Pressure Pad Question

[Jmurman]

I am almost finished with me Rem 700 stock refinish project.

I glas bed'd the front lug area and the rear receiver area. I hogged out the barrel channel to free float the barrel and then stripped and refinished the stock.

I have heard that in some cases free floating the barrel can have a less that desirable effect on accuracy, and that putting in a pressure pad towards the front of the stock will do this.

So, IF that is the case, and I won't know until I get everything put back together and test fired...how would you suggest I do a pressure pad?

I was thinking about a 1/2" to 3/4" of acra glas as a pressure pad.

Any suggestions?

[Alangaq]

I am an all wood kind of guy, but I suspect the following procedure will work fine for synthetic stocks also, if that is what you happen to be working with.

What I did, was to remove quite a bit of stock material (wood in my case) in the barrel channel for the bedding material. I then taped the barrel forward of the chamber section and recoil lug with several layers of smooth tape (about .025 thickness). I then bedded the entire stock from recoil lug forward. This is not necessary if you are free floating the barrel but since I have a wood stock, I use the bedding material as a weather barrier and also to assist in maintaining dimensional stability of the stock (I also bedded in a aluminum beam the length of the barrel channel) and also because it just looks more professional that way. Once this is done and you remove the barreled action from the stock and take the tape off, you will note after reassembly that your barrel is now free floated! If you want to experiment with tensioning the barrel you can simply apply self adhesive rubber buttons in the front portion of the stock (cork also works fine) to apply some upward pressure on the barrel. All of my rifles seem to prefer free floating and didn’t respond well to tensioning, but I think it is pretty much luck of the draw if you know what I mean.

Hope that helps.

[Alangaq]

I guess I should add that it is easy enough to determine if your gun likes pressure on the barrel simply by tearing off a corner of a paper target and folding it up a few times until you can just barely jam it into the forward part of the barrel channel and then shoot a couple more groups. Remember that it aint rocket science… pretty much anything that puts pressure on that barrel will change up the harmonics. It will either like it or not, and the groups will let you know!

[bandhmo]

After free floating and glass bedding my 22 I shot very bad. I added a pressure pad near the front and that really helped. I made clay dams for the glass at the front of the stock and at the back of the planed pressure pad. I then placed the action in the stock but only started the screws. I supported the buttstock and the barrel in cardboard boxes with the rifle bridging a gap between two tables. I then hung about 5 lbs of weight (5 lb sack of onions) from the front sling swivel and tightened the action screws. This pulled the barrel down into the clay dams while springing the action and stock with the weight. I poured the glass into the gap between barrel and stock but only from one side so that air bubbles could work them selves out the other. I figure this leaves about 5 lbs of upward pressure on the barrel. It shot much better after this.

[Nitroman]

I am almost finished with me Rem 700 stock refinish project.

I glas bed'd the front lug area and the rear receiver area. I hogged out the barrel channel to free float the barrel and then stripped and refinished the stock.

I have heard that in some cases free floating the barrel can have a less that desirable effect on accuracy, and that putting in a pressure pad towards the front of the stock will do this.

So, IF that is the case, and I won't know until I get everything put back together and test fired...how would you suggest I do a pressure pad?

I was thinking about a 1/2" to 3/4" of acra glas as a pressure pad.

Any suggestions?

Ask yourself why target rifles all have free-floated barrels.