Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters JB,question on Vanguard stock

I bought one of the Brownells sale 6MM CM barreled actions.I dropped it into a Vanguard stock.The barrel touches all the way around.Groups are about 1" to 1 1/2" with 112 grain Barnes bullets.Do you usually need to free float and bed these actions and barrels?Thanks ahead ,Huntz

I have the same package. Haven’t shot it yet. IIRC, MD says actions with the front screw threaded into the recoil lug may benefit from bedding the chamber area of the barrel, floating the rest. Shouldn’t have to worry about that beefy stock slapping against the barrel.

FWIW, my .243 Alpine and 6.5 Grendel Mini shoot better than you describe as-is. Maybe your load needs tweaking a bit. Hard to make assessments on a new rifle with just one load.

Huntz,

You don't say whether the Vanguard stock is wood, injection-molded or whatever. A lot depends on that.

I have a griptonite plastic stock. What would you recommend with it? I read your older post that suggested bedding a bit under the chamber to prevent flexing when torquing the front action screw. Would adding pillars be of benefit as well? Sorry if this is a hijack. Hopefully the op has the same stock.....

Pillars don't help all that much when the action-screw areas are solid material, whether wood or synthetic.

I picked up the same barrelled action and an injection molded vanguard stock and I'm in the same boat as huntz.

Mine is shooting about 1.5" groups, mainly because of flyers. I'm planning on trying a shim to float it and see if it settles down any

Being 69 years old I remember when if you had a rifle that would shoot 1.5" group you would cherish it and go forth and kill game. Today we, and I include myself in that we, think that 1.5" is not nearly good enough and must tinker with the rifle because we just know it will do better.

My dad would be laughing at us for messing with a 1.5" rifle.

It is the synthetic stock that Vanguards come with.I guess injected.I actually like it as it is very comfortable for me to shoot.

I called up WB,They said it will shoot better not floated.

That's what they say about all their stocks--but my experience is most shoot better floated.

My Weatherby ultra light Mark v ( same type of bedding system as Howa) shot decent with fore end pressure. It shot better free floated.

My vote is to free float.

agreed.

Here is what I do. wrap at least three layers of electrical tape around the barrel starting about two inches from the action. Then glass bed the front action ring and recoil lug and the first two inches of the barrel. This should leave the entire barrel (except the first two inches) free floating once the electrical tape is removed. Take the gun to the range to see if accuracy has improved. Electrical tape is .006 thick.

I know MD believes this is not enough free floating clearance but it has worked quite well for me. If it fails to offer you significantly better accuracy merely remove the bedding material and you're back to where you started.

So, I bedded the lug and couple inches of barrel under the chamber and floated the rest. Shooting federal premium target with bergers, I only got about 1.5 inch groups. Decided to try some Hornady 105 bthp. And this was the next 3 shots. It's only a 3 shot group I know. I used the next 2 to zero. I'm happy with it. Thanks for the advice Mule Deer!