Rem Mountain rifle- free float or pressure point??

bcsteve

bcsteve

CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Rating - 100%
135   0   0
Location
BC
What's the concensus on this one??. I went to the range this morning with last winter's project. A stainless Rem SPS with a .260 Rem take off barrel in mountain contour in a Ti stock. I had tried a few loads in the Spring but wasn't getting the speed I was looking for. This time I tried some 120gr TSX and 140gr Hornady with H414. I got the speed I was looking for but accuracy was in the 3-4".

This is an unproven rifle so I don't know if I should waste more powder and bullets to find a more accurate load or start with a clean slate and bed/float the barrel.

What do you guys do with your Mountain and Ti rifles, float them or keep the pressure point??
 
You know I've always wondered if a take-off barrel was any good on the original rifle. I'd try floating it, you can always bed the tip afterward.
 
Bed the action...if its a synthetic stock free float it as the stock wont let the barrel harmonics work out right due to the changes in the mass of the stock.if its a wood stock dont try and do a pressure point on it,bed the action,first inch of the barrel,and last inch of the fore arm.

Also to add...if its a synthetic stock bed the first inch of barrel to give it some stability then free floated from there.In a synthetic stock you have all sorts of gaps and voids,accuracy comes from this...think of the barrel as a tuning fork,as the bullet spins down the rifling it has to come out at the same point every time to achieve accuracy. If it has a stock with voids the vibrations are not the same so as the barrel whips about,the pressure is always different on the barrel.

If its a walnut stock with a fore end tip DO NOT BED ON THIS..use the end of the walnut itself...and free float the fore end tip. The fore end tip is usually a different material and there fore will vibrate differently from the stock itself...Think of all of a sudden from driving off pavement onto gravel,the vehicle reacts differently,so does a barrel...
 
Back when I used to own Remingtons I had several Mt. Rifles. I'd bed the action and float the barrel. They all shot, however their barrels may have been better back than.
 
icehunter121, It is obvious you are familiar with knowing how to get a rifle shooting well. I learned those techniques back in the 1950s, in what I like to refer to as the glory years of shooting.
A couple of yeas ago I bought a good quality BSA 30-06 from a gun show. The rifle was made in the 60s and was for my grandson. In short, it wouldn't shoot shoot groups better than 2½ to 3 inches.
I could hardly get the metal out of the stock. The action had been filled in nearly solid with some type of epoxy. I sanded off what should be sanded off, and let the rest of the barrel float. 2½ to 3 inch groups.
At the range I looked around for something to put under the barrel. Folded up some stiff paper, pushed a bit under end of barrel. Next five shots just a narrow hair over an inch!
At home I settled for a narrow piece of leather under the barrel end. Same beautiful groups. We used to consider a pressure of 6 pounds on the barrel about right for a sporting barrel. In other words, a spring scale should show about 6 pounds in pulling the barrel away from the block at the end of the stock.
Looking back, I got the BSA at a very good price. I figured out that the former owner did this work in "bedding" it and when it still wouldn't shoot, sold it bacause he probably figured the barrel was no good!
 
I find that if the barrel is good,and it is installed properly,a pressure point is not required.If the gun won't shoot well with the barrel floated,and the action properly bedded,there is a problem with the barreled action.All of the guns that I own are free floated,as I find that this provides the most consistent point of impact in varying conditions.
 
Well I tried to just sand off the pressure bumps at the tip of the stock but even with the bumps off there was still pressure at the tip. Even with a little more sanding the pressure was still there. So instead of hogging the channel too much I got the Acraglas out and bedded/floated it.

We'll see if it was the right solution.
 
bcsteve said:
Well I tried to just sand off the pressure bumps at the tip of the stock but even with the bumps off there was still pressure at the tip. Even with a little more sanding the pressure was still there. So instead of hogging the channel too much I got the Acraglas out and bedded/floated it.

We'll see if it was the right solution.
Click to expand...

If you still have pressure the action is not set in the stock right.Pressure causes the action and barrel to warp and twist against itself.Try this...can you rock the action in the stock with out any stock bolts holding it in....if so you have a high pressure point which will cause the action to bend as you tighten it...IE....not good...

The only pressure and pressure bumps that are good is when a nice lookin blonde is on top of me...then pressure is my best friend...:dancingbanana:
 
The pressure points I'm talking about are the two purposely made bumps that Remington molded at the tip of the stock, they're supposed to apply pressure. They must also bed them with a slight downward tilt because even when I sanded the bumps flush with the stock, their was still pressure at the tip. Now I've bedded it with two layers of electrician tape under the barrel to float it.
 
NO NO no....dont apply any thing under the barrel..you are still adding a pressure point and changing the barrel/stock harmonics...call me...you got my number..
 
icehunter121 said:
NO NO no....dont apply any thing under the barrel..you are still adding a pressure point and changing the barrel/stock harmonics...call me...you got my number..
Click to expand...

Don't worry, the tape is not going to stay there.:D It's only so when the epoxy is cured I'll remove the tape and I'll have a nice even gap and a free floating barrel. It's not my first rifle or my first bedding job!;)
 
Well the bedding job turned out good, the second one anyway. I bedded the recoil lug, forward of the mag box and the first inch or so of barrel. The tang is resting solidly on the rear aluminum pillar. I can now slide two dollar bills thick from tip to that first inch. I'm working evenings this week so I'm hoping to go try her one morning.
 
I would shot it as is and then if it didn't shoot, I would alter it.

If it shoots as is, then just seal the stock and keep shooting it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom