Free floating vs. glass bedding

[wolfsong]

Which do you prefer? Why? Or maybe you just leave it all alone?

I have free floated some and others.glass bedded.The diciding factors were time and cost. I can't honestly (or scientifically) tell you which application was better or worse than the other, as all my rifles were good shooting guns to begin with. But I can attest to the fact that my free floated Remington 700 BDL 30.06' and my glass bedded Weatherby Mark V 30.06' are dead on track drivers, both on paper and in the field. Can't say a prefer one over the other; however my Remington gets used a lot more in the field so I'm kinda partial to that ugly old thing. The Weatherby is the beauty, the Remington is the beast...

 

[gunman42782]

Why not both? Glass bed the action and free float the barrel. THey are not mutually exclusive.

 

[T.A. WORKMAN]

I agree with Tim.
On varmint rifles I have always glass bedded the action and first two inches of the barrel channel in front of receiver, with the rest of the barrel free floated.
JMHO

Terry

 

[Dan in MI]

^ X3

The only other option I can think of is some add slight upward pressure near the muzzle.

 

[contender]

I too like to glass bed the action & about 1-2 inches of the barrel,, with the rest free floated. However,, I haven't done much with rifles in a long time.

 

[Johnnu2]

I agree with Tim.
On varmint rifles I have always glass bedded the action and first two inches of the barrel channel in front of receiver, with the rest of the barrel free floated.
JMHO

Terry

I agree with Tim and Terry.... I've done at least a dozen rifles over the years and have always "two point" bedded the actions, and free floated the bbls.
I bed the actions (including the rear tang...thus the 'two point') and up to about two - three inches of the barrel forward of the receiver. IMHO, it has made significant improvement in accuracy even when removing the action/bbl and re-installing. FYI, I'm just a hobby-level grunt with this stuff.

J.

 

[Big Old Boy]

I guess I’m a lucky fella never had a rifle that didn’t shoot well.

 

[Chief 101]

My Rem 700 7mmM Elk Rifle always shot well but needed free floating to keep the poi consistent and then again a couple of 22lr target bolt action rifles needed barrel pressure and mounting screw torque(different on each rifle) to shoot well and stay consistent. Now on my #1's they always shot better when I removed all of the trick stuff people did to make them accurate and took them back to stock configuration...my lever guns seem to run just fine without any modification...the one heavy barreled varmint rifle I have likes free floating and proper mounting screw torque to stay consistent...mostly an individual thing but some commonality...

 

[The Norseman]

I have been fortunate or the luckiest Rifle owner. I have never
had to Glass Bed/Free Float one of my Bolt Actions yet.

Now bear in mind I never have had multiple Deer, Elk, Coyotes,
animals charge me heating up the barrel. I do not shoot
Competitively either.

I do put an Inch Pound Torque Wrench to all screws. I have
seen improvement in accuracy by doing just that, along
with standard reloading. A clover leaf pattern down range
was good enough for me.

 

[Mobuck]

I voted 'neither' since several of the most accurate rifles I shoot are not 'bedded' at all but simply assembly line jammed into plastic stocks and tightened.

 

[Paul B]

I agree with Tim.
On varmint rifles I have always glass bedded the action and first two inches of the barrel channel in front of receiver, with the rest of the barrel free floated.
JMHO

Terry

That seems to work the best for me, especially on Mauser actioned rifles.
Paul B.

 

[chuck]

I glass bed the action and up front on the barrel, never could remember how much torque to use on action's

 

[turd]

Free floating the barrel will often tell you if the action needs to be bedded.

 

[frankenfab]

There's a point in barrel profiles where a pressure point helps. Once you get to a heavy enough contour, it's better free floated.

 

[Rick Courtright]

^ X3

The only other option I can think of is some add slight upward pressure near the muzzle.

Hi,

I first learned about that when I bought an old surplus Enfield, built in 1949. In learning bits and pieces about the rifle. It seems the factory not only used this method but specified an actual amount of upward pressure, though I'm not sure how to measure that. Since small bits of light cardboard like a matchbook were suggested, I suppose on the range just adding a bit at a time until no more progress is seen should work.

As for bedding vs free floating, I've never had a bedded rifle so I guess I have no preference.

Rick C