Barrel clearance / floating question

Hidalgo

Hidalgo

Well-known member
First off...let me say that ALL of my rifle/shotgunning experience has been in hunting situations. That is...until I started reading a while back and realized that my 2" groups weren't going to cut it! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif Now I'm RUINED! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

I have, of course, heard about the "Doller Bill Clearance" method of sliding a bill between the stock and barrel. Most of my rifles pass this test even after several rounds to heat up the barrel.

I noticed when I bought the Ruger 77/22Hornet that it has a rubber support at the tip of the foreend that I assume adds "support" for the barrel. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused1.gif It touches all the time, cold or hot.

Does this need to be removed? Now forgive my ignorance, but will the barrel have enough support if I DO remove it? Will it help the accuracy?

As you guys can tell...I don't have a clue about bedding or free-floating. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smiliesmack.gif
 
Personally, I have never seen a rifle which shot better with forend pressure. I am certain that there must be some that do, as it is, or was, a common practice. But, the Ruger barrel attachment is different than having a barrel screw into the receiver so, perhaps, it does work better with pressure pad. You will never know unless you remove it, or you can even add shims to increase it's upward pressure. Any change can result in an improvement or diminution in accuracy. You never know until you make the changes and fire the rounds down range.
 
its cheaper for the factory's to set a rifle up and shoot acceptable with forend pressure, but most will shoot better floated, all will shoot better glassed and floated.
RR
 
Ridge Runner is almost right. Almost all will shoot better bedded and floated.

I have an old pencil barrel (sporter) Rem 788 in .308 that I had to put a pressure point on to get it to shoot the best. It's the only rifle I've ever had to do it to.

The theory goes something like this. If the barrel isn't made from completely homogeneous steel or if the barrel wasn't properly stress relieved, then the harmonic response can change significantly depending on the temperature of the barrel. A variation in the harmonics of course, is going to give you a varying POI and cause larger groups.

Putting a pressure point in the forestock dampens the vibrations, causing the change in harmonics to be less apparent.

As a practical matter, this should only apply to factory sporter barrels, and only to a very few of them. Almost all rifles will shoot better with the barrel free floated (or glued in, but that's another subject).
 
I would remove the pressure point also, then see what happens. Now, if it still shoots big groups, then start adding some shims made out pieces of business cards.

Usually around 5-7 lbs of upward pressure is needed on most thin barrels. This is what I had to do to a Ruger 270 pencil barrel.

As far as the "dollar bill" thing goes, I make sure I have clearance where Two business cards will clear all the way around - from "forearm tip" to 1" in front of barrel lug.

*on edited; if you find the right pressure using the shims, then replace the shims with a epoxy compound.
 
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Ridge Runner is almost right. Almost all will shoot better bedded and floated.




for whatever reason, ruger is the sometimes exception to that rule. some of them shoot best floated, and some prefer the forend support. the only good way to find out is to try it both ways on the rifle. the easiest way that i've heard is to float it, and then shoot it, then put a credit card between the forend and barrel and shoot again.

true, rifles will almost always shoot better bedded and floated, but it's not a guarantee. all you can do is try it to find out.
 
ruger would not be the exception to the rule if the action were torqued correctly. They are finicky about their action screw torque.
 
The clearance you need on a freefloated barrel is commonly misunderstood and I've seen many of the magazine gun writers get it wrong as well.

The dollar bill clearance will almost never be enough except (maybe) in a top quality, extremely stiff, laid up fiberglass stock ala McMillan. Even the two business card measurement won't be enough for many stocks. You want enough clearance so that the stock never touches the barrel, and that can mean either a significant gap, or stiffening the stock as part of the floating process.

Put the rifle butt on the floor, hold on to the barrel with one hand and hit the end of the forestock sharply with the heel of of your hand. If you can make the forestock slap the barrel, you don't have enough clearance and need to open the barrel channel more and/or stiffen the stock.

That's the way it should be done with any rifle, and the more "jump" the barrel has, due to a light weight rifle or heavier recoil, the more important it is. It's especially critical for rifles that are going to be shot off of sticks. If your rifle barrel is slapping the stock with every shot, you can't expect to get good accuracy. If it's slapping the stock in a different spot and with different pressure applied with every shot (off sticks), you're just shoveling marbles uphill.
 
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Another method of barrel tension is to use a barrel tuner in the forend of the stock. it basically is a setscrew with a FLAT nylon tip, not round, that is used to apply pressure to the barrel. it is supposed to work really well on 22 rimfire rifles so it will probably work on your Hornet as well.
 
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