Rifle Bedding?

[Evan Williams]

Many top competition shooters glass or pillar bed their rifles and have special torque settings for the actions bedding screws. This is especially important when shooting a wood stock. When the wood shrinks/swells depending on humidity, precipitation, etc.

Is anyone bedding their hunting rifles? Glass or Pillar? Do you Torque your screws?

I will personally be looking into glass bedding my Ruger M77 Mark II this year as I may find myself pulling it out of the gun safe this year for a late season hunt with my uncles hunting camp here in Colorado.

 

[FURMAN]

I do not own a rifle that is not bedded. It is simple to do yourself and almost always improves accuracy/consistency. I never hurts. I also torque my action screws.

 

[Matt Cashell]

I fully bed my rifles. I use Devcon 10110 steel epoxy putty. Epoxy bedding works best when used in conjunction with pillars or a bedding block.

 

[JG358]

I dont/wont own a rifle that isnt bedded. I've used several bedding agents over the years, currently I use Devcon steel. I do not torque my gaurd screws, just tighten the front then snug down the rear(even on the big dogs).

Be sure to use plenty of release agent and grease the gaurd screws when you bed that M77.

 

[BMB]

glass. and yes, on the torque. you swapping barrels or getting any work done on the action??

 

[robby denning]

I'm certainly the odd man out on this. I'm happy with a 1" group (3 shots) and have been able to get that in free-floated barrel in my Wby 7mm Rem Mag.

 

[JG358]

I'm certainly the odd man out on this. I'm happy with a 1" group (3 shots) and have been able to get that in free-floated barrel in my Wby 7mm Rem Mag.

But is your action bedded? The majority of people I know bed the action and float the barrel. The only rifles I full length bed are my suppressed rifles and bench rifles.

 

[Backpack Hunter]

Have never done it to my Savage rifles, they come dual pillar bedded, and I have never needed to go further. The worst 100 yard 3 shot group I have ever gotten out of my Savage 30-06 was with Winchester XP3 180gr ammo, and it was just under an inch (.96").

 

[robby denning]

JG, Weatherby uses pillar bedding, so yes to your question. I was referring to the not barrel being bedded.

 

[Evan Williams]

I only bed my actions. The funnest experiment we did for a guy in 06 after World Championships was taking his Aluminum stock and machining it down a bit and bedding that boy!!!! Turned around the next year at nationals and set the offhand national record!

 

[bearguide]

best to bed any serious rifle

 

[FURMAN]

Even pillar bedded rifles that are not bedded can induce stresses on the action and they do nothing for the recoil lug area.

 

[wk93]

I recently glass bedded my Remington 700 in 300 win. mag. along free floated the barrel. Haven't got to take it out yet due to I'm waiting for my turrets from Leupold to show up.

 

[Matt Cashell]

Have never done it to my Savage rifles, they come dual pillar bedded, and I have never needed to go further. The worst 100 yard 3 shot group I have ever gotten out of my Savage 30-06 was with Winchester XP3 180gr ammo, and it was just under an inch (.96").

Every rifle is different. LIke you, every Savage I have had has just plain shot tight groups. The problem for me was that Savage plastic stock. Even though the pillars were keeping the groups tight, the point of impact was changing in really big temperature swings. I think rifles with pillars can benefit from bedding. I actually think that bedding is most beneficial when the rifle has an underlying structure like pillars or a bedding block.

Now the newest "accustock" rifles don't seem to benefit from bedding at all, with the redesigned recoil lug area.

Here is a 7mm Mag Savage 110 w/ a Bell and Carlson aluminum bedding block stock I fully bedded (not the tang area though on Savages):

 

[HellsCanyon]

I agree with matt, we like to have rifles with a full length aluminum bedding block. This helps keep that stock rigid.

One thing to mention when you are bedding you action, make sure you do not tightened down the action screws, this will induce torque into the action and every time you go to tighten those action screws you will be putting stress on the action. Find some appropriately threaded bolts, and cut the hex heads off of them and use them in your action screw holes as guide rods. Wrap 'em in some blue masking tape until they just barely slide into the stock action holes. You want them to be centered in there. Once you apply the bedding compound and put the action in the stock, lightly wrap some tape or surgical tubing around the action/stock area to keep them from prematurely pulling apart. There's lots more to it but this will help you create a stress free bedding job and almost always improves accuracy or at the last, peace of mind!

Mike

 

[wapitibob]

I always bed pillars first. Neither barrel nor btm metal touch anything but those pillars, then bed around them. I do the same with alum bedding blocks, creating a pillar on the block.

 

[fire arrow]

But is your action bedded? The majority of people I know bed the action and float the barrel. The only rifles I full length bed are my suppressed rifles and bench rifles.

Took my Rem 700 (300 mag) to the Gun Doc and he wound up bedding the whole thing. Have a H.S. Precision stock and he said it was the worst he has ever seen. Took his angle gague and loosen the screws on the stock to check excesive movement (sorry dont remember the tech term), and said my stock must have been made on friday by a drunk. That is why I like him, he is so Redneck honust. Wound up blueprinting the action, lapping the lugs, and squaring up the the bolt face. Will be pulling my bullets and making a new test bunch of loads. I am interested in what the differnce will be. Was able to get sub 1 MOA on a regular basis before the work. Got to get my rifle ready, bow season is almost here.

 

[JG358]

.... Have a H.S. Precision stock and he said it was the worst he has ever seen. Took his angle gague and loosen the screws on the stock to check excesive movement (sorry dont remember the tech term), and said my stock must have been made on friday by a drunk.

Ya, I've dealt with a couple from HS that were downright scary.

 

[HellsCanyon]

Got to get my rifle ready, bow season is almost here.

.....poacher

Mike

 

[fire arrow]

.....poacher

Mike

No poacher. Will have no time once archery season gets going to work up a load, and get comfortable with it.