Grizzlybear

What does it mean when you refer to bedding the action and floating the barrel?

Vapodog

Bedding the action can be done with pillars or with just acraglass from Brownells. Neither bedding or floating is necessary if your gun shoots fine as is.....but many don't and if the lack thereof is the cause, you can try ammo until the cows come home and you'll not get anywhere.

DON'T DO THIS WITHOUT COACHING!!!!!!

Glass bedding is the process of applying an epoxy between the stock and the action and allowing it to harden such that the action perfectly fits the stock and that no forces exist to warp the action.

Free floating the barrel is the process of shaving the stock in such a manner that the barrel don't touch the stock anyplace. Any contact of the stock and the barrel will result in a vibration of the barrel during firing that is not uniform and can easily result in serious inaccuracy.

Neither of these things are required.....many guns shoot fine without.....but if your gun is shooting poor groups, these things must be done to eliminate the bedding of the action and barrel from the equation.....and then you can work on the ammo.

Grizzlybear

Thanks, vapodog! I appreciate the clarification. I was just curious as to what the terms meant - I don't think I need to take this step quite yet.

Do they do this with synthetic stocks? So the floated barrel is only held to the forearm and the action directly?

Rangerlab

There is a good article the Nov. issue of Rifle by John Barsness about stock bedding. He talks about bedding wood and synthetic stocks.

James B

VAP explained it well. Remington approaches this a little differently than others. They place a high spot (pressure point) toward the end of the forend. This does much the same thing in that it causes the vibration that Vap mentioned to be the same every time. A pressure point will retain pressure regardless of the temp. of the barrel either cold with the first shot or hot after several shots. I have cured accuracy woes of several rifles just by loosening the forend screw and placing a piece of something like a matchbook cover between the barrel and stock at the end of the forend then tighten the screw again and your done. This works many times and is always the first thing I try if I am having accuracy problems. An old gunsmith showed me that little trick about 40 years ago when I had a 6mm Remington that just would not shoot. He said if that fixes the problem just put a little water seal on the carboard so it wont deteriorate from mosture.