Barrel channel- how much clearance?

[mtwarden]

The old advice was a dollar bill of clearance for a free floated barrel; that's not a lot of room.

Is there new thinking on this?

If it matters- plastic stock, aluminum pillars, rather thin sporter contour barrel

Thanks in advance

 

[eric1115]

I think the new recommendation is to fold a $100 bill in half, buy as many dead cats as you can with that $100, and then float your barrel enough to fit them all through there.

 

[Macintosh]

^^that is the rokslide advice.

“He who is considered the supreme authority on all matters” said 0.1” all around was minimum on a composite stock to avoid shooting pressure from odd field positions from flexing the stock enough to create a contact point on the barrel. Thats a bit bigger than I would have said, but its close enough that I wont question it. Thats a tiny bit less than 1/8” of space. A more flexible stock will obviously need more space, a “perfectly rigid” stock less. Someone who shoots at shorter ranges, it will also matter less. A dollar bill is certainly much less than 0.1”, even folded in half. A wood stock that isnt well-sealed can also swell a lot more than the thickness of a piece of paper if it gets really wet.

 

[mtwarden]

I just looked up the thickness of a dollar bill- 0.004375; so roughly 20 bills

 

[crich]

The old advice was a dollar bill of clearance for a free floated barrel; that's not a lot of room.

Is there new thinking on this?

If it matters- plastic stock, aluminum pillars, rather thin sporter contour barrel

Thanks in advance

If I can manipulate the stock with reasonable force and contact the barrel I open it up. Im thinking the old dollar bill rule was just a means to ensure that the barrel was in fact free floated not necessarily the ideal clearance amount. I could be wrong but since wood expands with humidity that small gap does not provide much insurance with traditional stocks and this old ideology.

 

[Shortschaf]

If I can manipulate the stock with reasonable force and contact the barrel I open it up

this. Open it up until you cant make it touch