bedding a 33 inch barrelled rifle properly

[wildcat westerner]

Hello,
Recently I acquired a 33 inch barrel , unchambered, in .338 caliber.1-10 twist It is a full length bull barrel of 1 1/2" in diameter with no taper. I have done some Quikload research and received help from others, to find that in using 200-250 grain bullets in a .338 Winchester magnum cartridge I can achieve near 338 EDGE velocities with from 19% to 23% less powder. These ballistics seem impressive to me, especially with 4 different powders.
I have a Master Class benchrest stock with a long forend for this rifle, which is presently bedded for a Stolle Panda action.
In placing a yardstick in the barrel channel I find the barrel and muzzlebrake extend more than 24 inches in front of the stock. Lord, it seems to run on forever!
I understand enough applied physics that I know no action could stand the stresses produced on the action screws by this huge barrel, that I know of, or wish to buy.
I looked at the barrel channel and find its 1 /2" wide. The easy answer of a barrel bedding block is out since the stock is not wide enough to accept a bedding block. I had the stock, trigger, scope and mounts when the opportunity came to purchase this large barrel.
So, from a practical standpoint would it make sense to bed the barrel where it fits in the stock for 12" and "free float" the action? There are stresses here I have never dealt with. Also, the barrel will be bedded for 1/3 of its total length and how might that affect the vibration node? I am doing this because the winds really move around my lighter 6.5 bullets laterally here in the high altitude of the Rockies.

 

[Boe]

Why not just get a stock that would allow you to use a bedding block?

 

[Ray Gross]

Call Alex Sitman at Masterclass Stocks and ask him. He is very knowledgeable.

My own sense is to pillar bed the action and not to bed under the barrel.

 

[Hard rock]

Call Alex Sitman at Masterclass Stocks and ask him. He is very knowledgeable.

My own sense is to pillar bed the action and not to bed under the barrel.

With that heavy of a barrel I would glass bed every thing all the way too the end of the fore end , you can always go back and float or leave a pressure point at the fore end that acts like a pillar . With 24 in of barrel past the fore end , with everything snugged equally in the stock , I bet it will shoot .

 

[wildcat westerner]

Thanks everyone, Alex Sitman will be calling me on this matter this week. Last night in texts, and in conversations with Kelblys, I believe we can do an exchange of the incoming Tactical action for a standard Panda type that will fit the existing excellent bedding done already. I do believe the conclusion suggested agrees with what we reached last night: fully glueing in the action and barrel full length in the stock, and as suggested let the forward 24 inches of barrel vibrate normally. That is a significant length lever arm for normal vibration forces to act on , in firing the weapon. Kelbly further suggested bedding the heavy barrel slightly "up" since like a cannon barrel there is some droop to the steel. Kelbly Panda actions all have a large squared off butt and in essence this shape forms a recoil lug of its own. Thus , in essence, the entire bedding process done this way makes the entire surface of approximately 20 inches a bedding block.

 

[tobnpr]

Interesting. Gluing in a barrel is counterintuitive to me, ostensibly won't affect a telephone pole such as this.
I always bed the barrel cylinder/chamber area on long, heavy straight contours- never built anything as heavy as this, tho...

 

[wildcat westerner]

You and me both!

 

[Hard rock]

Thanks everyone, Alex Sitman will be calling me on this matter this week. Last night in texts, and in conversations with Kelblys, I believe we can do an exchange of the incoming Tactical action for a standard Panda type that will fit the existing excellent bedding done already. I do believe the conclusion suggested agrees with what we reached last night: fully glueing in the action and barrel full length in the stock, and as suggested let the forward 24 inches of barrel vibrate normally. That is a significant length lever arm for normal vibration forces to act on , in firing the weapon. Kelbly further suggested bedding the heavy barrel slightly "up" since like a cannon barrel there is some droop to the steel. Kelbly Panda actions all have a large squared off butt and in essence this shape forms a recoil lug of its own. Thus , in essence, the entire bedding process done this way makes the entire surface of approximately 20 inches a bedding block.

You are on the right track , that will work .

 

[wildcat westerner]

Thanks Hard rock. Lots of things "up in the air" as of yet: the arrival of the Kelbly Tactical action, and barrel. The phone call from Alex Sitman the stockmaker, the agreement to be completed on the exchange of the two actions, since the Panda will fit existing bedding. Reloading components arrived today: 2 sets of reloading dies, FL and neck die and 2 seaters, nearly 200 rounds of brass, mostly unfired, Win and Federal. 9 different types of bullets from 200 to 250 grains. I have been shooting for decades(?) on a wholesale purchase of reloading powders and primers made for me long ago. A look at present prices for the .338 bullets was amazing to me. A bonus having all this stuff, as opposed to seeing "out of stock" on so many items. This site has been great in supplying information , opinions and actual reloading components.

WW

 

[Rflshootr]

I've never built something that long or heavy either. My thought, and I don't know if it would screw up harmonics or not, would be to put as large of a block type pillar in the fore end as will fit, and drill and tap the barrel for a screw and bed from the front of the action to the 3rd pillar. What I am picturing in my mind, is a rectangular block, about 2" long, with a 5/8" boss turned on it at 90° on one end, to come through the bottom of the stock, drilled and counterbored for a socket head cap screw. So basically, extending the action surface in the neighborhood of 8-10 inches, leaving the remainder of the barrel floating. Might be a question to ask of someone who has done it.

 

[6fatrat]

I shot 32" barrels in fullbore 308 prone shooting, switched over to 30" with 6" tube for the same weight but longer sight radius.
These are light Palma contours 1.250 down to .750 @ muzzle, these guns are capable of 1/2 moa for extended strings of fire @ 1000yds with iron sights.
My REM actions use a V bedding block and my Pandas are action bedded only float your barrels.
If your barrel is to heavy to float and it probably is, send it back to your barrel smith and have it properly turned down.
Steve Bair

 

[nksmfamjp]

The long range benchrest crowd was building a block that was bedded and clamped onto the barrel in front of the action. Then this was glued into the stock. The rest of the action and barrel were free floated. I would think a 1000yd Benchrest smith like Alex Wheeler would no more about this.

 

[Hard rock]

I shot 32" barrels in fullbore 308 prone shooting, switched over to 30" with 6" tube for the same weight but longer sight radius.
These are light Palma contours 1.250 down to .750 @ muzzle, these guns are capable of 1/2 moa for extended strings of fire @ 1000yds with iron sights.
My REM actions use a V bedding block and my Pandas are action bedded only float your barrels.
If your barrel is to heavy to float and it probably is, send it back to your barrel smith and have it properly turned down.
Steve Bair

Pre 64 win mod 70s had a screw at midway down the fore end . You can do away with it or tension it , looking for your best accuracy . Mauser built their mod 660 basically the way you just described , with a block In the fore end and the screw tensioning through the stock acting like a bedding block floating the rest of the way. Personally I would glass it up solid and let it run past the end , also stiffening the stock.

 

[wildcat westerner]

Thanks for all your input. In looking at this well,made stock then present barrel channel is 1 1/2" and there is no room innthe stock for adding a pillar bed much as my previous experience tell me would be a satisfactory answer. Some competition writers on this subject seem to be thinking of competition restrictions on the overall rifle. There are none.
The,weapon will,weigh what it will weigh. Kelbly' s suggest bedding thembarreled action "up" and exchanging the Tactical action I have purchased for a Panda. Since the stock is already bedded for the Panda action, Kelblys suggestion makes total sense to me. Since 24 inches of heavy barrel projects from the stock, and 12 inches are encased in the stock, and there is no room for a bedding block, there is a general consensus that bedding the action "up" duemto barrel droop and also the part of the barrel in the forend part of the stock will make for a 20 inch surface that with the square shape of the Panda rear action will act as an additional recoil lug, and provide 24 inches of barrel to vibrate beyond the,stock for more normal harmonics.. Since I had much of what was needed on hand the total cost of the weapon will run around $1,2-400.00.

WW