Free floating in a synthetic stock.

[CMBTshooter]

I'm considering free floating the barrel in my M700 in .308. It's currently in a B&C Alaskan II stock. I am apprehensive about this because I'm worried that it could degrade the rifle's accuracy and I really don't feel like spending another $250 on a new stock.

 

[DrMike]

I can't imagine that you will have any difficulty. The shop for which I shoot performs that surgery on many rifles each week, and they can produce wonderful accuracy.

 

[Ridgerunner665]

You can "test" it before you make any changes to the stock...place cardboard shims (cut from cereal boxes, or similar) under the recoil lug...however many it takes to get the barrel off the pressure point in the stock...make sure the action screws still get plenty of threads though (sometimes you need longer screws for this).

Fire a few groups and see what you get with it floating...In my experience, most 700's do fine free floating...its the pencil barrels that need the pressure points (mountain rifles, model 7's, and such)

 

[Antelope_Sniper]

It's very unlikely it will degrade you accuracy. Anytime I have a rifle that won't shoot, the very first thing I check is if the barrel is completely free floated. Several times I've been told, "try it with the pressure point first"...That's never worked for me....First two things I do with any new rifle are free float the barrel, and adjust the trigger before I will take it to the range.

 

[Oldtrader3]

I just finished free floating a rifle barrel in a walnut stock, I could not get it to shoot any other way. It worked great and closed my group's size from a bimodal (3 left, two right) 2+ inches to less than an inch. by just shaving and removing a little material.