Free Floating + Accuracy
 

How does free floating a barrel help improve its accuracy?

RE: Free Floating + Accuracy
 

Free floating may or may not inprove accuracy. You are most likely to get more improvement from bedding the recoil lug and tang. The Ruger M77 comes from the factory with about 7# of upward pressure on the barrel. When I floated one of mine it made it worse.

RE: Free Floating + Accuracy
 

when the barrel is free floating the vibration patterns will stay more concistant,if the barrel vibrates the same every shot your groups will be tighter.when the stock forarm touches the barrel,the barrel vibrations will be different ever time you pull the trigger.this intern will change to point of impact from shot to shot ,making group size larger.as gtbuzz said free floating alone may not do much,bedding the reciever,recoil lug and free floating the barrel will in most cases make a very noticable difference in accuracy.the idea is to keep the stock,reciever and barrel all in the same place,no movment every shot.weather conditions also couse stocks to shift changing point of impact.glass bedding will elimanate this movment.

RE: Free Floating + Accuracy
 

PAhunter

Free floating is the term that describes the fact that no part of the forestock is touching the barrel. Therefore, there will be no pressure points on the barrel when it heats and expands which theoretically could cause slight misalignment and affect accuracy. That said, the theory applies best to a heavy barrel and in some cases some slight upward pressure at the front of the forestock, as GTBuzz said, can be a good thing. This is often the case in a lighter barrel or, in particular, a tapered flutted barrel. I had an opposite experience to GTBuzz with a model 70 7mm.08 that was shooting all over the place (honest, it wasn' t me). There was a severe pressure point and now after grinding it out and it being free floated, it shoots just fine. Each gun has its own character and personality and often it' s a trial & error thing until you get it right. That' s my read on it anyways. g.g.

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RE: Free Floating + Accuracy
 

Thanks guys, I' ve heard of the term before, but never knew what it actually meant:)

RE: Free Floating + Accuracy
 

Of course every rifle is different, but I think most properly bedded rifles will shoot better free floated. But the key is " properly" bedded.

RE: Free Floating + Accuracy
 

Agree with that statement 100%! diyj98.

woods