Took the rifle out to the range yesterday and began printing the usual large 2.5" groups, off the soft rest - no matter what I tried - even shooting off the magazine rather than the stock itself. I decided to remove the forend to establish what, if any effect the metal-wood contact was having on the groups. Immediately the group size shrank to a fairly consistent 1.3" - and that with the rifle feeling rather awkward to shoot without it's front wood. I expect that if I could consistently hold/rest the rifle in this configuration, those groups would be smaller again.
Now I am quite happy to have a BLR without front timber to use as my carry-around rifle - the balance suits me and with .223 rifles my grip is normally right back at the trigger-guard anyhow. But it does look a little odd.. and it would be nice to have a functional forend for load-testing and a blue-moon bipod-shot. So I lay awake last night devising a methodology for pillar-bedding the forend. It will be a three-step process that will be a little time consuming, but I figure I have nothing to loose and everything to gain - and if it doesn't work well, too bad.
So I am off today to gather resources. I will post my results over the next week or so if you are interested. After seeing 1.3" groups with a 3-9 scope and hunting-grade ammo and no stock, I think the goal has to be 1" or less with the bedding job and perhaps some more accuracy-focussed loadings. Then I will be a happy lad.
Thanks for your help and encouragement thus far - have a good weekend fellas. I am in New Zealand, so it has already begun for me!
