Getting better accuracy: free floated barrel or a fore end pressure point

[LarryG]

My .22's are mostly sporters, with one exception a 10/22 HB.
I have always assumed that the best way to accurize a .22 was to confirm no contact between the barrel and stock and then add a pressure point near the end of the fore end channel. Overall, this has worked well for me. Now I have few refinishing projects in the wings.

Therefore, I am curious to hear comments from those who have experimented with fore end pressure versus completely free floating the barrel, as far as accuracy and repeatability.

Comments?

 

[Glock4ever]

Freefloating a barrel is considered to be better for rifles because you don't have to worry about point of impact shifts with weather changes/resting the rifle and other factors where the barrel may make contact with external forces. That being said sporter barrels tend to shoot better with a pressure pad on the front of the stock - so it really depends on which is more important to you - the group sizes or if the shots always impact on the point of aim. If you have time I would just recommend putting the pressure pad in and shoot some groups, experiment with loads, and see if there is any significant changes to the POI. If there are then remove the pad and repeat. It is much easier to remove the pressure pad then to put one in...

 

[22lr]

if you have a luxury of sighting on a day of shooting then pressure point works ok. Even bull barrel when connected to receiver as poorly as in case of 10/22 doesn't always produce best groups. You have to make sure scope form one solid piece with the barrel one way or another.

Speaking of absolutely best results I say it is better to glue/monolith barrel into the stock, free-float the receiver and use canteliever scope mount. I did that with Savage 64 and it shoot now every bit as accurate as any other target gun.

 

[LarryG]

Thanks Glock4ever for clarifying the advantages of free floating. Sounds like the pressure point is better for my sporters.

...
Speaking of absolutely best results I say it is better to glue/monolith barrel into the stock, free-float the receiver and use canteliever scope mount. I did that with Savage 64 and it shoot now every bit as accurate as any other target gun.

Never thought of that, but makes sense. Only problem is cantilever scope mounting on my bolt gun. If the scope stays on the receiver, should the action still be free floated or bedded and glued to the stock, just like the barrel?

The gun in question is a Norinco EM-332.

 

[Grantmac]

Float the barrel and bed the action. Pillars would be best. Bedding the barrel is for rifles with poor receiver to barrel fits such as the 10/22.

How do you like the rifle? Not much info on them and I for one am curious.

-Grant

 

[Levi Garrett]

some sporters in ctr fire shoot better with 4 or so lbs of pressure up towards the forend swivel stud. Like winchester model 70 for example.
The caution , if the wood shifts, the pressure shifts, reason why a floated barrel is choice to remain the same all the time, and depending on quality of barrel , results will show what ya got.

 

[LarryG]

Regarding the EM-332, I am intending to write a more complete review on it when I have the time. I have not yet shot the gun, so I can't comment on accuracy. However, a few comments on what I have seen so far:
-the best part of this gun is the metal work. It is very beefy, pretty well all metal, seems to be all steel. There are some tooling marks, for example, the receiver grooves.
I have not handled/dissassembled an Anschutz 54, but this was not a cheap gun to machine, and can see why others have made that comparison.
-the weak part of this gun is the stock. The Chinese are way behind on stock making, if this is any example. The stain obliterates any natural grain in the wood, it seems like it is softwood like a pine, but it is harder than that. The inletting is tight to the action, but there are indications of chatter where the action area was relieved. The hole for the front swivel stud was not put on the centerline, a little annoying.
The stock design seems to be meant for offhand / silhouette shooting, however, the area of the stock where the shooting hand thumb sits is not right, and needs to have some serious amount of material removed. I expect to be doing that when I refinish the stock. Comparing the stock profile with other sakos and anschutz stocks, it's easy to see the difference.
I did dry fire it (with a spent cartridge), and found it has an excellent, light trigger pull, but lots of overtravel, which may not be a big deal as far as accuracy. Probably, I'll put in a set screw to get rid of that when I work on it in the next few months.