Remington 700 sps 243 barrel pressure bedding.

[Redgum]

The remington 700 sps synthetic foreend has lugs at the end, quessing this is barrel pressure bedding. Now I know the stock isnt the best of qualities but has anyone floated the barrel on the 243 or is it best left alone. I have plans to get hold of a secondhand wooden stock( apparently they are cheapish) and use that as a bedding project as I do like the feel of wood.

[6br]

Hi there a free floating barrel will shoot better then a rifle with pressure bedding in the fore end of the stock.

[Redgum]

I have heard that some have removed the pressure points to float the barrel only to find the accuracy gets worse, has anyone with the sps stock done it with good results.

[Dekers]

I think you either get lucky or...... with the SPS.

 

The stock is not great thats for sure, mine is in .308 so a bit of grunt, it works, even with PRVI it manages 1".

 

Some are not so fortunate!

[Redgum]

Just read on another site that a chap was getting good groups with the standard sps stock, he experimented by jacking up the barrel and effectively floating it with a curved washer to see what happened. Accuracy decrease dramatically and his reasoning was that the synthetic stock is not strong or rigid enought to support the action to float the barrell thus remington putting in the pressure points at the end of the forend. Apparently many target rifles have pressure bedded barrels in some form.

I will work on my homeloads and see how good it gets and there is always the option of an hs stock in the future. I'm still getting used to the gun after using rimmies so I have some improvement to go to.

[swift4me]

I'd say you just have to try it to see. If you are going to restock it anyway, you could get rid of the contact points and do a good bedding job near the recoil lug and front of the receiver, and you'll know. I've bedded a few of those stocks on the SPS.

 

I don't know if the guy you mentioned who "jacked up" his barrel, really could call it a fair experiment. A good bedding job is very different than a quick shim job with a curved washer.

 

I agree that not every free floated barrel is better. If you are going to have contact though, I'd rather have it in a synthetic than wood, even though I love making wood stocks.

 

Pete

 

Just read on another site that a chap was getting good groups with the standard sps stock, he experimented by jacking up the barrel and effectively floating it with a curved washer to see what happened. Accuracy decrease dramatically and his reasoning was that the synthetic stock is not strong or rigid enought to support the action to float the barrell thus remington putting in the pressure points at the end of the forend. Apparently many target rifles have pressure bedded barrels in some form.

I will work on my homeloads and see how good it gets and there is always the option of an hs stock in the future. I'm still getting used to the gun after using rimmies so I have some improvement to go to.

[CharlieT]

The question is does it shoot adequately as it is now. If so leave it alone. If it shoots 1 moa or just under then I would not touch it.

 

However if the groups are worse then 1moa then it would be worth trying a group or two with packing under the action by the front action screw to see if this improved things before you took the fatal step and did away with the pressure points.

 

The stock on the sps is it's downfall and swapping the barreled action into something like a Hogue or B&C stock with a full bedding block will improve accuracy by 30% which is probably the way to go if accuracy on yours leaves much to be desired.

 

However if your groups are acceptable leave it alone, as removing the pressure points could have the reverse effect. Remember what you are after is consistent harmonics which these pressure points will, to some degree, give whereas by removing them you will end up with an even more flexible stock which can cause all sorts of problems.

[al4x]

I have to say mine came with a hogue stock and seems to shoot rather nicely, Personally if it shoots ok for you then fine but if you're reloading for it and trying for a very accurate gun then junk the stock it will make a difference.