I have a .270 that is driving me crazy. I have had several powders and bullets and can't get a consistent M.O.A. Get it from time to time but not every time. It is a Weatherby vangard .270.
Before I give up on this gun am considering floating the barrel and having the action embedded. I tried to slide a dollar bill between the stock and the barrel and got it about two inches and it stopped. Tells me that may be my problem.
Does anyone have an opinion on it? I am open to suggestions. Thanks.

This needs to be in the rifles section.

Most rifles do better with the barrel free floated, yes. Is the stock wood or fiberglass? You could also invest in a different stock in a different contour that may fit you better.

ok, my bad. You're right. The stock is wood and is the rifle is 28 years old not that it matters.

Lots of guys give up and sell rifles thinking they're shot out or have developed a defect of some kind. Some guys buy these rifles, take them home, give them a good, thorough, and proper cleaning to get ALL the fouling out of the bore and then discover they got a tackdriver---cheap.

Yeah and then they need to be re-fouled before they'll REALLY shoot.

Fast and nasty way of getting yourself some barrel clearance is to get a dowel rod in a slightly larger diameter than the current diameter of the barrel channel in the stock. Wrap the dowel rod in about 60 grit sandpaper and work it front to back. Once you think you've removed enough wood put the barreled action back in and try the dollar bill again. If you think it's ok then fire some rounds.

Of course this won't be bomb proof. As the wood stock endures weather changes (temp and humidity) the wood will swell and contract. But if the quick job of freefloating the barrel does the trick then have the stock glass bedded. That will stiffen it and make it not so suseptable to environmental changes.

If I were you I'd consider reading up on doing the glass job yourself to save some money. Otherwise you could spend the same amount of money it would cost you to hire a smith to do the stock work as it would to just buy a decent fiberglass stock and all is well.

Thanks for all the tips. Great info. I appreicate all the response on this issue. There is no reason that this gun should not shoot M.O.A. withe several different powders so will have the action embedded and the barrel floated.
Will post results as it will take probably 5 to 7 days to get my gun back.

Not to sound remedial, but have you checked the rings/bases for looseness & the scope itself?

Yes, this is often true but it does not mean that an unlimited amount of fouling is a good thing. It will eventually destroy accuracy.

yep, checked all scope rings and mounts and all are solid. Thanks for asking

action screws on the bottom of the stock/action?

It also depends on what kind of rifle it is. Remingtons like to be floated and bedded for the most part, while Whetherby's like to have the pressure point left in. You can do a few test by tighting the front screw a little bit and see what it does to your pattern, if it tightens up a little, tighten it a little more and shoot it again. If you don't see much difference in patterns it would be a real canidate for a floated barrell. If it does tighten the groups you need to document how much pressure is on the point. You can do it with a torc wrench if you have one. It also can be done with a bathroom scale, but I won't bore you with how to do it that way unless you would like to know. Just remember every rifle has it's own personality, what is good for one might not work for another.

I know what your problem is...its a Vanguard! lol, just kidding.

Might try folded business card under the barrel right at the end of the fore end, a little upwards pressure may fix your problem, floating a barrel isn't a sure fire fix. It is easy to add a little pressure and try it prior to bedding and floating.

****************My Method on the Business card****************

I start with an un-folded business card, loosen the action screws and slide it in the width of the card, tighten the screws back down equally, torquing is preferred, shoot a couple of 3rd groups, if that helps then try it folded, I adjust from there.

If the upwards pressure helps, then bed the rifle and float the barrel as usual, I wait a week for the action bedding to fully cure, I then bed the last 1 1/2" of the barrel. I use the same business card in the manner it was(folded or un-folded) that provided the best improvement while testing. I place it under the action behind the recoil lug to allow the barrel bedding to be the same height after bedding as the card was before bedding. This recreates the same pressure point as it did in the un-bedded action.

I use the Brownells Acraglas gel, and I treat all the metal surfaces with Mothers Yellow carnuba paste wax(red can), it acts as a release agent, the more you put on, the less likely you are to have a problem with the action being "bonded" into the stock. I have used this wax method assembling $100,000 sub-assemblies in the aviation industry with out a problem, so I am confident using it on a $500/$5000 rifle.

I have an older Rem 700 in .25-06 that gave me similar problems after scope replacement earlier this year. After checking the scope rings/mounts, actions screws, and doing a good cleaning, I took it to the range and fired about 6 rounds each of 4 different brands of ammo and bullet weights, making sure I gave the barrel adequate cooling time between shots.
I found 2 of the brands/bulltet weights shot at or below MOA, 2 didn't. Might be worth trying before you drop $$$ on floating and bedding, or a different stock.

Last year I bought an old stevens .243 for $100 that the guy said wouldn't stay in 6" at 100 yards! I took it home and cleaned it every night for 5 days or so while watching CSI and the Mentalist, then free floated the barrel and glass bedded it using standard walmart marine epoxy. Then my very first group with that gun plopped the first 5 rounds inside 1" at 100 yds. A little TLC goes a long ways!