Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Gunsmithing Benefit to Free Floating Pre 64 Win 70?

Has anyone free floated a pre 64 Win 70 Featherweight? Is there any downside to doing this? Thanks

Does it not shoot right? My brother tightened up his groups in his 30/06 by a good barrel cleaning to get all the copper out that the previous owner had left in. It took a while but did wonders. I have a .243 whose previous owner had already free-floated. It is deadly accurate. Assuming the stock is still as it came from the factory, I wouldn't start carving on the stock unless I had exhausted all other means of getting it to shoot right. I would probably even try a new stock before I messed with the old one.

For hunting it shoots very well, 1.5" 3 shot groups or slightly better at 100yds)but I want to use it for silhouette matches and looking for a little better performance. Ordinarily I would not touch a pre 64 stock but a previous owner put a recoil pad on it so it has already been "messed" with. Since it isn't original because of the pad I though I would try free floating to get a little more accuracy out of it rather than buy an expensive replacement stock to accomplish the same. The reason I suspect the stock is affecting accuracy is that the first two shots are always 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch and then the third opens up considerably more, 4th a bit worse, etc.

The most accurate factory rifle I've ever had is a pre '64 M70 in '06, made in '51. When I first got it the point of impact would change virtually every time I went out and the groups weren't great. I free floated it, sealed the barrel channel where the wood had been removed and that rifle has held zero for 40 or more years. I have a target with 20 rounds into 5/8". As I remember, the POI changed considerable when I did it. I wouldn't have a rifle with a wood stock that wasn't free floated.

If it has already been "messed with" then have at it. Free floating generally has helped my rifles a great deal.

I have a .270 pre 64 in a featherweight. The stock had a recoil pad put on by the previous owner and the stock had been refinished. The rifle is more of a hunter than a collector piece. At any rate, I free floated the barrel and glass bedded the action. It shoots very well, however I didn't shoot it before the bedding and free floating.....The free floating gives me confidence that zero won't change with moisture variations.

Ed

Contrary to popular opinion, I'd full length bed the barrel on a lightweight...

ETA: For over 50 years I've read this chit that if you full length bed in a wood stock, your gun is gonna shift POI as it warps....& I'm calling bullshitt on that theory...I have a model 700 in 7mm mag (ADL) that the barrel has rested in for over 30 years with absolutely no bedding what so ever .5 moa with either 140 partitions or corelokts... the barrel has been resting in this stock for an awfully long time with absolutely NO change in POI...fast forward to now...just last weekend I took a Kimber 84 up to the hills to see if the transgressions I'd made to the stock, made ANY difference at all...it had been shooting 75 gr. V-maxs into under .75 MOA for three magazines full but...a three shot string with two different bullets...80 gr TTSX & 85 gr. TSX which had been printing 3-4 inch groups was now competing with the varmint load...& I might add to the same POI...a sample of one to be sure & in no way am I suggesting you bed the barrel, BUT you could certainly do worse..as it sits, I just picked up another Kimber 84 in .257 Roberts from lubbockdave & from the results of the first loads it looks as though I may not have to "bed" this one..OTOH, the jury is still out & if I can't get the 80 & 100 TSX's to group to the same poi, chances are that this POS Kimber will get the bedding job too....Melvin Forbes might be on to something....

Had the same exact thing going on with mine, except it is a standard 06. My stock is pillar bedded, glass bedded under the chamber +first 1-2 inches and free floated the rest of the way out (forend screw doesn't make contact with barrel either). It shoots like a dream and doesn't change POI.

YOu're going to use a Featherweight as a silohette gun? I'm guessing 40 shots through that light barrel will just about be glowing red! If you want to shoot this game sell the M70 and use the money to buy a gun designed for the game. At least that's my opinion.

My primary hunting rifle is a pre 64 Win 70 Fwt in 30-06. The stock had a pad on it when I bought it. I glass bedded the action and 1 inch of barrel and floated the rest. The gun typically clover leafs 3 shots. It is hot after that and not too thrilling group-wise. A Fwt makes a good hunting rifle but I wouldn't take it to a high volume shooting match.

Reelman, you are right, ordinarily I would not use my featherweight for an official silhouettes match! But a bunch of us shoot regular hunting rifles occasionally just for fun and to change things up. Doesn't make it easier, just different. We usually just shoot ten rounds at a time. The barrels do warm up but the pre 64 barrel isn't the pencil thin barrel on featherweights today. It's a standard weight cut to 22 inches. Thanks all for your comments.