Shimming an action...

[mwkelso]

I have a Weatherby Vanguard S2 that I had been having one heck of a time getting to shoot. (1-1/2" group at 100 was as good as it was gonna get).
Chasing loads all over the books, adjusting seating depth until I was out of space either direction, etc.
Enough to rip out some hair!

It still sits in it's original, synthetic stock until I have the time to finish re-working an old Mark V stock for it.

On to the question: I got a wild hair to see how far the action would need to be shimmed up before the barrel would begin to float from the stock, and did this using thin slices of paper.
16 layers to make it float at the fore-end!!!!

Now I really don't care to bed this action, but I would like to have this rifle be shootable until it's new stock is finished.
Is there any reason I could not mill an aluminum shim to sit between the action and stock in the mean time?

Or even a short spacer that fits snug to the action screws?

 

[yorke-1]

I've been using aluminum muffler tape to do exactly that for years. A lot of times I use the muffler tape just to see if floating the barrel will actually help without modifying the stock. If I get better results with the action shimmed in the stock, I'll bed the stock. I've done this for a lot of people who're having accuracy issues as an easy test that doesn't cost much and lots of times they'll just leave the shims in there and shoot the guns like that.

 

[mwkelso]

I've been using aluminum muffler tape to do exactly that for years. A lot of times I use the muffler tape just to see if floating the barrel will actually help without modifying the stock. If I get better results with the action shimmed in the stock, I'll bed the stock. I've done this for a lot of people who're having accuracy issues as an easy test that doesn't cost much and lots of times they'll just leave the shims in there and shoot the guns like that.

Good to know!
With the next stock being a custom modified I plan on bedding, but it just doesn't make sense for this stock.
Thanks!

 

[mwkelso]

@yorke-1

I shimmed the action. Total raise was 5/32" before the barrel was able to truly float while using Weatherby's action torque specs. I ended up having to get longer action screws, otherwise the rear screw was only grabbing by 1-1/2 turns.
Here is a target the rifle shot today. It's a very quick load workup, but is showing huge promise.
Per Nosler's book, started with 56.5gr H4831 and worked to 58.5 gr in 0.5gr increments.
58.0 showed the best group at 100 and was seated per the book. I'm sure I can tune it tighter with depth adjustments.