floating a ruger

[WhelanLad]

howdy,
has any had the "need" to float a ruger hawkeye barrel?
mine was shootin ok but i fell an knocked the scope so i thought id free float the barrel before i re sighted it in, my groups are alot tighter than before, although its a deer rifle an doesnt need to be super spot on.
so i wondered has anyone had to float the barrel due to really poor groups?

WL

 

[Jordan Smith]

Mine shot about 1-1.5MOA, so I floated it and bedded it.

Now it shoots right around 1MOA with most loads, and 0.5MOA with the best loads.

 

[sunray]

Floating a barrel on any rifle gives no guarantee of improved accuracy. Some rifles just don't like it. The only way to find out if your's does like it is to try it.
If accuracy doesn't improve or gets worse, putting the pressure point back in isn't a big deal. A dab of bedding material an inch or so in from the end of the forstock is all that's necessary. Don't forget the release agent.
If you do try it, you might as well bed the receiver at the same time.

 

[mike shickele]

Rugers don't float, they sink like a stone! coulden't help myself.
Mike

 

[Jordan Smith]

Floating a barrel on any rifle gives no guarantee of improved accuracy. Some rifles just don't like it. The only way to find out if your's does like it is to try it.
If accuracy doesn't improve or gets worse, putting the pressure point back in isn't a big deal. A dab of bedding material an inch or so in from the end of the forstock is all that's necessary. Don't forget the release agent.
If you do try it, you might as well bed the receiver at the same time.

That's completely true, but as a general trend, it is common for Rugers to shoot better with the barrel floated. This is based on the experience of myself, the gun writer John Barsness, and several other hunter/shooters who have owned many, many Ruger bolt guns.

 

[WhelanLad]

Yeah im aware of how some like an some dont like beign floated, at first i wasnt too worried as its for big deer an shot reasonable enough.
But after floating the barrel i've had good success in landing bullets closer to aim point each shot, where as before it was a little eradict but within 3" circle, the forearm was touchin the right side of the barrel so i removed that an seems to b great.

I was readin some internet discussions an opened this discusion to see who had floated thiers due to the need or just because.

I had to do it to my Rem700 sps an that improved it alot also.

cheers WL