Hoping those with more SS Rifle history than I have will share their opinion. I have read that leaving space between the forearm and front face of the receiver can benefit accuracy. This sounds reasonable to me as it may make the barrel harmonics more consistent. I have an extensive benchrest background and I am always searching for accuracy improvements. I have several SS rifles and some are shooting pretty good but i think lacking a bit in consistency, could be me instead of the rifle I suppose. I may be trying to push the accuracy limits too far for cast bullets but it is fun experimenting to find what makes a difference. Really appreciate the gents on this forum willing to share knowledge from years of experience.

Had a new 1874 Shiloh Sharps with the wood solid against the bedded receiver.

Knocking down Rams was quite inconsistent.

It was suggested by Kirk from Shiloh I should try shooting it with the forearm off to see if there was a difference.

Shot 10 Rams in a row even with 35 MOA offset for extreme windage at the Big Whiskey Range without the forearm rubbing on the receiver.

Shaved the forearm butt end down and she shot much better after that but shooting BPCR it is hard to indicate the change in precision - just more Silhouettes knocked down.

I custom load ammunition but always ensure the barrel plus the receiver and forearm are free floated before I do sweet spot testing to obtain maximum precision from a rifle.