Forty-eoghts not so old!! Wish I could be 48... Lawdog-I never got schoolen.. except for hard knocks. Rifles are like women, no two alike! Some like pressure some don't. Heavy barrels seem less sensitive but don't rule pressure out if there's an accuracy problem. I've used full length bedded barrels but more help stabilize poor wood in the forearm of a rifle.. Full length bedded straight taper barrels are not a good thing.. The heat expansion causes impacts to wonder. The worst I ever worked on was an old 788 Remington in 243. Great shooting rifle but it shot those little bitty groups somewhere else on the target each week. At the time I had precious little money and was trying my best to push the groundhog to extinction(know better now, they stay I get more shooting next year). After hollowing out the forearm I full length bedded the barrel and embedded aluminum rods(welding rods) in the bedding to provide stiffening against warpage. That stock was made of sycamore which squirms like a snake hen it gets wet and I never had any more zero wondering problems. Of course that was the rifle I finished with epoxy glue also.. Now that made for some sticky problems.. A note-Aluminum arrows weren't even in the stores when I worked over the 788.. I was shooting the latest at the time, fiberglass arrows..from a recurve.. all state of the art, then.. Good luck with the project MrYeats, I pray you never lose the thrill, I cartainly haven't.
