Free float or not?

Kilo Charlie

Kilo Charlie

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Location
Yellowknife, NWT
I have a finnicky Model 70 Featherweight. It's got a pressure point an inch from the forearm tip. It will usually shoot 2 shots almost touching; then the barrel warms and POI shifts to the left about 4 inches, and may drop or raise. I think bedding has always been a problem for this rifle. When I bought it used, it shot 6" groups. I pulled the action and found that the previous owner had shimmed the action. Removal of the shim helped, but this summer the POI problem surfaced. And to make things worse, when I went to the range this morning the rifle was barely on the paper. I adjusted the scope to compensate, but I bet I'll be way off on my next range session.
My only other CF bolt rifle is an A-Bolt, which is factory free-floated, and is consistently accurate. So I sanded the pressure point out of the Winnie's forend. First I checked it with a slip of paper and discovered that it was tighter on the right side of the barrel. I've heard that generally, lightweight barrels do better with a pressure point. True? Just wanna see if I'm on the right track. I suppose if it will still not group well, I'll rebed the forend, but a bit more carefully than the previous owner.
 
Kilo Charlie said:
. First I checked it with a slip of paper and discovered that it was tighter on the right side of the barrel. I've heard that generally, lightweight barrels do better with a pressure point. True? Just wanna see if I'm on the right track. I suppose if it will still not group well, I'll rebed the forend, but a bit more carefully than the previous owner.
Click to expand...

I bet that is your problem right there. 2 shots, barrel heats up, moves a little and contacts the tight right hand side, sending the3rd bullet out to the left. :D

Pressure points are put in to give all 'average' barrels a chance of shooting 'somewhat' consistently, as opposed to free floating whick generally makes a good barrle shot better.

The only thinkg to do is try it free floated and then shim the barrel as necessary, if it is necessary. :D
 
if the receiver isn't bedded, you will end up chasing your tail playing with forend pressure.

I would get it professionally bedded, and make sure that the gunsmith knows that the barrel is 'leaning' to one side, as it is easy to correst this while bedding the receiver.

once that is done, then you can free float the barrel, and then experiment with forend pressure. don't forget to seal the sanded out barrel channel
 
Thanks for the input. The stock appears to have dabs of bedding compound around the tang and recoil lug, possibly this was done at the factory????
Anyway, the Tru-Oil's dried and the barrel's nicely floated. Unfortunately I don't know when I'll have a chance to get to the range to test it. May hafta wait 'til after deer season. I suspect that Stittsville range is going to get mighty busy with Eastern Ontario's deer season getting close.
 
"...done at the factory????..." Nope.
"...dabs of bedding compound around the tang and recoil lug..." I wonder if a previous owner tried to bed it and didn't do it properly. Is the action loose at all in the stock?
 
The dabs of bedding could be hot glue, that they applied at the factory. Apparently smooshing the barreled actions into a bit of hot glue is all the rage these days with some factory rifles.

Apparently the Win Feathelight is one of these rifles that gets this tretment, so maybe that is it.
 
Kilo Charlie said:
Thanks for the input. The stock appears to have dabs of bedding compound around the tang and recoil lug, possibly this was done at the factory????
Anyway, the Tru-Oil's dried and the barrel's nicely floated. Unfortunately I don't know when I'll have a chance to get to the range to test it. May hafta wait 'til after deer season. I suspect that Stittsville range is going to get mighty busy with Eastern Ontario's deer season getting close.
Click to expand...
.

The Winchesters have had theis hot melt crap for quite a while.
The best thing I have found from experience with a dozen or so of them is to
take it out and properly bed the action.
Cat
 
This calls for some Pillar bedding then glass bed the action and barrel. Free float the barrel 2" down from the recoil lug or.....

Rebarrel it or.......

Sell it!

:D

At any rate I hope you get it fiqured out, i hate it when I have an accuracy problem. It's bad enough dealing with my inability to shoot! :lol:
 
mod 70 featherweight

I have the same rifle with the same problems. I bought it new and the "hot meltie crap" is factory. I re stocked it to synthetic i hunt in the rain a lot here on the coast it can't be helped (it was stainless/wood) and free floated it. when cold the first shot is exactly dead centre (it always was) After that when the barrel is warm/hot it gets worse but is still perfectly adequate for hunting. I think it is the thin barrel. The rifle is great for carrying around and making on to two shot kills while hunting but it is not a consistent tack driver for extended shooting. I guess it is good for what it is designed for it's a hunting rifle and not a precision rifle. I agree that it sucks that it isn't both but it gets the job done every time i see legal game so i won't abandon it.

good luck with it.
 
rgv said:
if the receiver isn't bedded, you will end up chasing your tail playing with forend pressure.

I would get it professionally bedded, and make sure that the gunsmith knows that the barrel is 'leaning' to one side, as it is easy to correst this while bedding the receiver.

once that is done, then you can free float the barrel, and then experiment with forend pressure. don't forget to seal the sanded out barrel channel
Click to expand...

yes, and while your at it put a good fiberglas stock on it and your're done. A wooden stock can still move after it is bedded, according to my gunsmith who builds sniper rifles. His will put 5 shots almost in one hole. .308 @ 100 yds.
 
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