Stock bedding question

[Kmccord]

I tried to do it on the cheap with what I had on hand. I had to buy some JB weld…but that's it. I had everything else. I'm glad I found a use for the Hornady one shot. I don't use it on cases anymore after having a couple cases stick. It's been lying around looking for a use.

Something else I am going to try, I am going to build a puller like the one LRI sells for pulling the action straight out of the stock. I have some aluminum angle iron I will use, if I cannot build it correctly, I will buy the one LRI has online.

 

[epoletna]

I tried to do it on the cheap with what I had on hand. I had to buy some JB weld…but that's it. I had everything else. I'm glad I found a use for the Hornady one shot. I don't use it on cases anymore after having a couple cases stick. It's been lying around looking for a use.

i was reluctannt to use One Shot at first, believing anything in a spray can could not be as good as case lube you apply with a pad or your fingertips. Over the past few years i have started using One Shot more and more because I think I have figured out how to use it properly.

I now stand my cases up in a loading block or on the top off a shoe box. I shoot One Shot on all cases from slightly above, so it hits the shoulders and a little goes in the case necks. Then I rotate the loading block (or box top) 180* so I can hit the other side of the shoulder and neck.

And here's the important part -- I then let it dry at least a full minute. I think that's the secret with One Shot.

 

[FireFlyFishing]

i was reluctannt to use One Shot at first, believing anything in a spray can could not be as good as case lube you apply with a pad or your fingertips. Over the past few years i have started using One Shot more and more because I think I have figured out how to use it properly.

I now stand my cases up in a loading block or on the top off a shoe box. I shoot One Shot on all cases from slightly above, so it hits the shoulders and a little goes in the case necks. Then I rotate the loading block (or box top) 180* so I can hit the other side of the shoulder and neck.

And here's the important part -- I then let it dry at least a full minute. I think that's the secret with One Shot.

Not to derail the thread, but…

I switched to Dillion lube long ago and find it's the best for me. It never over-lubes and I have never had a stuck case. Occasionally, I'll use Imperial Sizing wax for small batch jobs.

 

[VinceMule]

Freefloat forward of the recoil lug. I degrease the area forward of the recoil lug, then put a piece of Duct tape down and press it firmly. Then, put some release agent on the duct tape. After the bedding is cured, just pull the duct tape out, all epoxy forward of the recoil lug will come out easily. I put a 45* angle on the edges of the recoil lug with a small file as an aid in removal.

Key to a good bedding job is to let the bedding sit up a minimum of three days prior to removal from the stock, don't touch it, seven days is even better. When using Marine Tex, I give a skim coat after the initial cure.

I put pillars in all my stocks, prior to bedding, and using a piloted end mill makes boring the holes out an easy job

Remember, on actions with three screws, that third screw should only be finger nail tight, you do not want to put stress on the center of the action bending the action/

Also critical is to freefloat your magazine box between the action and the floor plate, you should be able to easily wiggle it with your finger when you drop the floor plate, the accuracy of many rifles has been ruined by a magazine box that is pushing up on the center of the action. Height of the mag box is easily decreased by filing off the bottom of the mag box or using a belt sander to accomplish the same.

Actions where the screw goes into the recoil lug should not have their bottoms floated, all others should not touch on the bottom.

 

[FireFlyFishing]

Have you shot it yet to see if any improvement were made on group size?

Well, I think the bedding is working for me:

 

[Dean2]

All my bedding jobs looks like this. I want the chamber bedded. Tried it the other way, stopping at lug, rifles do not shoot as well. Some light barrelled sporters I also put a pressure point right near the end of the forearm, have also bedded the entire barrel channel on some rifles to get them to shoot. NULA did full barrel and action bedding on their Ultra Light rifles for decades and they shot great.

Before

After

 

[VinceMule]

Bedding forward of the recoil lug acts like a tuner or a barrel dampening device, can be good or can be bad.

Be darn sure to freefloat the bottom of the recoil lug with actions that have a "washer" style of recoil lug.

 

[nealm66]

Isn't there a way you can put something temporary in front of the lug to see how it affects tune before trying? I remember reading of this approach to relief bedding. I'd imagine if you're hand loading you could tune regardless but for factory ammunition it might be beneficial

 

[VinceMule]

If you were to do a poll of professional gunsmiths that bed in front of the recoil lug, you would have close to 0% that bed in this way. There are exceptions, and often it is done to try and fix some strange barrel or ultra-light harmonics. If you are happy with 1/2" groups, then it may not matter.

With benchrest competitors, long-range and short-range, the barrels are free-floated up to the recoil lug.

I have Rem 700s with 31" max heavy varmint contours and unturned blanks that are free-floated to the recoil lug which shoot tiny groups. I never believed that these long unturned blanks would shoot well until I got to know some well-respected Benchrest gunsmiths who had a fit when they saw bedding underneath the barrel on some p. dog hunts I took them on.

Years ago(1950s-1970), it was a common practice to bed 4"-6" in front of the lug(mauser actions)but for guns to be more competitive, the first thing they eliminated was the bedding under the barrel. I had a late 50's benchrest rifle that was on a Springfield action that Old Man Douglas built in 22/250 which was a tack driver, full length bedded barrel, 3/8" groups.

I have full length bedded under the barrel on some ultra lights years ago, then found out that when I added some weight to the stock of the Model 7's, and put on a Gengtry muzzle break, those little guns shoot less than 1/2" groups, often much less than 1/2".

When dealing with some strange barrel harmonics, we have cut up credit cards or business cards and placed them under the barrel close to the forearm tip. This kind of thing can drive a guy crazy because humidity does change the pressure as the stock warps. I made an adjustable ramp, milled a slot in the forearm of the stock, to put pressure on the bottom of the barrel as a tuning device which ended up being a Hail Mary kinda fix. Trying to fix a crazy acting barrel is madness and very expensive in terms of money and time spent.

I have tried to full length bed some barrels with a weight tied on the end of the barrel pulling down on the barrel, with the stock upside down, supported on the edges. After trying this system with 5,10, and 15 lb weights on the barrel in three different bedding jobs, I abandoned the process. Then I got a wild hair to use a silicone putty underneath the barrel, with weights tied on the barrel, so that the silicone would dampen harmonics. It worked on one barrel, but I could not duplicate the results on other barrels.

I bedded underneath the barrel for an inch to 4" for at least two decades, but no more.

 

[nealm66]

Lol, the rabbit hole

 

[Kmccord]

Well, I think the bedding is working for me:
View attachment 576306

Excellent job!

 

[charlie 7]

I put a 45* angle on the edges of the recoil lug with a small file as an aid in removal.

.....and to prevent any accidental scraping of the epoxy which would end up on the bottom of the recoil lug recess.
I do it too, plus a small chamfer on the fore and aft edges of the recess.

 

[VinceMule]

The trick to check the bedding that I mentioned is priceless. As you refine your technique, a stock may need a skim coat after initial bedding to get rid of the last little bit of movement. If you can swallow your pride and continue with your QC, you will refine your methods to a point where movement is eliminated, but always do QC on your job....always.

If you want to go full blown anal, you can attach a magnetic base to the barrel, and let the tip of a dial indicator touch the bottom of the stock's forearm, tightening and loosening screws watching for movement. However, your finger is much more sensitive than you would ever believe, the indicator just builds confidence in the technique.

Two very, very successful gunsmiths that I knew used this technique on match winning rifles, transferred to hunting rifles. They were very secretive in their technique as it was considered a Key Component of the accuracy of the rifles that they produced. They have passed on.

The biggest mistake you can make, in my experience, is tightening the guard screws down tight while the bedding is curing, because the action needs to "float". You do not want the action following the high spots in stock, duplicating the out of bed situation you started off with. This is a hard learned lesson.

 

[ntsqd]

I've internally debated having a barrel stub that would allow me to bed stocks without a clamp of any sort. I'm not experienced enough to reach a conclusion on the idea without trying it first. Even then with a data set of one it wouldn't be very conclusive.

Someone above mentioned their preference for Dev-con Steel putty. I'd encourage those interested to find my old post that compares the various Dev-con putty's specs. IMHO Dev-con Aluminum putty is the better choice, but I posted the comparison so that everyone could make up their own mind.