You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
remington 700 shots to the right
- Thread starter codyb1991
- Start date
can I use a regular old file to do the job?
Yep, although some of us use wood rasps, but I prefer to roll a piece of sandpaper around a dowel and use that to float the barrel. Midway USA and other sell specialized tools for hogging out a barrel channel.
Sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn't, although generally a rifle will shoot better with a floated barrel. If you float your barrel and it doesn't help, it's easy to add something in the barrel channel, either leather or synthetic, to add a pressure point.And does free floating the barrel improve accuracy by a long shot?
And does free floating the barrel improve accuracy by a long shot?
It may improve your groups and it may make them worse. Some barrels need pressure points to make them shoot some don't. Free floating usually works to improve the groups some but don't expect .5" groups to go down to .1" groups by floating a barrel.
barrels ring like a tubular bell when a shot is fired. The heavier and stiffer the barrel is, the less it vibrates. a fluted heavy barrel will vibrate a lot less than a whip thin barrel on a scout carbine. That is why target rifles use heavy tubes.
A floated barrel works best for heavy barrels for a single reason. When the vibration is damped to the level that a really heavy barrel reaches, any sort of contact with the stock will interfere with the normal oscilations.
The whip thin barrels need a different damping method. So, a slight pressure is added symmetrically to the bottom of the barrel at forend. It dampens the vibration some. Badly done, it can actually worsen accuracy, but in most cases, a forend pad in the barrel channel does what it is supposed to. It makes the barrel vibrations a shorter wavelength.
The simple answer is that you should not float a hunting barrel unless it is stringing shots badly. BADLY. When you do float it, be prepared to re-bed it with a better control bead if your accuracy suffers.
I must have missed the part about this being 1/4 of an inch. That is really insignificant, and you may never determine exactly why your rifle is going off zero by the equivalent of only 1/2 inch at 100 yards. A hunting rifle is expected to make 1 to 1-1/2 inch groups, and this meets those expectations.
A floated barrel works best for heavy barrels for a single reason. When the vibration is damped to the level that a really heavy barrel reaches, any sort of contact with the stock will interfere with the normal oscilations.
The whip thin barrels need a different damping method. So, a slight pressure is added symmetrically to the bottom of the barrel at forend. It dampens the vibration some. Badly done, it can actually worsen accuracy, but in most cases, a forend pad in the barrel channel does what it is supposed to. It makes the barrel vibrations a shorter wavelength.
The simple answer is that you should not float a hunting barrel unless it is stringing shots badly. BADLY. When you do float it, be prepared to re-bed it with a better control bead if your accuracy suffers.
I must have missed the part about this being 1/4 of an inch. That is really insignificant, and you may never determine exactly why your rifle is going off zero by the equivalent of only 1/2 inch at 100 yards. A hunting rifle is expected to make 1 to 1-1/2 inch groups, and this meets those expectations.
m&p45acp10+1
New member
I am in the let it cool down camp. If you can put it in the shade while it cools down that would be even better. You should be able to wrap your hand around the barrell and pick it up, with it feeling like it has not had a shot fired out of it cool between shots.
Also shots can go to a different POI from a cold squeeky clean barrel to one that has had a few round fired out of it. A lot of target shooters fire a few rounds first to fowl the barrell. It depends on what you are using it for.
If for hunting I would wait at least 10 minutes between shots. Make sure the barrel is at absolute cool. Then fire the shot. If you are hunting with it you probably will not have the luxury of first firing a few shots to fowl the barrel, and warm it up.
Also shots can go to a different POI from a cold squeeky clean barrel to one that has had a few round fired out of it. A lot of target shooters fire a few rounds first to fowl the barrell. It depends on what you are using it for.
If for hunting I would wait at least 10 minutes between shots. Make sure the barrel is at absolute cool. Then fire the shot. If you are hunting with it you probably will not have the luxury of first firing a few shots to fowl the barrel, and warm it up.
Sweet Shooter
New member
@codyb1991
I used a Dremel tool to remove those "nubs". But like I said I ended up super-gluing a thin piece of leather back in there. I did use a metalwork file to remove some of the plastic running along the one side where it was a bit tighter. I don't think it makes much difference if the barrel is floated or not on with the synthetic/plastic stocks. If you get a nice walnut stock and bed it with pillars and float it, then I would expect to see a bigger improvement.
Try this at your next range visit... don't shoot three or five shot groups. A three shot MOA group looks bad and is a false indicator. Shoot a black dot about 1.25" in diameter so that you can't see your shots—don't use Shoot "n" See for this exercise. Be as consistent as you can be and shoot 10 or 15 rounds slowly. The barrel will still get hot but that's okay as long as you don't go crazy—I duno, count to 100 between shots. Ignore one or two flyers or shots you may have pulled (unless you pull three or four in a row in which case start over). Then visit your target.
You might be surprised, you might not. You may have a couple of shots opening your group up to 1.5 but look for the concentration. If your rifle will put 15 into an inch or just over you have a great rifle. It's fun to try.
-SS-
I used a Dremel tool to remove those "nubs". But like I said I ended up super-gluing a thin piece of leather back in there. I did use a metalwork file to remove some of the plastic running along the one side where it was a bit tighter. I don't think it makes much difference if the barrel is floated or not on with the synthetic/plastic stocks. If you get a nice walnut stock and bed it with pillars and float it, then I would expect to see a bigger improvement.
Try this at your next range visit... don't shoot three or five shot groups. A three shot MOA group looks bad and is a false indicator. Shoot a black dot about 1.25" in diameter so that you can't see your shots—don't use Shoot "n" See for this exercise. Be as consistent as you can be and shoot 10 or 15 rounds slowly. The barrel will still get hot but that's okay as long as you don't go crazy—I duno, count to 100 between shots. Ignore one or two flyers or shots you may have pulled (unless you pull three or four in a row in which case start over). Then visit your target.
You might be surprised, you might not. You may have a couple of shots opening your group up to 1.5 but look for the concentration. If your rifle will put 15 into an inch or just over you have a great rifle. It's fun to try.
-SS-
Sweet Shooter
New member
I think 100 yards is a good indicator. I know it's not long range but it's as far as I personally need to shoot. I'm convinced there is a psychological effect of not being able to see the shots land on the paper. I've often shot 3 or 5 shot groups around an inch on white paper which through the scope look crappy but then when I visit the target it ain't so bad.
I used to shoot an inch at 50 yards and think it was great (and actually it was for the time). An inch or just over at 100 yards is more than practical for a hunting rifle. I know some guys who won't actually shoot groups at all. They shoot one shot at each 1 inch black dot. Some of those shots are marginal, a lot are dead center.
-SS-
I used to shoot an inch at 50 yards and think it was great (and actually it was for the time). An inch or just over at 100 yards is more than practical for a hunting rifle. I know some guys who won't actually shoot groups at all. They shoot one shot at each 1 inch black dot. Some of those shots are marginal, a lot are dead center.
-SS-