Re: nemesis arms stock accruate?
Fish,
Interesting question, the answer to which will require you to revisit your very first statement...
"I understand that free floating a barrel makes it accurate"
I am going to rewrite this statement into a question....
"Is a free floating barrel more accurate?"
Now, Rancid's answer is correct, but it may not be a simple enough based on your statement/question(s). We will try to answer your question by first making the following statements about a perfect rifle:
Our perfect rifle has:
1. A magnificent barrel.
2. A magnificent receiver (lets say a bolt action).
3. A magnificent magazine.
4. A magnificent trigger.
5. Magnificent bullets.
6. Magnificent optics.
If this rifle could float in space, allowing us to simply spin it, aim it and have it remain rock solid as we touch the trigger, we would have the perfect rifle in all regards.
But humans have to touch the rifles they carry, and that is at the heart of your question. All stocks allow humans to aim and steady the rifle and, in doing so, create as few accuracy issues as possible.
In other words, when it comes to stocks...
1. A perfect rifle wants nothing touching the barrel.
2. A perfect rifle wants the operator to have solid control over the receiver to manipulate the bolt, aim the rifle and hold it steady when it fires.
3. A perfect rifle wants the operator's head to return to the very same position, perfectly aligned with the optics.
4. A perfect rifle wants the recoil of the rifle to be "managed" uniformly and repeatably in the same manner into the shoulder of the operator.
5. And....if a the rifle is to be supported at any point ahead of the receiver, either by hand, bipod, or resting the stock forend on a pack, our perfect rifle wants all the weight transferred directly and wholly to the receiver...not the barrel (see #1).
So now lets answer your first question ""Is a free floating barrel more accurate?". The answer is: It is a crucial part of our perfect rifle. If anything touched the barrel it can and most likely will, change the point of aim.
Now your second question, which I will ask two ways (slightly edited)
"Are designs like the Nemesis Arms rifle, where no forearm is present, accurate?" And the answer is: Yes, as it meets a criteria of our perfect rifle, that being, nothing touches the barrel.
and the same question, but with an important difference as you will see. "Is the design of the Nemesis Arms rifle, where no forearm exists, more accurate than a free floating traditional stock or chasis?" And the answer is: No, as nothing touches the barrel of our perfect rifle, either will do perfectly.
Your last question and then an important observation.
Your last question (edited again) "If the Nemesis Arms system, without any forend, is accurate. How is the barrel supported?" And the answer is, like Bill Ritchies original fielded .50 Windrunner, one of the most accurate rifles in the world, the Nemesis Arms fully supports its barrel within the structure of the receiver. And, most unusually, this support also allows for the barrel to be removed and replaced without any loss of zero.
Now the observation...
The Nemesis Arms, like the original .50 Windrunner, uses a stud that extends from the bottom of the receiver to support the bipod. By design, until the new Nemesis Arms tube free floating receiver that can be seen in the photo gallery, there was no means to support the forend by hand. I mention this because for many, that actually are more comfortable with more traditional free floating forends,this was seen as a limitation. To a degree it may be. But, when one uses the Schutzen grip like this..
One can actually move the Vanquish off your shoulder and the rifle stays absolutely horizontal. It is amazing, so much so that David routinely does this at demonstrations, and when others do it, they get it, the Vanquish shoots off the shoulder like few rifles.
Also, by using a rod in the smaller Windrunner chasis, one can do very unusual set-ups like this...
There is something else, every part of that rifle is made by one person except the trigger, butt stock rubber, pistol grip, bipod, barrel blank and optics. And, anybody that knows David, knows he is truly a precision savant.
I've owned one for years, and aside from being able to pack away, it shoots better than I can, and better than rifles made by some of the best that I own that are twice as expensive.
Here he is firing the .50 without optics at 100. Click on it. The guy just loves shooting...
Hope that helps.
