Free float vs. pressure points
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Dusty Stevens
Shiner
The only pressure points id use would be under the chamber only. If youve ever seen a high speed video of a gun barrel being fired you would cringe at the thought of a pressure point out at the end
So removing them would only benefit the rifle? I have seen a clip of the fired barrel flexing.
Lone Hunter
Silver $$ Contributor
Look down the page. There is a section called “Similar Threads”. Some pretty good info in those threads a lot of times.
Bedding & Barrels; Total Free Float Barrels vs: Some Fore End Pressure Points
I'm curious as to folks' opinions as to what's best. Some feel there's a need to have some bedding under the barrel in the stock's fore end putting pressure on the barrel in at least one place. Others think nothing should touch the barrel anywhere except the receiver it's screwed into; totally...
forum.accurateshooter.com
Dusty is spot on. Tommy Mc
Every rifle is different. Thin whippy barrels MAY benefit from a pressure point. I had a Ruger 77 ultralite that absolutely did NOT benefit from free floating. It was a quick project that went wrong & a longer project to put the pressure point back. YMMV.
A quick test could be to shim the barrelled action up a bit to see if groups improve or go down the crapper. Maybe pieces of an old credit card or something placed strategically under the action to lift everything enough to clear the lump in the forend when the action screws are tightened? Fire for effect & go from there.
Dusty Stevens
Shiner
Yea if you have a real flexible stock and small sporter barrel and like to use a bipod those pressure points up front can help
In my experience, in general free floating improves precision but there are exceptions. This why a lot of quality rifles now come free floated from the factory, e.g., Tikka and Browning.
You have to ask yourself why a manufacturer would place a pressure point on the tip of the stock forearm. It seems counter intuitive. The reason is because the additional support point aids in stabilizing the action on the cheap mass-produced stocks with non-existent bedding. In other words, it's a cheap quasi fix.
Many of these rifles will shoot worse without the pressure point in these cheap stocks. However, if you free float and bed the action, in my experience these rifles will shoot better even with the cheap stock. The key is to combine bedding the action with free floating the barrel.
I would not be reluctant at all to purchase a quality aftermarket stock that is free floated and has a quality bedding system.
The only exception that I'm aware of is in the Weatherby Vanguard series. The Bell and Carlson stocks which has an aluminum bedding block also had a pressure point at the tip of the stock forearm. Why I don't know.
You have to ask yourself why a manufacturer would place a pressure point on the tip of the stock forearm. It seems counter intuitive. The reason is because the additional support point aids in stabilizing the action on the cheap mass-produced stocks with non-existent bedding. In other words, it's a cheap quasi fix.
Many of these rifles will shoot worse without the pressure point in these cheap stocks. However, if you free float and bed the action, in my experience these rifles will shoot better even with the cheap stock. The key is to combine bedding the action with free floating the barrel.
I would not be reluctant at all to purchase a quality aftermarket stock that is free floated and has a quality bedding system.
The only exception that I'm aware of is in the Weatherby Vanguard series. The Bell and Carlson stocks which has an aluminum bedding block also had a pressure point at the tip of the stock forearm. Why I don't know.
p-man
Gold $$ Contributor
When acraglas was first introduced it was intended only for wood stocks and it was recommend that rifles be glass-bedded full length from the rear mounting point of the receiver all the way to the forend tip. Especially, for narrow contour barrels, it can be very effective in taming barrel vibrations.
Assuming a proper action bed, what is the purpose of a bedded chamber area?
Dusty Stevens
Shiner
Just a little relief on a heavy barrel and a magazine cutout
Every rifle is different.
My Remington Mountain Rifle with the pencil thin barrel would put 5 into 5/8” at 100. It had a serious pressure pad at the forend. Bc free floating HAS to be better, I removed that point.
It would barely keep 5 shots on a paper plate after that.
Flexible plastic shim stock of various thicknesses, a box of the hand load it liked, and a trip to the range confirmed what i suspected. I kept shimming and shooting, and the groups went back to normal. Back home I glued the shims in place where they remain to this day.
I generally free float, or on hunting rifles bed action and 2" of barrel next to the action...but adding barrel pressure near the fire end can help and has been implemented...I would make the pressure block adjustable so as to increase or decrease pressure on the barrel to tune to your ammo. Like a barrel tuner attached to the end of the barrel, works good enough for some to use continuously on their rifles. Worth a try if your free float isn't working for you.
The wood stocked Ruger 77, 77MKII, Hawkeyes have a pressure point.
Ruger flat out says in their paperwork that removing the pressure point will remove any accuracy warranty.
Hence i've not free floated my Rugers.
My Savages, and Mausers i own have been free floated and Devcon bedded at the action.
Ruger flat out says in their paperwork that removing the pressure point will remove any accuracy warranty.
Hence i've not free floated my Rugers.
My Savages, and Mausers i own have been free floated and Devcon bedded at the action.
kind of like a tuner that you can't tune, eh? well, unless you use the '2 screw' insert method from back in the day... or adjust the receiver screw torque.
KMart
Gold $$ Contributor
Did they include an explanation of their accuracy warranty?.. I have read many posts here of rifles being sent back to the factory for accuracy problems only to be told that it meets "their requirements"
Springfield 03a3 require min 7 lbs forend pressure and upper handguard clearance to shoot worth a crap. Granted this is with forend sling pressure and the bottom of the Springfield has a integral lug and not much bedding surface and a pretty thin usgi barrel. Other military bolt guns in as issued condition exibit
However you turn it into a heavy barrel match rifle and bed it that changes. I’m sure most heavy barrel rifles are the same.
Like was stated above, an easy way to check is to add cardboard or business card stock under the forend and see how it shoots.
However you turn it into a heavy barrel match rifle and bed it that changes. I’m sure most heavy barrel rifles are the same.
Like was stated above, an easy way to check is to add cardboard or business card stock under the forend and see how it shoots.
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