Fore end on my rifle too tight. Can I plane it?

[Michael Bush]

>OK all I'm considering is a new barrel (not rechambering). Love the .30-06 cartridge for my uses. I'm confused now... can't the barrel just be swapped out and the existing chamber left unmolested?

The chamber is in the barrel, but you can certainly buy a .30-06 barrel. The gunsmith will have to ream it the rest of the way to set the headspace to match your gun.

[Kingfisher Apiaries]

OK stand corrected. I was always under the impression that there was a huge difference between .308 and 30-06...guess i was wrong.

mike

[Apiator]

@ the OP:

I helped a friend out with a Model 700 in 7mm that had the same problem -- part of the forend touching the barrel. The first few rounds would be on target, then as the barrel warmed up, it would start shooting wild, making dialing in the scope about impossible.

I was told that this is so common with 700s... because they are made that way on purpose. They are not supposed to be free-floating from the factory. Why they make them this way is beyond me, but they do, and it always causes the same problem. I guess they figure you aren't going deer hunting with a warm barrel.

Anyway, the accuracy problem is improved immensely by free-floating, which is as simple as it sounds -- just remove some material until no part of the forend is touching the barrel, and check that with the stock resting on something so as to replicate any possible movement from using a bench rest or firing offhand.

It won't ever be a tack driver (buy a better rifle if you want that), but those 3-4 MOA groups you get will be a bit more consistent. No more flyers.

[Ben Brewcat]

Well, that's something I probably should have shared: I do hunt with a bipod, so I'm as apt to take a bipod shot as I am a over-branch/backpack/rock shot. Rarely offhand. I understand (well, I'm LED to understand, can't say I really get why) that some rifles shoot differently, different POI, off a bipod than they do offhand. I would think floating the sucker would do it, but I also read that on the non-bull barrels, those little "lifter" buttons that are in the end of the stock of so many production rifles help stabilize the barrel's harmonics and thus accuracy. That's different of course than the fore end pinch I'm getting.

Float it and get it off those stabilizer buttons?

[FarmerJ]

remington went in and did both free-float and pressure bedding on their rifles.

If it was pressure bedded, it may be that it is poorly done and that is why you have some bad accuracy.

Before you go free-floating the entire thing, stick a business card or a match book cover under the front of the handguard first.

It may help more than you think.

Some additional information that does a much better explanation of it than I care to write at the moment.
http://hunting.about.com/cs/guns/a/float_bed.htm

[danno]

When you fire a round although you cant see it the barrel actually whips. If after doing this it returns to the same resting spot on the stock, it will be reasonabily accurate. After a few shot the metal expands and most likely it will change. This is what glass bedding and free floating is all about. Glass bedding makes the action fit like a glove and floating lets the barrel whip and return to the orginal spot. Factory mass produced stocks are milled out very sloppy. After every shot the action is siting in a differant position. This bring up another point about shooting. Never shoot with the barrel resting on a branch or shooting sticks. Rest the rifle on the end of the shock.

[Kingfisher Apiaries]

base dia of 30-06 .471
rim dia of 30-06 .473

base dia of 308 .4709
rim dia of 308 .4728

"Huge difference" Sorry I dont like to squable on her but they are not

Hey I had a thought come to me yesterday when I was thinking about guns. I remember the reason you cannot switch. ONE IS A SHORT ACTION ROUND, THE OTHER IS A LONG ACTION. You won't find a gunsmith to do something so crazy
mike

[Michael Bush]

You can put a .308 barrel on a long action .30-06 and it will work fine (some wasted bolt throw) but you can't put .30-06 barrel on a .308 because of the short throw of the bolt and the short magazine.

[KelpticFest]

Sheesh. If you want to get rid of a queen, let the other bees do it. No need to take a deer rifle to her.