Slightly bent barrel?

[cubdriver84d]

I just dropped my tikka 6.5 prc into a Stocky’s and thought the barrel channel must’ve been inlet slightly off. Dropped my 223 in there and it centered perfectly. Tried the prc in the factory 223 stock, which I hadn’t taken the dremel to yet, as well as the Stockys I got for the 223, and it was off center in both of those as well. So, I’ve concluded the barrel must be slightly bent. I took a pretty good fall on it strapped to my pack loaded with a whole deer last month. Thought maybe it was that but realized I’d shot it since then, and while it was off about .3 mil up and .1 left, can’t imagine that little bit would be due to a bent barrel (action screws are starting to pull through the factory bottom metal with the torque I have them at—probably that). So, I’m guessing it’s always been bent since I’ve had it and I just didn’t notice because I opened up the barrel channel in the factory stock it’s been in. It’s a barreled action with a rechambered factory barrel I bought used a while back, so who knows when it happened.

I’m inclined to just open up the Stockys a bit and keep shooting it because it shoots and has less than 200 rounds on it. Any reason not to carry on with it? Anyone else ever discover a bent barrel?

 

[XLR]

No barrel is straight from the factory. When barrels are rifled they have a natural curvature to them. So unless a gunsmith times a barrel to be pointed straight up or straight down then this is what happens. Not a big deal at all and I would not be worried about it besides the barrel channel not being free floated. If you are going to open up the barrel channel yourself I would get one of the below tools to do so.

BARREL BEDDING TOOL | Brownells

Perfect, chatter-free cut, shaves out excess wood, leaves barrel channel smooth and ready for barrel without gouging, rasping or final sanding. Cushioned-cutter design keeps hardened steel cutter discs at correct angle to remove wood without 'digg...

www.brownells.com

 

[ElPollo]

Did you try loosening your action bolts, straightening the barrel alignment with the channel and retorquing the bolts?

 

[cubdriver84d]

Did you try loosening your action bolts, straightening the barrel alignment with the channel and retorquing the bolts?

No but I figure dropping it into three different stocks would give it a chance to be straight if it was. I’ll give that a try though.