stock / action questions

[44joe]

Hello to all, I am new to this site and really like reading the posts. I have a question regarding a older remington 725. When younger and dumber, I read a article in a gun mag about accurizing your rifle. The article was about free floating your barrel. It sounded good to me, so out came the sand paper and I sanded out the barrel channel. Well I basically turned a "OK" shooting gun into one whose groups' looked like a shotgun pattern. I put the gun in the safe and thats where it's been. Lately I have reading that the remington 700's like to have forend pressure and come that way from the factory. Who knew ! LOL. Anyway that seems to be the way I learn things, make a mistake and learn by way of fixing it. By the way the gun is a Remington 725 ADL in 30-06, late 50's or early 60's vintage.

Anyway, is there something about the remington 700 action that makes them shoot better with the forend pressure ? Do you think a bedding job would help ? Would you just bed the recoil lug area / tang, and then the first few inches of barrel first. Then see how that works and then maybe add some pressure on the forend ? Is the 700 stock the same as the 725. I have seen plenty of 700 stocks but nothing in 725. Is the 725 action any good for a custom project ? I was thinking of cutting my "bedding" teeth on the old stock, and then getting a nice laminate one / with a new barrel off course !

Sorry for the novel, thanks in advance for any info.

Joe.