I just acquired a factory precision target action (3 actions screw) Savage. Barrel shank is 1.250 and tapers to 1.00 and is 30 inches long (and very heavy). The center of balance when the action is out of the stock is 6+ inches in front of the barrel nut. The barrel is free floated from in front of the recoil lug all the way to muzzle. It seems to me that the weight of that unsupported barrel has to put alot of stress on the action itself.
Does anyone or should I attemp to bed the barrel in front of the barrel nut to help support the barrel. The factory stock will only allow me to bed about 1.25 of the barrel channel in front of the barrel nut - the stock has some fancy holes/slots cut in the bottom of the forearm - looks nice but as practical matter they don't do anything except limit how much of the barrel channel you can bed.
I do not want to bed the entire action because if the factory barrel doesn't not work out I will probably have Pac-Nor rebarrel at which time i would bed the action. Thanks in advance for any advice
Does anyone or should I attemp to bed the barrel in front of the barrel nut to help support the barrel. The factory stock will only allow me to bed about 1.25 of the barrel channel in front of the barrel nut - the stock has some fancy holes/slots cut in the bottom of the forearm - looks nice but as practical matter they don't do anything except limit how much of the barrel channel you can bed.
I do not want to bed the entire action because if the factory barrel doesn't not work out I will probably have Pac-Nor rebarrel at which time i would bed the action. Thanks in advance for any advice