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I thought I needed/wanted to bed and free float the bbl on my superlite because of sporadic groups with a bullet I really hoped it would shoot. Loads would show promise, but were hard to back up. Before taking the plunge on the factory stock I swapped the bbl'd action in my CTR therefore floating the bbl. It grouped worse, not terrible, but clearly worse. It's back in it's original stock, and with a change to a better bullet the load development work was easy.
The gun has shot numerous 3 shot groups in the .1's , with the best being 5 into .188 . I consider my load a 1/4″ load on a good load development day with no wind to speak of. My vote is put it back an unaltered factory stock.
Its interesting you have experienced these results…sort of the opposite of what me and others have seen.
I have to defend that free floating the barrel does work for a gun that won't group…we proven it over and over again.I have to challenge how you tested your theory and then gave advice based on a bad test…
– its seems you have worked up loads for your 223 (guessing from your other post) specific to a factory stock and harmonics, meaning you have done no work with your barrel channel or any other mods, so most likely your barrel is pinched…you have specifically worked up loads based on this stock.
– taking this barrelled action and placing into a CTR stock which is most likely “almost” free floated to the action is not a good test at all…the stock harmonics will be completely different and it will not group the same at all…This should stand out to you as not being a true test…The advice we have given guys over and over…”if it shoots well factory, don't mess with it”…but if its shoots poor and and you are looking to achieve the most repeatable accuracy start with free floating the barrel and develop loads…Especially in the larger calibers where we have found this has greatly helped.
I can't speak for everyone and there are so many variables to why a factory gun does not shoot well, but most times its actually the shooter and the lack of knowledge to understanding what is exactly going on with the rifle and the ability to make small changes that will improve the gun.
I'm well aware of what I'm doing, so in this case you certainly can't speak for me . According to your condescending post… either I can't shoot, or my test is not up to your standards. What I posted is what happened. My superlite stock is untouched, still has the pressure point. The SL bbl'd action was “free floated” when placed in the CTR stock. Other than the triggers being lightened both guns are bone stock. No bedding! So that seems apples to apples to me, and it kept me from removing the pressure point in my SL when I didn't need too. It didn't shoot terrible when it was free floating in the CTR stock, but it didn't shoot quite the groups it did in the factory SL stock. It definitely proved to me that “bedding” wasn't the issue.
As far as shooting abilities go. I'm not a long range guy, but I shoot short range BR out to 300yds with the SL in factory class score shooting. After moving to a new/better bullet and working up a new load I “solved” my issue with a mere 30-40 rds of load development I went on to win the next 6 or 7 matches in a row including one with a perfect score. I won the score agg for the second half of the year as well. ( mostly because of that 6 or 7 match run) All that said… I ain't saying floating won't work, just that it didn't help in my case. Almost every rifle I own I float the bbl on, but not my Tikkas .
