Husqvarna groupings

Grouser

Grouser

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Hay Husqvarna guys.
I just bought a Husqvarna 308 in close to new condition.:D I topped it off with a Vortex Diamondback 2x7x35 - took it to the range today and with 3 shot groups, with 165 grn Federal sierra game-kings. The first two shots go 3 inches high at 100m, right on the centre line -- the 3rd goes 5 inches higher again on the centre line. This is consistent after allowing the barrel to cool. I know that the most important shot is the first one but, the barrel has no resemblance of being free floated. I intend to bed it over the winter but should I free float the barrel?
 
Grouser said:
Hay Husqvarna guys.
I just bought a Husqvarna 308 in close to new condition.:D I topped it off with a Vortex Diamondback 2x7x35 - took it to the range today and with 3 shot groups, with 165 grn Federal sierra game-kings. The first two shots go 3 inches high at 100m, right on the centre line -- the 3rd goes 5 inches higher again on the centre line. This is consistent after allowing the barrel to cool. I know that the most important shot is the first one but, the barrel has no resemblance of being free floated. I intend to bed it over the winter but should I free float the barrel?
Click to expand...

Bed and free float at the same time. Its sounds like its stringing upward due to pressure on the bottom of the barrel.
 
A PROPERLY BEDDED Husqvarna with the original trigger, should shoot five shot groups in about the 1.5 inch group area, without waiting for the barrel to cool.
Yours indicates it is badly in need of being bedded.
To your question of should it be free floated, my answer is, probably not.
If the action is fitted perfectly, without any twisting tension and the recoil lug also fits perfectly, free floating the barrel will likely result in hunting accuracy, but will probably be pernickety with regard to the ammunition used.
If the barrel at the front of the stock has a fair bit of upward pressure on it, the group size will likely come down and it will probably not be near as particular of what ammunition is used.
I use the words, "likely, and probably," often, because different rifles can react differently, but I can't think of one case, where a rifle of mine shot better with a floating barrel, than it did with pressure under it.
Regardless what is said about the first shot counting, I will not shoot, have, or keep around, a rifle that walks the bullets as the barrel heats. So far in life, I have been able to cure every bolt action rifle I ever had, that exhibited those characteristics.
Bedding a rifle is both an art and a science, so don't play with your rifle without having knowledge of what you are doing.
 
I recall a 700 .30/06 that would consistently group 3 touching, then a half inch away would group the other 2 touching for an over all group of an inch and a half. My solution was to relieve the pressure point making the barrel free floating. This resulted in nice symmetrical round groups of an inch and a half. Net gain zero, but I told myself I was happier with round groups.
 
While I tend to agree with H4831 on most of his experienced posting, I am
not totally in agreement with his "floating vs Pressure point" statement.

FWIW, His personal experience may be different than mine, so I am not saying
that he is wrong, only that my experience has led me to a different conclusion.

In my gun safes reside a large number of sporter weight, hunting rifles.
Only 3 have the pressure point intact, the rest are free floating.

I have a policy. Try the rifle as is, and observe how the groups look.
Not only group size, but group shape. [especially rifles that make two groups instead of one]
If it shoots well as is, I will not mess with it.

I have a M700 Classic in 300 Savage that has not been altered whatsoever.
It has the pressure point, and is unbelievably accurate for a factory rifle.

My 700 Classic in 8x57 made 2 groups about 1½" apart with the pressure point.
Floating that barrel and bedding the action brought the groups together to just at 1 moa average.

A Weatherby Vanguard in 30-06 went from 2½" vertical groups to ¾" groups when
I removed the pressure point at the front of the stock.

I changed out the synthetic stock on a particularly accurate 700SSDM in 30-06 I own.
The original as I got it was free floated, the new stock had the pressure
points intact.
This rifle did not change group size or shape, but the POI moved up 2" at 100 meters with the pressure point intact. I left it in, since groups size/shape did not change.

I guess the bottom line is, you will not know what is best until you try it.

I am reluctant to mess with a good shooting rifle. [don't fix what is not broken, lol]

But vertical groups, or groups that string at an angle, are often related to stock pressure at the front, either bottom or side, or both.

Be aware that wood stocks, as much as I love wood, can change over a winter, or even while on a hunting trip if the weather is inclement, so free floating makes sense under these conditions to avoid a change in the POI.

Regards, Eagleye.
 
"I didn't know Husqvarna made guns..."

Only since 1689, a little longer than they have been making chain saws.
 
Well Eagleye, that was why I used "likely and probably," so often in my original post.
My own grandson's 30-06, walnut stocked, Browning A Bolt also shoots better floating than it does with pressure under the barrel.
I have stated on here before that many years ago I sighted in rifles for customers who wanted that new fangled scope thing, sighted in for them. Most rifles out of the box walked the bullets as the barrel warmed. Two exceptions were Schultz & Larson and Parker Hale rifles, both of which were designed with a pressure point under the front of the barrel.
Very recently I purchased the first rifle I ever had with a plastic stock, the low priced Marlin bolt action, in 243 caliber. I was a bit amazed and happy to find that it made nice small, round groups, with every bullet weight I tried.
I read where it was "Pillar bedded." So I lost no time in taking off the stock, to see what pillar bedding looked like.
I found the action fit the stock firm and evenly. At the front of the stock is a nice, third-circle saddle, for the barrel to rest in. When the screws are tightened, a fair bit of pressure is exherted on the barrel!
 
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