Floating the tang during bedding

[Magnumdood]

There's a lot of information on a lot of boards about why the tang on the Savage bolt gun needs to be free floated, and not bedded, or allowed to touch the stock. I'll branch out later if needed, but this seems to be the logical place to find out the what, why or how regarding any information about Savage rifles.

*Just so I don't appear to be a lazy slug, I tried several searches to mine the information regarding floating the tang before I started this thread. I'm certain many of you are sick of explaining why the tang is floated; to all those who feel I'm being a burden, I can only apologize. I did try to find some threads on bedding the Savage rifle and floating the tang while bedding plus a few other word combinations.

So, why does the tang need to be free floated if you pillar bed your Savage rifle?

[cowtownup]

I'm interested in this subject also. I started a thread back in November about this and I've yet to bed my rifle, but I did get the tang floated pretty decent. I'm no where near a good enough shot to say if it made a difference or not... Here is the link to that thread...

http://www.savageshooters.com/showthread.php?40107-Floating-the-tang

[olddav]

If I'm not mistaken its about avoiding pressure on the tang and there by avoiding upward pressure on the action. Upward pressure on the tang distorts the action. I love taking wild guesses at questions!

[Magnumdood]

My understanding is that due to the placement of the rear action screw (much farther froward than other comparable bolt rifles), then you tighten the action screw, if the rifle is not bedded, and the tang contacts the rifle, you can "spring" the action. The action is under stress and is bending. Most other bolt rifles have the rear action screw attached at the tang. What I am not able to visualize is if you do a pillar bedding job on the action (a portion of the rear pillar will need to be milled, or dremeled, to create a slot for the trigger and sear on Savage rifles), and you've properly bedded the rifle, and the bedding is neutral, not pushing or pulling on the action anywhere, the tang can be bedded and it will sit in it's bedding material. If the tang and the rest of the rifle was bedded with the action screws used to pull the rifle into the bedding, then the tang will not suffer any upward pressure from the stock when the action screws are tightened, pulling the received down on the pillars and the rest of the rifle into the cured bedded areas.

[olddav]

Some on here have the same opinion regarding bedding the tang. My position is float the tang because things change over time as temp and humidity change. Bedding the tang does not improve the contact patch between action and stock and just seems to add unnecessary complexity to the job.

[Bowguy]

Magnumdood +1 good explanation. Regarding bedding the tang area; first; there is no advantage, second; if the action screws torque were exactly the same when adjusted and tang area never moved it "should" be okay. Again, too many reasons to float it. imo