How much gap between barrel and stock?

[Cholla]

After my other post, I decided to make sure my fancy stock actually allowed the barrel to free-float. It didn't. I carefully sanded the barrel channel with sockets wrapped with sandpaper. I read somewhere that I should be able to slide three sheets of copy paper freely between the stock and barrel. I am there except for the portion nearest the action. I would say it is one paper thickness gap there.

What say you? Three thicknesses all the way? Or is one good?

I want to glass bed the action because it can still move forward and back with the screws slightly loose.

 

[dennisinaz]

Not nearly enough

 

[Hugnot]

I don't have fancy stocks & prefer to have enough space between barrel & stock to allow 3 thicknesses of paper towel to clean up water, dirt or whatever between stock & barrel. I usually epoxy bed the barrel shank with action but free float everything else. A suggestion would be to look at Brownell's for a Gun Line multi disk barrel scraper. 5/8-inch diameter disks work well, much faster than sandpaper.

 

[Mathews Diehard]

I would bed the action first, then check the gap.

 

[Hugnot]

I like to scrape out the barrel channel before epoxy bedding if I intend to make the barrel free floating because if I needed to bed the shank portion of the barrel it would epoxy bedded with the action without barrel & stock interference. Actions like Mausers, Ruger M77's & others that have front action screws threaded into front recoil lugs do better accuracy with bedded barrel shanks.

 

[Cholla]

Is three paper towel thicknesses the agreed-upon gap?

 

[Koda_]

I am there except for the portion nearest the action. I would say it is one paper thickness gap there.

I thought the portion of the barrel that mates with the action is part of the bedding? Are you sure you want to float the barrel all the way to the receiver?

 

[Cholla]

That depends on the expert whose video I watch. Come say the entire barrel is free-floating and others say the first inch or so should also be bedded. I don't know the true answer.

 

[dennisinaz]

3 business cards

 

[Bob Wright]

Is three paper towel thicknesses the agreed-upon gap?

No.
When you bed the action you should maintain the existing barrel channel alignment, after removing any upward pressure point that exists in the forend.
After that, buy a dowell rod that generally fits the channel and spray glue some 60 grit paper on it and sand the channel. Once you think it has a gap, make sure you place the gun in a bipod or a rest and see if the weight closes the gap. Recoil will slap that gap around so that's what you want to look for. Folded paper that makes a .010 thickness will help you get close. The target tells you if you need a bit more.

 

[AZShooter]

I have encountered quite a few stocks that didn't have enough gap. A stock may perform well with a front rest but when a bipod is employed the stock often makes contact with the barrel causing poor long-distance accuracy. This can occur with wood, laminate or synthetic stocks.

As to bedding the first inch of the shank in front of the receiver, it is a matter of choice. Have worked with many rifles over the past 40 years. Either way will work well. I often rebarrel or have multiple barrels for a rifle so I prefer the shank area floated.

 

[Philward]

That depends on the expert whose video I watch. Come say the entire barrel is free-floating and others say the first inch or so should also be bedded. I don't know the true answer.

The thing is different folks get satisfactory results using either method. Hard to say for sure what works "BEST".

You could bed the action and shank of barrel, then later clean out the barrel channel larger than what you finally want and put a couple or 3 layers of tape on barrel and bed the entire barrel channel (which should help stiffen the stock), and when you remove the tape from barrel you will have the gap you want.

 

[Tidus56]

I am different than most folks in that I like plenty of gap. I feel like it looks good to be able to see the gap. I am along the lines of 3 business card thickness so there is no question JMO

 

[jrock]

I select a gap based on the flexibility of the barrel and stock. Some stocks and barrels are super flexible. I put most of the gap in the vertical direction to battle gravity. I have done vertical gaps as large as an 1/8". I try to keep the side gaps to a minimum for looks. Its usually about 1/16", give or take.