Re: Bedding a Browning A-Bolt?
I've found it is "usually best" to bed just the front of the reciever and recoil lug area, and leave the rear alone. Use the steel plate as original.
A long time ago, I worked as an aprentice gunsmith at Browning. The most I ever did to the rear of the stock (on a factory rifle) was add material under the steel plate when needed. You really should not have to add material there unless the stock is made of wood and worn and/or deformed from not using the steel plate (I haven't seen this on the stalker/synthetic).
I say "usually best" because on occasion I have added an aluminum pillar to the rear of the stock. This was not something I did while I was at Browning, but I've done it with the A-Bolt since. The problem with adding the pillar it that you really run into a situation of diminishing returns. You are essentially creating the exact same system for the rear of the reciever, but without the wood stock as the base material. The wood will compress and expand with weather, temp, etc. and the tension of the rear receiver screw will change, but not by much. Adding the aluminum pillar provides a solid base material for the rear screw to press against.
Bedding the rear of the receiver beyond this is generally not going to give you good results. The rear of the reciever is VERY difficult to get a good bed on becaue you are dealing with trigger and safety housing parts and not the base of the reciever. The steel plate gives a solid platform for the trigger housing to push against and the trigger guard action screw to pull against. The best you can get on the back, is a skim bed of the sides of the reciever, but this gets deep into that area of diminishing returns again.
Bedding the recoil lug and front of the reciever is going to produce the best result for the A-Bolt in my opinion.
Good luck with the project!
Woodyguy
