Great thread Dave! But don't DO what I did right before a hunt start messing around. I got a m77 hawkeye SS last augast in 358 win for october moose hunt. Opened the box from the mail and ouch that barrel channel looked full of contact. I had been waiting awhile so I had lots of ammo loaded up! First handloads I tried were good around 1 to 2"s a couple with the first two touching. You would think I could leave it alone. Well I had a few cold ones after a long hot day at work and broke out the sand papper! Darn it free floated barrel gotta be better right? Well not sure yet, see the plastic stock wants to spring up and make contact it's obviously designed to do so and is very annoying. The forend is to flimsy and easy to twist. I tried shimming with buisness cards at the range. POA moved up about 8" and groups started off good but under recoil (250gr @ 2350 fps)the shim would move after a couple of rounds. ( should have tried tape ). So confidence was shaky I did manange 3" 200yd group but would it be consistant??
The other day I made a little pad at the forend with plastic weld epoxy from napa.( should be easy to sand out if I don't like it) I thought at least I can see how consistant a little upward pressure is. I've spent to much time looking at Boyd's web site I like that salt 'n' pep look with stainless. Might go this way down the road but I don't really want to add any weight, this is a walkin' roamin' the bush gun.
You would think I would learn form the past I did the same think to a rem 700 SS but managed to remove enough material to get it floated. It shoots good now but if you give the butt of the stock a bump the forend rattles off the barrel(VERY FRUSTRATING). If I forget my buck grunt call I might be o.k with the sound it produces. LOL! Gotta go babbies up agian.
THANKS for the demo and info will be bedding some guns soon with it. AND BEST OF WITH LUCK ROLLIN' YOUR OWN IT'S A BLAST!! I know bad pun
