Fluted Barrel full length bedding

[Tac-O]

I've been wanting to do a full length bedding on my barrel and haven't been able to find any tutorials or threads with recommendations on it. I know there are a couple of threads going right now with someone doing accuracy and zero hold testing with full length barrel bedding, but I don't want to hijack the threads, so I thought I would create one that will hopefully accumulate some good information and suggestions on how to do it. Also, as stated in the title, my barrel is fluted, so this thread will serve a few purposes: collecting information on how to properly bed a barrel its full length, how to deal with a fluted barrel and if it will even work, and documenting my results for others.

My rifle's purpose is primarily for hunting, so having the first 2 or 3 cold bore shots always being on zero is very important. I also want this rifle to be able to shoot a larger variety of loads accurately; through some research, it seems that having full length barrel bedding on a very light barrel will help with that. Of course, if I were to shoot to a point of warming up the barrel enough to cause stress on the barrel then it would defeat the purpose of what I want to achieve. But, I'm not planning to use this gun for prairie dog hunting or shooting strings of more than 4 rounds, which would still be several minutes apart. My goals are essentially the same as the OP's in these two threads: https://www.longrangehunting.com/threads/full-length-barrel-on-300wby.239693/#post-1869397 https://www.longrangehunting.com/threads/full-length-bed-update.238787/#post-1858266

My gun is a Tikka superlite .30-06, which if you are familiar with the superlite gun, has a very light contour barrel and is fluted. So, the barrel is super whippy and while it shoots pretty darn well in the factory stock without modification, I do get some fliers and inconsistencies that I think are related to the pressure points that are in the factory stock. I have a boyd's laminate stock with pillars on the way, so I plan to bed my barrel and action in this stock so I don't have to do any serious modification to my factory stock.

The first part that needs to be figured out is the issue of whether or not there should be any upward pressure on the barrel at the foreend tip. In think about it, I can see it going two ways. I can attempt to do it stress free where I relieve the wood from the action inlet and bed from the tang to the foreend tip with the action only resting on the pillars. The other way would be to bed from the tang to just short of the foreend tip and have tape or business cards tucked between the barrel and channel at the tip to create a bit of pressure on the barrel after the bedding cures. Then, I'd have to go back and fill in the last bit of the foreend with bedding after the first part is done.

I'll decide how to do the bedding first, based on how others have done their own full length barrel bedding. For those of you who have done full length barrel bedding, did you create pressure on the barrel in any way, or did you just do a stress free bed from tang to foreend tip?

 

[Dean2]

I have never put upward pressure on my barrels. I bed the rear tang, leave rest alone and then from mag well through recoil lug forward to the end of forearm in one pass. I open up the Action screw holes so they form pillars with the Devcon. I pull the action into the stock using the bedding screws LIGHTLY torqued to about 10 and let it dry. I barely crack the action screws after 6 hours then immediately tighten them back up but no tighter than I started out.

If you want to try pressure on the fore end, tie a 3, or 4 lb wight to the front swivel before you set the action into the Devcon. Once it is dry and you remove the wight it will produce upward pressure. Putting tape etc in before you do the Devcon will not result in upward pressure, only adding some after would create that effect.

 

[Blancoalex]

I too , like a pressure free bed for entire length. Rear tang all way to end of forearm. There those out there that have
built chassis rifle systems that only thing holding barreled action is the barrel clamp. So action is somewhat free floating.

 

[Rflshootr]

Some rifles shoot better with a pressure point, others not. If it were me, I would sand out the pressure point and then do a proper bedding job on the action. Then take it out and shoot it. If it's better, then great. If not, then come back and put the pressure point back in with epoxy and hanging a 5 lb. weight off the front swivel stud with the barrel and heel of the stock supported when assembled with the epoxy in place and let it cure that way. As far as the fluting, one of 2 ways, either fill the flute(s) with modeling clay or play-doh, or if it won't create a mechanical lock, leave the flute fill with epoxy and when cured, cut that section away to form a V-block, assuming that the flute is oriented at 6 o'clock and is not a spiral flute.
As far as full length bedding the barrel, I wouldn't do it just yet. If it's a synthetic stock, it takes a ton of material to fill it. Then if it doesn't work out, you'll have a ton of sanding to re-create clearance in the barrel channel. I'd do that as a last resort.
Now I see the part about the boyds stock. It should come with enough clearance for the barrel to be free floated. Bed the action if necessary and try it out that way first. Then do the other steps I outlined.

 

[Blancoalex]

Rflshooter, like your spotter - aim for the cat . Being a Boyds stock sure allows for doing bedding in steps to see what works.

 

[Rflshootr]

lol...Thanks

 

[Tac-O]

Thanks for the info everyone. Sounds like I'll go without any upward pressure.

I thougt I might see how it works out bedding just the action first, but was unsure if how that would affect bedding the barrel after if I decided to do so. For a full barrel bed, is it better to do action and barrel at the same time, or can the same results be obtained doing action and then the barrel?

I also wanted to jump straight to the barrel bedding because the benefits of that are what I'm after. But, if the results of bedding in two steps would be the same, no harm in testing out just the action first.

For the fluting, they are 6 straight flutes, with the bottom being exactly at 6 o'clock. But, it's hard to tell by looking at them if the lower side flutes have angles that would create a lock. I think I'll be filling them with clay so I don't end up with a huge oops!

 

[Dean2]

Doing the action, then the barrel works fine. There is no specific advantage to doing them at the same time, whether you want upward pressure or not. I do it that way because I have proven to myself over and over that fully bedded barrels on sporters works better than floated barrels but since this is your first try, definitely do the action first. Then shoot it, especially cold bore and different bullets weights, then bed the barrel and try it again. I would be hugely surprised if it doesn't make a believer out of you but the only way to know true from Internet legend is to see it yourself. Let us know your results please.

 

[Tac-O]

Doing the action, then the barrel works fine. There is no specific advantage to doing them at the same time, whether you want upward pressure or not. I do it that way because I have proven to myself over and over that fully bedded barrels on sporters works better than floated barrels but since this is your first try, definitely do the action first. Then shoot it, especially cold bore and different bullets weights, then bed the barrel and try it again. I would be hugely surprised if it doesn't make a believer out of you but the only way to know true from Internet legend is to see it yourself. Let us know your results please.

Thanks!

No need to convince myself. Others shouldn't need convincing of the mechanics of the method either. There's a reason Melvin Forbes has been doing it forever and had Barrett do it for the Fieldcraft. Not to imply I'm a genius, or even very smart, but I have a degree in physics and the mechanics of why it works do make sense. If I wanted to shoot 10 round strings with zero POI shift, then I wouldn't be going down this route. The internet lore and glossing over peoples' intentions with their rifles is hard to beat.

As I have only bedded one action before, I think I'll just do the action first, then the barrel after a bit of testing. The thought of doing both at the same and getting it correct seems a bit daunting. And, I'm interested in seeing the effects pre/post barrel bedding.

 

[bigngreen]

I've seen more of the full length bedded rifle need it pulled back out and the actual issue fixed than full length was actually the solution to the real problem.

 

[Dean2]

I've seen more of the full length bedded rifle need it pulled back out and the actual issue fixed than full length was actually the solution to the real problem.

Full length bedding own't fix a shot out barrel, poor alignment of the action etc. It will make the cold more shot and the next two go the same place far more often, especially in button rifled barrels that aren't stress relived which is the majority of factory barrels, and it will for sure make the barrel far less picky about bullet weight and velocity. If you had to fix something else after full length bedding, the issue in not the bedding. Had you fixed the problem and left the full length bedding in place you would see that.

 

[bigngreen]

Full length bedding own't fix a shot out barrel, poor alignment of the action etc. It will make the cold more shot and the next two go the same place far more often, especially in button rifled barrels that aren't stress relived which is the majority of factory barrels, and it will for sure make the barrel far less picky about bullet weight and velocity. If you had to fix something else after full length bedding, the issue in not the bedding. Had you fixed the problem and left the full length bedding in place you would see that.

Nope, I've seen it enough I don't try to fix them with the bedding in, removing is step one and many times the only step needed.

 

[Dean2]

Nope, I've seen it enough I don't try to fix them with the bedding in, removing is step one and many times the only step needed.

Well if removing the barrel bedding was the one and only step required to fix a gun that wasn't grouping right I have no idea what to say. Just where did all these fully bedded bad shooting rifles come from. I have full length bedded at least a couple of hundred and only had to fix the bedding in one of them. Due to cost and work involved, full length bedding is pretty rare so really curious where you came up with so many bad shooting ones to have the level of experience you indicate..

 

[bigngreen]

It used to be more normal around here, I've had some guns from Alaska that were done full length as well that needed it removed.