RE: Rem 700 barrel free floating ?
 

IF it was mine I would shoot it with six or eight different loads, then free float it and shoot it again with the same loads. You can always put the pressure back in, and the ones Ive seen werent very uniform in the contact anyway. Many times the amount of upward pressure will be critical to getting the best accuracy. If you really want to tune it, theres no fast and easy guaranteed way. Good luck.

RE: Rem 700 barrel free floating ?
 

Hunting Rookie,
As I stated in my earlier mail, the quickest surest way to achieve consistent accuracy is to float the barrrel and glass bed it. Not necessarily the absolulute best accuracy on any given day with every load, but consistent accuracy with your chosen load.
I have shot many new rifles with pressure points from the stock and then shot them after floating the barrel and glass bedding them.
For me in every instance I was able to find a hunting load that shot as well or better after free floating the barrel.
Unless you just like fiddling around with rifles, float the barrel, glass bed it and then go find a load it likes.
Especially if you are actually a " hunting rookie" , you don' t want to mess with fine tuning pressure points.

I have fiddled around with pressure points in the past, they may shoot more accurately with a certain load and not with others. The problem is consistency.
It is tough to maintain consistent pressure day in day out in all weather conditions, with a rest, without a rest, offhand or shooting with a sling.

This has been an interesting topic to see everyones different viewpoint on this subject. That is the cool thing about these forums is you get lots of different perspectives and then you decide for your self.
Good luck with your rifle.

RE: Rem 700 barrel free floating ?
 

Not all remingtons are pressure bedded. The varmit, PSS, and senderos don' t.