Does your non-floating barrel shoot well?

[MuleyFever]

I have a rifle that does not have a free floating barrel. Should I shoot it first to see what happens? There is a lot of discussion about how a barrel should be free floated. Wondering of anyone has a rifle that shoots great and is not free floated?

 

[BAKPAKR]

I have a Remington 700 KS that has a pressure pad in the forearm. It shoots well but with a different point of impact if I use a bipod (vs off sandbags or pack). I am going to sand the pressure pad out and see how it shoots.

 

[sndmn11]

We have four, they shoot better than we are capable.

 

[AK Troutbum]

I think all my bolt action rifle‘s shoot well, if they don’t, they go down the road. None of my model 70 Winchesters (3), are free floated, and the Barrett Fieldcraft I have is also not free floated. They’re all very accurate rifles, with the exception of the Fieldcraft....it’s extremely accurate. I have rifles that are free floated like a Tikka and kimber’s, but they all shoot well, and looking at a target, I don’t think that I could tell the difference between which one was free floated and which one was not.


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[pyrotechnic]

Non-freefloated barrels won't neccesarily shoot badly, they can shoot quite well.

What a free floating barrel gives you is the ability to put varying forces on the rifle forearm without affecting your point of impact.

Whether or not that is advantageous or noticeable to you is entirely up to how you utilize the rifle.

 

[Sccritterkiller]

My FC shoots just as well as my free floated riles...maybe better than a few of them...all depends on the rifle.

 

[MuleyFever]

Thanks for the replies. I guess I will need to just shoot it a bit and see.

 

[eddiewiggles]

I had a buddy who used to travel out west and elk hunt with a 338 win mag with a wood stock. He got married, too busy, whatever and quit going out west every year so quit using the rifle as it wasn’t needed for GA white tails. After maybe 10 years in a gun safe he brought it over and it would no longer shoot groups like it used to. Upon examining, after all this time the stock had absorbed moisture and swollen. It originally had a pressure point for the last 1.5-2 inches of the forearm but it had swollen to put ALOT of pressure on one side of the barrel. Took a lot of sanding to free float it, as he said he’d rather just go ahead and do it. His was bad enough to be visible but I would look for that on your rifle depending on it’s age and what kind of conditions it’s been in.


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[tp308]

I have a stainless/synthetic Ruger M77 in .308 that will shoot sub moa after a having a lighter trigger installed... 5 rifles and it’s always been my favorite. Built like a tank and they rifle I would take in bad weather before any of the others.

 

[bird35]

I have a weatherby vanguard 2 with the sporter barrel number 2 contour that is not free floated. I was about to sand the stock down to float it. I looked it up first and Weatherby said it is not floated to increase accuracy. Any of their barrels under the 3 need upward pressure to help accuracy. Glad I checked before messing with it. It shoots moa just how it is.

 

[morgaj1]

I have an old S&W 1500 made by Howa that has a pressure point and it shoots lights out provided that you keep the stock bolts torqued correctly.


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[spitfire_er]

I've had rifles (both mine and customers) that would shoot decent groups with a non-floated barrel. Acceptable accuracy is subjective. Where a free floated barrel shines is with consistency and no poi shifts due to stock influence. A free floated barrel is almost always more CONSISTANT! That's what I'm after, accuracy and precision.

Take a look at any top level custom competition rifle and you won't find a single one that isn't free floated.

Different tactics work depending on your goals.

 

[Twtxga]

I switched to free floated not because my older rifles didnt shoot well. It was just one less variable to consider in working up an accurate rifle.

 

[greaseywater]

My post 64 Win70 isn't free floated. It shoots almost every factory load at 1.5 MOA or better With a little load work up I can get 0.75 to 1, which is good enough for me in that rifle.

This is my Sierra game king load, though this was an abnormally good group. It's normally right at 1 MOA. The Barnes TTSX is better.


The only factory loads this guns hates are Rem core lokts. 2 to 3 MOA every time.

 

[Devilfish]

I have a weatherby vanguard 2 with the sporter barrel number 2 contour that is not free floated. I was about to sand the stock down to float it. I looked it up first and Weatherby said it is not floated to increase accuracy. Any of their barrels under the 3 need upward pressure to help accuracy. Glad I checked before messing with it. It shoots moa just how it is.

I realize I'm resurrecting and older thread, but I've run into the same situation with my new Weatherby vanguard Wilderness with the CF stock and aluminumbedding block, It's not free floated either.

Have you had noticed any problems with yours since your last post? I'm debating just leaving it alone. Thanks In advance.

 

[bird35]

I realize I'm resurrecting and older thread, but I've run into the same situation with my new Weatherby vanguard Wilderness with the CF stock and aluminumbedding block, It's not free floated either.

Have you had noticed any problems with yours since your last post? I'm debating just leaving it alone. Thanks In advance.

I have not had any problems. I havent shot it very much sense my last post due to ammo availability and cost. I am not set up to reload for the 6.5-300 Weatherby yet. I was only shooting 3 shot groups because i feel that was all i needed in a hunting rifle. I feel like one may run into problems with vertical stringing with a 5 shot group but with 3 i havent had a problem.

 

[Devilfish]

I have not had any problems. I havent shot it very much sense my last post due to ammo availability and cost. I am not set up to reload for the 6.5-300 Weatherby yet. I was only shooting 3 shot groups because i feel that was all i needed in a hunting rifle. I feel like one may run into problems with vertical stringing with a 5 shot group but with 3 i havent had a problem.

I wholeheartedly agree with you on all counts. Three shot groups is all you should need in a hunting rifle. It's that first shot cold bore on a game animal that counts anyway. Unless I'm confident I can make the shot at a reasonable distance, I won't take it.

I lucked out and got 100rds of the 130gr Sirocco, and 40rds of the 156gr Bergers at a decent price. As far as reloading goes, I've got the 6.5-300 dies, powder and primers but I can't see loading it anytime in the near future until the Brass Gods grace me with 50 or so cases and some bullets to go along with them. I bought the 6.5-300 for use on caribou, goats and deer here in Alaska. Although my Brother wants me to bring the rifle when I visit him down in Florida. He's got a feral hog problem and it'll be interesting what it does at close range versus the 45-70 or slugs he uses.