Would someone be kind enough to help me or steer me in the right direction?
I just recently started shooting again and I had purchased a Savage model 10 .308 accutrigger with a synthetic stock from Wally World (I am poor as well as new.) It was the scope package that they sell (Bushnell 3x9x40 .)
One reason that I made the purchase was an experienced shooter had bought one and said he loved it. This is the first new rifle I have ever bought, all the others I had owned or shot were used.
Here is my issue(s):

I discovered that the barrel free floats and I really hate it. I noticed that I can squeeze the stock to the barrel out on the end of the fore stock. I am planning to put a bi pod on it but need the stability in the stock. The accutrigger is a bit different and takes some getting used to.
I initially went out to sight in the scope and cannot seem to get the thing to sight in worth a darn.
No groupings at all. It is all over the place! I am shooting off of a bag from a bench so as to have a steady platform to try to dial in the scope.
Although I just started shooting again, I used to be a pretty decent shot 20 yrs ago. I am sure it is partially technique, but not to the extremes that it is.
On the initial sight in attempt I was using Remington 150gr. It was shooting 18' low right out of the box. After adjustments I was getting to hit the 12x12 target, but no groupings at all...just scattered shots. It was a bit windy, but I did not think that bad.
Today I went back out as it was slightly windy and shot 40 rnds of 147gr NATO ammo and was getting the same deal. The reason being was to run sounds thru it to break in the barrel and get used to shooting again.
I was able to hit 2 out of 5 shots at a steel upper torso target @ 450 yds and hit 2 of 3 shots at a hanging hub cap sized steel target @ 300 yds. I then went back to the 100 yd 24x18" cardboard target to try to get the scope set. The results were the same no bulls eye or groupings at all ( I was glad I was hitting the thing at this point!)
Do I really suck that bad??? I have taken the barrel off from the syn stock to see about epoxying a stiffener in the inside end of the fore stock ( I was told you could alleviate the play by doing so.) The piece popped loose after the 5th shot so I broke it down and removed it, replaced the barrel and continued shooting.
Did I not set the barrel back in the stock right/correctly???
I did not make any adjustments to the scope until the last 5 rnds as I was thinking it was the Indian and not the arrow and maybe I needed more practice to get comfortable with it.
These syn stocks are foreign to me as I have always had wood.
I sighted in my little brothers scope years ago (it was dead on) and never had these kind of problems.
Can some one Help me figure out what I am doing wrong?
I am almost dissapointed with the Savage rifle. I have always known them to be good products.
Any help/advice would be deeply appreciated.
Thanks.