George Foster
Handloader
- Dec 4, 2005
- 255
- 112
With a sporter weight barrel is it best to free float it all the way or to have support under the chamber area and then free floated to the tip?
Free Float?
- Thread starter George Foster
- Start date
Dr. Vette
Handloader
- Apr 16, 2012
- 1,509
- 418
Free float.
George I went through this recently mate. I just floated 2 sporter weight 24 inch barrels on bolt guns. Fiddled around a bit with them especially the second one but found best groups (and most consistent point of impact with different loads) with the area under the chamber/shank bedded and then floated the rest of the way.
Interestingly, the original sight settings only needed to be adjusted half an inch or so from the settings they had with a considerable pressure point. I thought the POI would drop quite a bit but, it wasn't the case.
Interestingly, the original sight settings only needed to be adjusted half an inch or so from the settings they had with a considerable pressure point. I thought the POI would drop quite a bit but, it wasn't the case.
truck driver
Ammo Smith
- Mar 11, 2013
- 7,472
- 1,252
I think it depends on how heavy the barrel is, Bull barrel vs Sporter. The sporter weight barrel doesn't need the support that the heavy weight barrels since they don't put as much strain on the action.
Dr. Vette
Handloader
- Apr 16, 2012
- 1,509
- 418
Personally I've never believed that barrels put much of a strain on actions no matter what the size. If you look at the size of the action threads and compare them to the threads on almost any fastener on your car, they're far larger. Most of your suspension is held together with less threads and puts up with much more regular abuse. Even one shot from the rifle puts more abuse on the threads than the barrel just hanging there. So, to make a long story short, I float all of them.
YMMV. :mrgreen:
YMMV. :mrgreen:
OU812
Handloader
- Apr 18, 2006
- 2,101
- 3
I like to see an inch or so in front of the recoil lug bedded and free floated all the rest of the way.
BeeTee
Handloader
- Jul 27, 2011
- 400
- 0
OU812":27beyjfq said:
That's my opinion as well for a sporter weight barrel. I like 3-4" ahead of the recoil lug for a varmint/target weight barrel.
Sure, the large diameter and number of barrel threads are robust, but an action is weakened with a mag cutout and large ejection port. If unsupported, a heavy barrel will cause the action to deflect, both static and under recoil. BT
