Barrel Not Centered in Stock

[General RE LEE]

Let me preface this thread by saying this Tikka CTR/UPR in 6.5 Creedmoor is very accurate.

With that said, the barrel has always been a tad off center in the stock. I’ve verified it’s free floating by running thicker card stock under the barrel and there is no binding. The UPR stock is pretty stiff material and squeezing the barrel and stock requires a lot of effort to get the end of the stock to contact the barrel. No forces like this would ever be applied in the field.

For me, it’s purely cosmetic. I’ve removed the barreled action multiple times and have been able to get it centered after torquing screws to 62 in/lbs per manual for metal actions. After firing, it always settles back into this off centered position.

Anyone got a rifle that shoots well but has this issue?

 

[MTMeatHunter]

Yep. One of the best shooting rifles I’ve ever owned (Sako) had the same issue. I just lived with it but it did annoy me, aesthetically. I almost opened the channel up to match on both sides, but never quite got there with the motivation since it shot so well.

 

[Wrench]

Three options....bed it to center....sand it to uniform....live with it.

 

[t_carlson]

Not uncommon, even with high-dollar production rifles.

But pretty is as pretty does. The only remedy would be to glass bed it with the barrel centered, but you always risk a decline in accuracy.

 

[General RE LEE]

Yep. One of the best shooting rifles I’ve ever owned (Sako) had the same issue. I just lived with it but it did annoy me, aesthetically. I almost opened the channel up to match on both sides, but never quite got there with the motivation since it shot so well.

Same. I’m wondering if I swapped out the recoil lug or bedded just the lug and put a couple wraps of tape around barrel to center it channel while bedding set if that would fix issue. It’s one of those roads I’m not sure if I want to go down.

 

[hereinaz]

Same. I’m wondering if I swapped out the recoil lug or bedded just the lug and put a couple wraps of tape around barrel to center it channel while bedding set if that would fix issue. It’s one of those roads I’m not sure if I want to go down.

Happens all the time. If it shoots the difference in gap only matters in your brain. If matters enough to do something, bed the lug AND action. The sides of the action will need to be bedded, cause the lug slot in the action is cut all the way through so the action will slide over it to its natural resting area. Bedding has to slightly change the angle of the channel in the stock that cradles the action.

That's the only way you can fix it without triggering your OCD even more. If you sand one side of the stock to make the gap the same then the thickness of the stock walls will be different. Its a no win situation without bedding.

 

[BradArnett]

Three options....bed it to center....sand it to uniform....live with it.

This

 

[hereinaz]

This

But, if the channel is sanded to center, then the thickness of the sides of the stock won't be the same. OCD will NOT tolerate that either, lol. You'd have to sand the other side of the stock to match the thickness, whew, crisis averted. Whoa, OCD kicks in again because the gap isn't the same any more....

Pretty soon there is no forend left on the stock... hahahaha

It shoots. Live with it, lol.

 

[General RE LEE]

But, if the channel is sanded to center, then the thickness of the sides of the stock won't be the same. OCD will NOT tolerate that either, lol. You'd have to sand the other side of the stock to match the thickness, whew, crisis averted. Whoa, OCD kicks in again because the gap isn't the same any more....

Pretty soon there is no forend left on the stock... hahahaha

It shoots. Live with it, lol.

Yeah I didn’t want to go down the road with sanding. I’ll just live with it.

 

[Wildhorse]

It's really common in older wooden stocks especially in the PNW. You could drill a channel into the stock and bed a piece of metal stock into the forend with another metal wedge wedged into place to straighten the stock and center the barrel increases rigidity of the forend as well. I've done this with 5 or 6 stocks over the years that had varying degree from just cosmetic like yours to actually contacting the barrel on one side. I would always recommend glassing the action and lug first then if it isnt centered widen the channel cut the groove bed the end of the bar wedge it then bed the entire forend while using two-three wraps of bedding tape on the barrel to ensure it stays free floated increases how rigid the stock is adds strength and fixes the bowing issues.