Bedding vs. full barrel block mounting

[bigngreen]

You will have a hard time finding a competitive 1000 yard BR rifle that has any bedding under the barrel.

 

[Edd]

I simply don't believe ANY stock is strong enough to bend a thick wall 1-1/4" OD steel tube.

According to some videos posted by JE Custom, a barrel bends when the rifle is fired even when it is free floated. If you have something contacting it, it will bend differently based on how the contact pressure changes.

 

[toddc]

Shoot a 338 300gr bullet at 3k and a barrel will bend, twist and do several other things all at once. A stock may not bend a barrel but barrels definitely bend when shot and if they bounce off of something its not going to be as consistent as not bouncing.

 

[WildRose]

Several years ago there was a You Tube video for bedding using a barrel block. If I recall the video was quite extensive and was for a benchrest rig. Perhaps the OP saw that video, hence his question?

That's the nice thing about hanging out here. I don't care how long a guy/gal's been doing this you can learn something every day if you read enough.

Personally I like bedding in front of the lug at least to the full length of one loaded round just to relive stress on the tenon and action screws. Some rifles don't like it and you end up sanding it back out for a full free float but, that's not just a whole lot of work.

I've also found that you have to be extremely rigorous in ensuring your action/trigger guard screws are always torqued exactly to the same spec's you used when doing the bedding job. Any tighter and it puts a bind on the tenon/action interface.

 

[WildRose]

Thanks Gents, and Yes to Mr. Russo, you illustrate exactly what
I was referring to.

I have several heavy barrel projects. All the free-float arguments
I've read about over the years seem to be repeated without question,
or seemingly without understanding the original reasons even.

Primary argument: Thin barrel in a wood stock, stock gets wet and
swells, enough to touch the barrel and change it's vibration, or even
push on and actually bend the barrel. POI is changed.

I simply don't believe ANY stock is strong enough to bend a thickwall
1-1/4" OD steel tube.

In fact, bedding in general does not hold the machinery into the
stock, only two little screws do that. The barrel can still jump off
the bedding during firing. I contend that even more is needed,
perhaps some sort of strap(s) to hold the barrel down.

I shoot some pretty big boomers and I've never had that problem, just bed them well and keep the screws properly torqued. As snugly as I bed the lug area mine would have a hard time jumping out even without the screws holding it all down. I'm not a believer in the theory that the stock should just fall away from the barreled action with the screws removed.

 

[WildRose]

According to some videos posted by JE Custom, a barrel bends when the rifle is fired even when it is free floated. If you have something contacting it, it will bend differently based on how the contact pressure changes.

Yep, they all flex kind of like a snake swallowing a rat (though in reverse) and the muzzle whips to greater or lesser degrees as well.

Bench Rest shooters try to minimize that with big, heavy, large diameter barrels while the rest of us just try to manage it and keep it predictable.

 

[Joel Russo]

Joel,
Do you do that to keep a long heavy barrel from stressing the action?

Yes. The theory is to support the barrel on one end, and the action on the other end, both free floated, and supported by approximately 6" of surface rather than a 1" tennon.
The block is bedded tight, but the whole barreled action is removable.
This particular rifle has a 30" barrel and a Hall magnum action.

As for bedding in front of the lug on a conventional build... I have done so with great success on larger builds. Here is a stock that I bedded for a .338-.408 improved. I put a healthy pad under the chamber of the barrel. This rifle shoots .5" groups at 300 yards.. The target is the first three shots at 100 yds. My "go to" mile rifle is the same caliber, and bedded the same way. It has gone 3.806" at a mile....

 

[MudRunner2005]

Yes. The theory is to support the barrel on one end, and the action on the other end, both free floated, and supported by approximately 6" of surface rather than a 1" tennon.
The block is bedded tight, but the whole barreled action is removable.
This particular rifle has a 30" barrel and a Hall magnum action.

As for bedding in front of the lug on a conventional build... I have done so with great success on larger builds. Here is a stock that I bedded for a .338-.408 improved. I put a healthy pad under the chamber of the barrel. This rifle shoots .5" groups at 300 yards.. The target is the first three shots at 100 yds. My "go to" mile rifle is the same caliber, and bedded the same way. It has gone 3.806" at a mile....

Is that a digital ACU stock? Where can I get one!!!???

 

[Joel Russo]

McMillan...