tune a rifle and load with a floated barrel. Just simpler and I have no issues with accuracy once I find the combo that works. Winchester used to have a mechanical tuning system at the end of the forend of their Model 52 rifles. Have yet to meet anyone who is, or has ever, used one. Not saying they do not exist, I just don't need them.
Action screw adjustment works wonders for small bore rifles. There is an article in the Bulletin regarding this if you search for it.

 

[davidjoe]

Not only Winchester, but the 40-X Remington had for-end adjustment screws. With or without using the screws, these rifles to this day decades later are tough competition in matches.

You're touching upon the most deep seated and inexplicable notion in accuracy, that a free floated barrel is best.

Consider the practice of exploring accuracy “nodes” and barrel tuners. We are only counteracting barrel harmonics and barrel whip in the first place, because our starting point of a horizontal bar of steel supported only by one end guarantees the most possible vibration of any choice. In architecture this arrangement is called a cantilever but besides looking nice, it’s the structurally weakest of design elements. Hold a child that way and CPS will come visit you.

When we want a cymbal, bell or triangle to stop vibrating, we grasp it, and at two places that muting works better than at one. Dampening shims do this. They also take stress off the tenon, action and stock at the thin bottom where the receiver is secured.

Free floated barrels and door stop springs that are so entertaining to bend sideways and release, are both doing the same thing.

 

[Dud]

When looking at the stiffness of a barrel, length is the dominant factor. Using a barrel block style mounting reduces the length in front of the block, that enhances the stiffness of the barrel in front of the block and you really don't need to worry much about some barrel and action floating behind the barrel block (unless you are mounting iron sights or a scope to the floating action instead of the barrel block).

The theory is sound but both methods can work so do you want to buy a new barrel and stock/chassis to try a barrel block system?

 

[mikecr]

I would think any solid communication between barrel and stock would bring the stock into vibratory action. An additional issue to deal with.

I had a well built 17lb, BAT/Tracker gun (28" free floated heavy Palma) throwing shots all over the place once, when I moved to somebody else's bags.
Mine was filled with heavy sand, theirs was filled with kitty litter(!!!).. I shoot free recoil and it shocked me that so much could occur through that stock alone.
I would want less of that sensitivity, not more.

 

[LCazador]

You have to try both floated and with pressure. Every rifle is different but most are going to like floated. How the barrel is held in the action(this is for rimfires) will make a difference. The biggest factor in rimfire shooting is the ammo. If you can't find a specific brand and lot that will shoot well in that rifle and then buy enough of that one lot of ammo, you will find it hard to win any matches whether you float or not. I think rimfire requires more experimentation than centerfire!

 

[Dud]

I would think any solid communication between barrel and stock would bring the stock into vibratory action. An additional issue to deal with.

I had a well built 17lb, BAT/Tracker gun (28" free floated heavy Palma) throwing shots all over the place once, when I moved to somebody else's bags.
Mine was filled with heavy sand, theirs was filled with kitty litter(!!!).. I shoot free recoil and it shocked me that so much could occur through that stock alone.
I would want less of that sensitivity, not more.

The barrel is always "communicating" with the stock. When you free float the barrel, it's just doing it through the receiver and receiver bedding.

It's like a tuning fork, when the legs are long, the frequency is pretty low, amplitude of vibrations is pretty high. When the legs are short, the frequency is higher and the amplitude is reduced. In this case the barrel is the leg and the stock is the handle of the tuning fork. If you can split the barrel/action in to two shorter legs with a barrel block in the middle and make the stock out of a lossy material, you're going to reduce your muzzle deflection and damp it.

Is that good? Probably but it's still a tune issue, a perfectly tuned low frequency setup may shoot better than a poorly tuned high frequency setup and one might be easier to tune than the other but well tuned with a high frequency and low amplitude is what I would want.

 

[Jose_Luis_G]

Thank you for all your opinions.
I'd like to let you know the full story behind.
I made my own design for a BR50 stock in AutoCAD, and then transfered to reality myself.
It is intended for an Anschutz 2013 action & barrel.
It seems that I hit the bull's eye, since it shoots quite well, and have found two batches of ammo with very nice performance.
I use a Lowey tuner and found the sweet point for both.
BUT... now and then I hace flyers ruining the results. And I do not mean a doubtful shot but clear ones, more that expected.
I feel that sometimes the barrel does not react like the average of shots, and to me it is a problem of the stock, which is nicely bedded and with pillars.
That was the reason for thinking of reducing the vibration by inserting a couple rests along the frnot part of the stock.

Now you have more arguments abot this case, to think about.