I would not have believed it if it did not happen to me... For years I read posts from guys saying how a $20 piece of hard plastic would "bend" a 26" 0.80" dia steel barrel with a scope mounted directly to the barrel. I can see where a 700BDL can change POI with the scope being mounted to the action and the stock is a one piece design, but a 2 piece stock?!?!?!? It happens!!!
After months of frustration and lost ground hog kills I found it was not a loose scope ring, broken scope, hinge pin, how I was shooting the gun, weather conditions etc. I'd swap brls, take the same shooting position/lot of reloaded ammo and the POI would change 2-9". The group from the shifted POI would produce the same sub MOA groups.
Do I think that the synthetic forend I had was junk... no. I believe that some guns are just prone to this.
I believe this is similar to the problem that guys have with hammer extensions. Some guns can not take a hammer extension from day one and some can use the extension with no problems for years.
The only true way to fix this without any doubt is to buy a frame for each brl but this defeats the purpose of the Encore system (sorry Dave). Eventually I would like to buy a frame just for varmint hunting where accuracy is more important and keep this one for loader and deer hunting.