[quote=jk16]Dick,
For over 30 years , I owned No 1s I have done pretty much what John B has done . I have both used pressure points and a total free float. Never had a No 1 that was not a solid MOA or less shooter with handloads.I have had a few in Varmint calibers that averaged closer to 1/2 MOA.
The basics of tweeking the barrel bedding are the same as a bolt gun once you solidly glass bed the forend to the three contact points on the forend hanger.
Once that is done, if you insist on a bedding pad then, you need to make sure the back edge is not touching the action to prevent any fore and aft binding as John mentions .
If you free float the barrel to not contact the hanger or forend ,the contact of the forend and action at the rear becomes moot ...
The only other issue with Number Ones can be binding between the factory quarter rib recoil studs in the as the barrel heats .That is not going to be an issue due to your scope and mount setup on your .222
IMHO, since your new triple Duece is going to be an target gun ,I would think very strongly about neatly free floating that barrel. Let your handloads fine tune the groups. Leave that forend out of the equation and treat it like a real benchrest rifle. I bet it'll shoot like one;)
I've done this so far exactly as I would any other custom rifle. The fore end is inletted very tight. I will shoot it exactly as is and hope for the best. Making many modifications will be complicated with the escutcheon and all.
However, it is meant to shoot in matches and I'm guessing that I will end up doing exactly as you say.
When I started I wanted a match rifle that was more elegant than most BR guns. They tend to be long on accuracy and short on elegant. I'm anticipating a lot of very careful work to actually make this shoot the way it did in the pattern stocks whilst retaining my version of elegant.
When I test fired it I got a group in the low 1's at 50 yds. and one that was about 3/8" at 100 yds. I know it would shoot then... we'll see how it does in the new stocks. I'm totally ready with my loading bench all set up and 100 neck turned and primed Lapua match cases just waiting for a gun.
