Worth attempting to free float?

IAMAWILDPARTY

IAMAWILDPARTY

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I have a Mossberg 4x4 in .30-06 ( http://eastcoastgunsales.com/admin/_ImageUploads/Product%20Images/8767.jpg ) and don't really expect to make shots out much further than 100 yards.

Yesterday I was cleaning in preparation for any chance I might get to shoot when I go fishing this weeked. I noticed that the barrel actually touches the stock near the front end on the right. I touches in this spot and no where else as far as I could tell by sliding paper between stock and barrel.

Is it worth sanding it down or with the kinds of ranges I expect, is it not worth the hassle / risk of causing aesthetic or functional damage? (I'm dealing with what I believe is injection molded plastic).

And let me make some of the 'helpful' comments I expect for you.

"Your plastic gun already looks like crap!":D

"Don't buy a Mossberg rifle!":HR:

It was my first gun purchase last summer and I liked the price and liked the look. I still like the look and weight of it, nice for carrying around.
 
I agree with Hakx, its hard to say whether its detrimental or beneficial until you test it both way. I wouldn't bother removing the contact point unless it doesn't shoot satisfactorily. Sometimes contact actually helps, as long as the stock is dimensionally stable (from both humidy, temperature and your physical influence on it).
 
Some synthetic stocks are temperature sensitive and if the force of the contact varies significantly it could cause your shots to move.

Since you don't seem comfortable with working the stock I'd go with the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" suggestions presented, but to confirm that everything will continue to work fine I'd fire some "one shot" groups. Fire a single shot on a target now, when temperatures are cool. Save the target and take another shot at it in late June or July when things are nice and warm. If the shots are reasonably close together you know you have nothing to worry about.
 
You'll not likely aim at targets beyond 100m, according to you, so if you're planning to shoot a deer, as long as it shoots groups of about 4" at 100 yards, then you're fine. I doubt the contact point will cause your groups to be worse than 4" at 100 yards. So you're fine to leave it as is to keep the rifle within your expected accuracy needs.
 
i bought a Mossberg 4x4 in .270win...it was a real nice shooting rifle, right out of the box after a little practice i managed a 3" circle out to 200 yds...the only thing i did not like was the small bolt knob. Why only 100 yds...that statement makes no sense and it reflects on your skill level in a unflattering way, practice, practice, practice. Its a 200/300 yd rifle at least, give the gun a chance to prove itself of sell it. It was my first bolt action and for a first gun you could certainly do a lot worse.
 
hakx said:
Shot it first. You may not have to do a thing.
Click to expand...

+1 - Cabelas sells little rubber kong-like things to slide over the muzzle to dampen vibrations. You never know what performance you're going to get until you try it. You might find that sanding back the stock actually encourages a harmonic vibration, or who-knows-what.

Shoot first, ask questions later. (Hey, that advice finally found a home!)
 
polaris rider said:
i bought a Mossberg 4x4 in .270win...it was a real nice shooting rifle, right out of the box after a little practice i managed a 3" circle out to 200 yds...the only thing i did not like was the small bolt knob. Why only 100 yds...that statement makes no sense and it reflects on your skill level in a unflattering way, practice, practice, practice. Its a 200/300 yd rifle at least, give the gun a chance to prove itself of sell it. It was my first bolt action and for a first gun you could certainly do a lot worse.
Click to expand...

100 Yards was what I was told to expect by the people I'd likely be hunting with, and they generally set up their rifles for about that range for moose and deer.

sulisa said:
+1 - Cabelas sells little rubber kong-like things to slide over the muzzle to dampen vibrations. You never know what performance you're going to get until you try it. You might find that sanding back the stock actually encourages a harmonic vibration, or who-knows-what.

Shoot first, ask questions later. (Hey, that advice finally found a home!)
Click to expand...

Lol, I get it, shoot it, see how it groups. I was just curious if I'd get any "YOU NEED TO FREE FLOAT OR YOUR OFFSPRING WILL BEAR THE CURSE OF YOUR FOOLISHNESS FOR THREE GENERATIONS".:stfun00b:
I appreciate the advice. When I took the rifle out last summer with the intentions of sighting it,three out of five shots misfired. It was under warranty and hopefully the new bolt will work out this time.
 
IAMAWILDPARTY said:
"YOU NEED TO FREE FLOAT OR YOUR OFFSPRING WILL BEAR THE CURSE OF YOUR FOOLISHNESS FOR THREE GENERATIONS"
Click to expand...

Ooh, I like that one... Over in the Service Rifle forum, they say "do it or your ##### will fall off", but this one has a ring of biblical curse to it!

If you remove the stock, and you find out it only took a couple long screws from the bottom, through the stock into the receiver, then it's probably a great candidate for free-floating, if you find the grouping isn't as tight as you want it. There are lots of other factors to worry about in the meantime - buying good quality ammo, or hand-loading consistent rounds. Ladder testing, and adjusting powder to see if you can find a sweet spot that will give minimal vertical variations, etc.

Making a shooter and rifle more accurate is a slippery slope - I'm still sliding down, but I can still see daylight behind/above me - some of the guys on the Precision forum are waiting to hit rock bottom.
 
oh ripper apart its always fun . may as well free float it. it takes all of 10 min and its just one headache you wont have to worry about. since it isn't dead center that would giveme another reason to free float it could throw shots high and left as your barrel warms up while shooting or on a hot august . if can't hurt. as for those rubber cabelas things. it made my gun string its shots no matter where i put it. it when into the junk pile along with lures that don't work.
 
Well - This isnt a factory designed pressure point. It isnt major surgery to remove the contact point - I'd go for it. However, I dont think I'd bother doing anything beyond that.
Sight it in a couple of inches high at 100y - that way you can easily reach out and touch to 200 Y without any holdover.
 
polaris rider said:
i bought a Mossberg 4x4 in .270win...it was a real nice shooting rifle, right out of the box after a little practice i managed a 3" circle out to 200 yds...the only thing i did not like was the small bolt knob. Why only 100 yds...that statement makes no sense and it reflects on your skill level in a unflattering way, practice, practice, practice. Its a 200/300 yd rifle at least, give the gun a chance to prove itself of sell it. It was my first bolt action and for a first gun you could certainly do a lot worse.
Click to expand...

If he can get wiyhin a hundred yards of a deer consisently, that reflects pretty good on him as a hunter!
 
Hah, took it to a range today, pile of junk misfires more often than not. Remington Core Lokts. Shot fine out of my dad's friends rifle.

At least I don't have to think about free floating.

Going to try to return the thing.

Maybe get a Remington.

At least the shotgun works well.
 
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