How to Free Float a Rifle Barrel

Free floating the barrel on a rifle can help improve the accuracy. A dollar bill or a business card can sometimes make the difference between hitting and missing. With the help of a dollar bill, you can see if your rifle barrel needs to be free floated. This stock contacts the barrel at multiple points:

We can remove these points and open up the barrel channel so the barrel is completely free floated. We'll start by disassembling the rifle.

Here you can see where the stock has been in contact with the barrel:

Masking tape is good to protect the top rails of the stock.

We'll use a barrel bedding tool to remove the high spots.

Apply a coat of finish to the barrel channel to protect it when finished.

I like to use a standard business card, which is about 10 thousandths thick.

That keeps the barrel free floated even if a little moisture gets in the barrel channel. Free floating the barrel on your bolt action rifle can eliminate one more alibi for poor accuracy.

--Larry Potterfield