Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Savage Collectors Savage 99 cd series A forend keeps coming loose

Another trick, common in the world of vintage single shot benchrest competition, is to rest the naked barrel on its nodal point. To find the spot hold the gun upside down with the forearm off and ring the barrel with a hard stick or small hammer, like ringing a chime. Move up and down the barrel until you find the spot where you get a dull "thunk" instead of a "ring" and mark it - that's your nodal point, and it's usually found fairly close to the muzzle. Rest the muzzle right there when shooting. Not saying it's better than resting a 99 on its receiver just different, and may surprise you. (I shoot all of my heavy long barreled single shots in competition this way, as do a lot of my competitors. On two .32-40's the spot is 6" and 6 1/2" back from the muzzle, and my BSA Martini International .22 the spot is 7" back from the muzzle.)

Not entirely germane to the discussion, but here's a pic of my Pope-style machine rest used for load development. You can see where the barrel sled is clamped on right at the barrel's nodal point. The difference in accuracy if the sled is attached anywhere else is startling, and accuracy difference - with my barrel and load - from shooting it resting on its forearm is obvious also.