Worth free floating 16 inch barrel?

[bryceh12321]

I'm deciding on a handguard for a Bushmaster. I found one, but with a different one for another 50$, I could free float it. Do you think that would make much difference for a carbine?

I'm guessing the furthest I'll be shooting might be a 100-200 yards if I see a wittle wabbit running across the field. Would free floating my rifle benefit it THAT much?

 

[rjrivero]

Not Really.

Free floating an AR barrel makes precious little difference unless you're shooting high power events and need every 1/4 MOA possible, then Maybe. However for most of us mere mortals, you won't notice it. Again, my humble opinion.

 

[olyinaz]

The main improvement, in my opinion, is not necessarily group size but the elimination of point of impact shifts. With the barrel free to do its own thing you can put the rifle on a bipod or use a sling or sticks or whatever and it wont shift where the bullet hits differently depending upon whatever you're doing.

I also like that you can evaluate ammo for the best match to your rifle without worrying about another influence besides just the ammo.

I'm no genius and I'm sure others will have better feedback for you, but that's what I was thinking when I did it. In a nut shell: I just wanted my inexpensive AR to shoot to its' potential.

Best,
Oly

 

[Bart B.]

OlyinAZ says:

With the barrel free to do its own thing you can put the rifle on a bipod or use a sling or sticks or whatever and it wont shift where the bullet hits differently depending upon whatever you're doing.

I disagree.

Stocks vibrate and flex too, when bullets are fired from the barreled action attached to them. Resting any part of a rifle's front half on anything hard will change the bullet's impact point.

 

[Bartholomew Roberts]

Free-floating my own 16" Bushy HBAR showed about a 0.5" improvement in group sizes with Santa Barbara SS109 at 100yds from a stable position (prone or bench). In any other position, there wasn't much of a difference since I wasn't stable enough as a shooter in those positions to appreciate any increase in performance.