2nd opinion stock barrel movement

[wa_archer]

Needed a 2nd opinion. I have a Winchester 270 featherweight classic. It’s almost 30yrs old. It used to be a tick driver and the scope was always on. I got into archery and didn’t shoot it for years. When I came back to shooting I put a new leupold on to replace the basic leupold from the 90’s. I have had nothing but issues with it walking to the right after I get it sighted in.

I was talking to a gun guy who is telling me it is from the barrel heating and then cooking and moving position due tot he stock not being aligned. What he was saying seemed to make sense from my novice to unknowing of gunsmithing. He said to take the gun apart and if it was true I would see a wear mark on one side of the barrel and a black mark on that side of the inside of the stock where the barrel is touching. I did this and like he said there was a mark on both. He says to fix it he removes some of the stock and re centered the barrel essentially making a platform for the barrel.

Bottom line I know there are a lot of folks on here with a lot more experience than me. Does any of this make sense or sound correct?

Thanks

 

[perma]

Needed a 2nd opinion. I have a Winchester 270 featherweight classic. It’s almost 30yrs old. It used to be a tick driver and the scope was always on. I got into archery and didn’t shoot it for years. When I came back to shooting I put a new leupold on to replace the basic leupold from the 90’s. I have had nothing but issues with it walking to the right after I get it sighted in.

I was talking to a gun guy who is telling me it is from the barrel heating and then cooking and moving position due tot he stock not being aligned. What he was saying seemed to make sense from my novice to unknowing of gunsmithing. He said to take the gun apart and if it was true I would see a wear mark on one side of the barrel and a black mark on that side of the inside of the stock where the barrel is touching. I did this and like he said there was a mark on both. He says to fix it he removes some of the stock and re centered the barrel essentially making a platform for the barrel.

Bottom line I know there are a lot of folks on here with a lot more experience than me. Does any of this make sense or sound correct?

Thanks

I did that with my mark v as a band aid until I buy a McMillan stock. Seemed to help quite a bit.

 

[44hunter45]

I have never had an issue with a Leupold, but it would be interesting to see what happened if you shot it with the old scope and mounts back on it.

 

[wa_archer]

Well I already put that scope on my wife and kids rifle and it’s a tack driver…so not messing with that. But that is a great idea.

 

[ismith]

Give the bore a good cleaning with a copper solvent before doing anything.

 

[grizzly63]

I think your fiend nailed it. Bedding them with epoxy or resin usually makes them a little more stable. Some barrels shoot better free floated (not touching anything) and others prefer a pressure point towards the front keeping them in a rigid state. They are like people and each one can be different.

 

[ismith]

I think your fiend nailed it. Bedding them with epoxy or resin usually makes them a little more stable. Some barrels shoot better free floated (not touching anything) and others prefer a pressure point towards the front keeping them in a rigid state. They are like people and each one can be different.

Perhaps, but this can be checked for.

 

[cahunter805]

Common problem. You can bed the action with the barrel centered in the barrel channel. Then after it’s cured you can sand any spots that hit so it’s free floated.
Some guns shoot better with a pressure point in the stock though.

 

[longbow51]

That's a classic rifle. I have the same one in .243, well, had, passed it on. Try another scope, and if it's still off, send it to @p_ham for a refresh. You'll be amazed.

 

[Ben Lamb]

I think your fiend nailed it. Bedding them with epoxy or resin usually makes them a little more stable. Some barrels shoot better free floated (not touching anything) and others prefer a pressure point towards the front keeping them in a rigid state. They are like people and each one can be different.

This. A winchester benefits from being free floated. Get a dowel & some 80 grit & 180 grit paper, go slow until you can slide a dollar bill between your stock & bbl, at least down to the chamber. Apply a couple of coats of tru oil on the channel to seal the wood.

Bedding your action will help immensely as well. This provides a solid point of contact between the stock & action that reduces the variables of inaccuracy greatly. A solid mating between stock & action, and a bbl that is allowed to float free will improve your accuracy.

So will a solid scrubbing of the bore to remove any carbon or copper fouling. A smith can do all of this easily, and if it were me, I'd have him lighten the trigger to 2.5 pounds as well to improve the factory trigger (which isn't bad).

 

[cahunter805]

This. A winchester benefits from being free floated. Get a dowel & some 80 grit & 180 grit paper, go slow until you can slide a dollar bill between your stock & bbl, at least down to the chamber. Apply a couple of coats of tru oil on the channel to seal the wood.

Bedding your action will help immensely as well. This provides a solid point of contact between the stock & action that reduces the variables of inaccuracy greatly. A solid mating between stock & action, and a bbl that is allowed to float free will improve your accuracy.

So will a solid scrubbing of the bore to remove any carbon or copper fouling. A smith can do all of this easily, and if it were me, I'd have him lighten the trigger to 2.5 pounds as well to improve the factory trigger (which isn't bad).

I like to use a deep socket on an extension wrapped in sand paper. You can choose whatever size socket fits the barrel channel best and size up and down accordingly.

The older M70 triggers are one of the best factory triggers around. A spring and some stone work makes them break like glass.

 

[p_ham]

The best way to fix the barrel channel is to pull the soft epoxy Win used as bedding compound and start from scratch. It will usually come out pretty easily.

Once that's out, wrap a few wraps of tape around the barrel so it centers in the channel at the tip of the forend. You want it to slip into the channel without resistance while touching both sides.

Lightly set the barreled action in the stock. If it seats under its own weight then you're good to bed. If it gets hung up, then the contact points will need addressed. Your only 2 contact points should be the taped barrel and the receiver tang.

After all the contacts points are relieved then it's ready for bedding.