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Free Floating a Barrel

glockman40sw
I have a Ruger model 77/22 in 22 hornet caliber. It started stringing shots after the fifth shot and does it everytime. The group for the first five shots is in the bull, but the following shots are in a 45 degree angle about one inch apart.I checked everything and I found that my stock is tight against my barrel. I tried passing a dollar bill between the forearm and barrel and it won't even start to go. I was wondering if anyone could make any recommendations as to what I should do about relieving the stock pressure? I thought about using a dowel rod and sandpaper to remove some of the wood in the forearm, but what should I do about sealing it if the dowel rod is the right way to go? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!
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3 comments

Date Votes
  • Hawkshaw
    Hello Glockman
    Using a dowel, or several different sizes is a good way to go. Just go slowly and try to remove material evenly. Make sure that the metal is where it should be when you check on your progress. Finish sand with 320-400 wt. paper. Then seal with 3-4 coats of Tru Oil, or something similar, sanding lightly between coats. Good luck HAWKSHAW
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  • RCrosby
    You might try putting a shim at the foreend tip before you start removing wood; something between a piece of oak tag and a matchbook cover.
    If that doesn't do it, coat the barrel with black shoe polish or inletting black and start by cutting down the high points. Play with those two ideas and finally, if nothing else has worked, free float the whole barrel. I've had good luck glass bedding the first 2 to 3 inches of the barrel and putting a single strip of duct tape on the barrel from there out to the end. Glass bed the whole channel, dont be stingy with the release agent, and after the bedding sets, remove the tape. Your barrel channel is sealed and it should look good as well.
    Best of luck.
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  • tsr1965
    glockman40sw,

    If you want to turn that ruger 77/22H into a tack driver, get prepared to do more than free float the barrel. I have done several 77/22's, 77/22M's, and 77/22H's. They need a solid launching platform, which means pillars in the stock fore and aft, free floating, trigger job, and shimming the bolt. Also, sometimes conditioning the barrel helps even further. I also rely on a load of 40 grain v-max or ballistic tip, on top of H-110. Some of the items listed like the trigger, pillers, shimming the bolt, and barrel conditioning are not for the amature, but are essential.

    Best
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