Free floating

[ivarhusa]

I got to checking my Savage Model 10, and noticed that the stock does make contact with the barrel at the very tip.  This is a plastic stock, and it appears (not having pulled the action off yet) that they cast in considerable relief under the barrel, except they left perhaps deliberate contact at the front end, only the last 1/4" or so.  I am concerned that when I remove plastic, the stock may twist and contact the barrel in other locations along its side.

It would be easy enough to shave that down to get clearance, but are there any good reasons why they design it that way, with contact at the tip?  The plastic stock twists (moves) with respect to the barrel with very modest forces.  It is flexible.  It isn't wood

I read Big10gauge's advice about torquing the attachment bolts properly.  Can do.

Is free floating ill-advised for such stocks?  I am wanting to free float.  Any good reasons not to?  The factory sent me a target with a 0.8" 100yd group from my coyote rifle.  Of course, I aspire to better.

Thoughts?

[atomicjoe23]

I got to checking my Savage Model 10, and noticed that the stock does make contact with the barrel at the very tip.  This is a plastic stock, and it appears (not having pulled the action off yet) that they cast in considerable relief under the barrel, except they left perhaps deliberate contact at the front end, only the last 1/4" or so.  I am concerned that when I remove plastic, the stock may twist and contact the barrel in other locations along its side.

Ivar. . .my new Weatherby Vanguard Varmint Special's stock is the exact same way. . .I thought about free-floating my stock/barrel too, but that was before I shot it. . .now I don't want to mess with it because of how well it shoots!!!

Is free floating ill-advised for such stocks?  I am wanting to free float.  Any good reasons not to?  The factory sent me a target with a 0.8" 100yd group from my coyote rifle.  Of course, I aspire to better.

Thoughts?

What do your groups look like. . .that would be the main thing that I would think about first. . .

. . .My grouping was way better than the factory grouping and I was using "cheap" ammo. . .

. . .for those that asked earlier about what my target grouping was and who didn't see my post on what I ended up with at the range once I got a scope. . .here are the results. . .

. . .the factory target was a .75" 3-shot group @ 100 yards. . .my 3-shot 100 yard group was .392" CTC. . .and my 5-shot 200 yard group was 1.9375" CTC. . .not bad for shoot the cheapest ammo in the store. . .it absolutely hated the more expensive stuff that I had with me so the only person that will probably shoot that would be my GF at paper. . .although that might frustrate her???

I've decided there is no need to free-float my barrel because I feel that my gun has the potential to shoot better than I can at the moment and I don't want to break what isn't broken. . .

. . .just my