I have a JAE and I'm still trying to tweak in the barrel tension. I have also proven and verified that too tight is surely no good.
The hard part is really in knowing at what point the barrel is making contact. I have recently started using a dial indicator and magnetic base to determine how much tension is being applied. I stick the magnetic base on the gas tube and the indicator on the bottom of the forend. If I pull up on the barrel and down on the stock and the needle moves, then I know I am not making contact and how much space there is. Then I adjust and shoot with different values and try to determine what works best. In my rifle it shoots best when just barely touching.
I do believe however that the barrel can be prevented from resting in its natural position and begins to shoot left or right if tension is too high, but still to a lesser degree even with light tension. I now make a point to grease the contact areas to help it slide and rest naturally.
The hard part is really in knowing at what point the barrel is making contact. I have recently started using a dial indicator and magnetic base to determine how much tension is being applied. I stick the magnetic base on the gas tube and the indicator on the bottom of the forend. If I pull up on the barrel and down on the stock and the needle moves, then I know I am not making contact and how much space there is. Then I adjust and shoot with different values and try to determine what works best. In my rifle it shoots best when just barely touching.
I do believe however that the barrel can be prevented from resting in its natural position and begins to shoot left or right if tension is too high, but still to a lesser degree even with light tension. I now make a point to grease the contact areas to help it slide and rest naturally.
