Some rifles. especially those with light, hunting weight barrels, shoot better with a bit of forend pressure. They may not, if 5 or 10 groups are fired. This is from the "old days" when only one or two shots was needed. Now, it doesn't matter whether it's a #2 contour or a MTU, shooters want 5 shot (minimum) groups from their hunting rifles, light barreled or not. I graduated from MCCs' 2 yr. gunsmithing program 19 yrs. ago. Went, really, to learn stockmaking (by hand, from a blank), already had 17 yrs. experience as a job shop machinist. (also, learned what was appropriate on a custom rifle and what is not!) The stockmaking instructor retired in '95 or '96 (that gives you an idea of his approximate age). He had learned to make stocks from his father as a teenager. He was, also, a gunsmith school graduate from an earlier time (at a older established school. He ,basically, had two life times of experience). He insisted on 7lbs. of forearm pressure on a 'hunting' weight barrel, which is what we were building (what else would you use a Mauser '98/'03 Springfield and a $300 fitch of english walnut for?) He would admit that some rifles shot better with a bit more or less forarm pressure, but he wanted to start with that 7lbs. and work from there (evidently, he had seen more success with pressure than without). The pressure point could always be removed, if preformance wasn't 'up to par',,,,,,, but you couldn't put wood back, and in that day, glass was frowned upon as amateur. Precise hand work was encouraged and required. Short answer,, it takes less time to take it out than put it back. And it may be beneficial for those who only need 2rds.
