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Gunsmithing Need Professional Opinions on a Bedding job..

M

mgd45

Private
Full Member
Minuteman
Jul 7, 2008
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56
Ga.
#1
I recently had a local gunsmith do a bedding job & stock stiffing job on my old Savage 300 Win Mag. This was just a beater rifle that I picked up for $150.....so I ain't looking at it being a precision rifle. However, I figured that making the stock stiffer to free-float the barrel and maybe a bedding job would do wonders for it.

He offered to do the whole project for under $100 since I'm LEO and he does a lot of work with a LEO's. Anyway....I'm no gunsmith, but I have seen plenty of pics of professional bedding jobs on this site & I have a GAP rifle that is bedded, so I feel like I know a good job when I see one.......

What got me suspicious was that I didn't see any lines of the bedding compound between the stock & action, so I took the rifle apart today & this is what I saw......please don't hold back with your professional opinions on this. Would you be happy with this bedding job, or am I mistaken & this is a good job...?

Can't see any bedding compound between action & stock...
IMG_1589.jpg


View of whole action area....
IMG_1568.jpg


View of the rear area...
IMG_1579.jpg


View of the forward area...
IMG_1578.jpg


View of the stock stiffening area...
IMG_1583.jpg



I'm actually happy with the stock stiffening job, because it is much stiffer, the barrel is now free-floated & I can use a bi-pod with out the stock flexing up & hitting the barrel....but the bedding job just looks like shit to me...
mad.gif
 
#4
Re: Need Professional Opinions on a Bedding job..

Its definitely not pretty, but in my experience, there's not a lot you can do with a tupperware stock like that. He could have made it pretty, but it would have taken about 76 pounds of epoxy. The only other way would have been to use a filler of some kind, and bed over it, but thats just as ghetto.
 
#5
Re: Need Professional Opinions on a Bedding job..

I wouldnt ever be one to have a go but to be honest its not what most of us would ever present to a customer. Having said that, its not all about cosmetic appeal but it does play its part. It probably has made an improvement in your accuracy but I like to make things a little tidier if I can.
 
#6
Re: Need Professional Opinions on a Bedding job..

I spent about a week online looking for a replacement stock that would make for a better more stable platform.....but basically couldn't find any company that makes a stock for the Savage 300 Win Mag with a detachable magazine.....so I'm sort of stuck with this one....
 
#8
Re: Need Professional Opinions on a Bedding job..

Been a while since he did work for me but Kevin certainly knows his way around Savages and would be one of the right people to ask.

As for the bedding...have to agree, it looks poorly done. Does not sounds like it shoots well either. No reason a "beater" rifle can't shoot well.
 
#9
Re: Need Professional Opinions on a Bedding job..

This is on the Mcmillan specials list,
#2390 ADJ A5 PAINTED BLACK, RH SAVAGE LONG ACTION, STAGGERFEED MODEL, FAC DBM W/ SIDE BUTTON RELEASE, HOLLAND LUG, FAC VARMINT B/C, 1" DEC PAD, 13.5" LOP, INTEGRAL C/P, 3 STUDS, ALUMINUM PILLAR INSTALLED. $550.00
 
#11
Re: Need Professional Opinions on a Bedding job..

I would've never taken your money in the first place on trying to bed the cheap plastic factory stock. Not worth the time or money for the return you're trying to get.
 
#13
Re: Need Professional Opinions on a Bedding job..

I wouldn't have messed with using that stock to begin with. I also wouldn't have allowed anything like that to go out the door.
 
#15
Re: Need Professional Opinions on a Bedding job..

My dilema was that I didn't want to pump too much money into the ole rifle since it was an older model. I had a buddy offer to sell me his Remington Sendero II in 300 Win Mag for $600, so I know I can get a good rifle in that one with little investment. I didn't want to sink another 600 or 700 in a stock & trigger just to get to the same level as the Sendero. I thought the bedding & stock stiffening would help....

I'll just be content to keep it as a good "beater" hunting rifle.....not bad for $150.....
 
#16
Re: Need Professional Opinions on a Bedding job..

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: HateCA</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I would've never taken your money in the first place on trying to bed the cheap plastic factory stock. Not worth the time or money for the return you're trying to get. </div></div>

Yeah, it looks sloppy but I'd be pretty confident that there is much better contact between stock and action than there was to start with. I'm with HateCA though, probably shouldn't have been done to start with. But hey, for your investment, if it performs to your needs, all is well. Like I've said before, proofs in the puddin.

okie
 
#17
Re: Need Professional Opinions on a Bedding job..

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">My dilema was that <span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="font-size: 11pt">I didn't want to pump too much money into the ole rifle </span></span>since it was an older model. </div></div>

That's the beginning of many a sad story. Check with Choate too, some of their stocks are ugly and heavy but they work OK and they have a lot of stocks for Savages.
 
#19
Re: Need Professional Opinions on a Bedding job..

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: HateCA</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I would've never taken your money in the first place on trying to bed the cheap plastic factory stock. Not worth the time or money for the return you're trying to get.</div></div>

Same Here, Randy is correct!!

That Mcmillan that was posted will work fine
 
#20
Re: Need Professional Opinions on a Bedding job..

ive never bedded a rifle before i did this. i did this for $3 kiwi neutral wax, and $6 for the JB Weld.



5118397711_916a421d57_b.jpg


5119000338_27e266269a_b.jpg


5118398075_79e39d3208_b.jpg


5118999924_6d76e04b09_b.jpg


also i would have hogged out your stock and laid in some angle to stiffen it and bedded that in epoxy before bedding the action. since i only know what i have seen in pictures, i would have made yours look like mine. bedded along the sides and filled in all the holes. may have cost you another $6 in JBWeld. and a pizza. and some root beer. oh, and im not a professional
 
#21
Re: Need Professional Opinions on a Bedding job..

That is possibly the nastiest job I have ever seen.
I could do better than that wearing a blind fold and I am not joking . You should let other members that might live near you know who this criminal is. Not by naming them but by what area they are in and every one will know who you mean.
Wether it shoots or not is another issue the value of the gun has been adversely affected by such rough work.
I can not believe what I am seeing . I feel so sorry for you.
I doubt wether the correct clearance has been applied to the front and sides and base of the recoil lug . If it does shoot better it will be a miracle .
The best way to fix it is to hog some out with a dremmel leaving the pillars intact and clean on top ( hope they are straight) Also cut out some from the front sides and base of the recoil lug if no clearance exists now . Put two layers of electrical tape on the front , sides and base of the recoil lug. Do it in small strips cut to fit exactly . This gives the correct clearance and allows easy removal later. Tape up the trigger . Create a dam infront off the action where you want the epoxy to stop . Use kids play dough or similar and refit the barrel to push it to barrel shape. Then using two part epoxy with a pinch of graphite in it to match the stock cover all the forend area . The epoxy will level out and smooth it all up. Keep the stock at the correct level to allow that to happen . Then once that is hard clean the undeside of the action and any place it will contact epoxy even inside the action holding screw holes . Coat with a release agent like floor wax or Kiwi shoe polish clear type . Use the same bedding mixture . Coat all the areas that you have cut back but just stay back a bit from around the pillars and kinda put extra around the pillar but not right up to its edge.
Then replace the action but don't push it down insert the action screws with release agent in the threads. If the screws don't make it to the sockets push the action down a bit at a time until they start. Tighten the screws down slowly allowing time for the epoxy to move around but do not tighten fully as you would normally about 75% tight is all you need , remove any excess from around the action straight away with solvents and qtips etc. Watch the left over epoxy and as soon as it resists deformation by the point of a screw driver . Strong but not totaly hard either. Remove the screws and gently pull apart. Grasp the forend in one hand and the barrel in the other and slowly and gently pull apart. Go slow and let it have time to give up don't just reaf at it. Pull a bit and let off and then pull a bit more and so on . Usually they come straight out.
Then quickly clean up any external mess and overflow and run the action screws in and out to make sure no epoxy is in the threads and recoat . If any small amount of epoxy has migrated to the top of the pillars leave it . Clean up the metal work and recoat with a very thin layer of release agent and repalce the action tighten up the action screws normal tightness this time. Set the gun aside to cure standing on the muzzel so no pressure is on the stock well , least as possible.
Leave for another 24 hours or so . Pull it out and clean up and cut back any incursions into magazine wells or trigger wells etc with the dremmel. After that it should be good to go .
How I started bedding was to buy an old cheap wooden stock ex Military rifle and havea go. There was no internet in those days and I made lots of mistakes but there was good gun magazines like Precision shooter that helpped heaps . I would just hog it out and start again .
These are instructions for a barrel mounted recoil lug not a Mauser style lug.
If you don't feel confident using epoxy then just use it in the forend because it will level out but use something like Accra Glass , Devcon steel putty or Armour grout or JB weld in the action as it is thicker and easier to use under action pressure , there is many products and I can't remember them all.
 
#22
Re: Need Professional Opinions on a Bedding job..

I did the same thing to a Remington 7.

I stiffen the front end of stocks with old CF arrow shafts that are cut to size, arranged in the forend, and potted in with epoxy. It takes a lot less weight in epoxy to get the stiffness up.

He didn't bed the rear tang of the rifle which is good in this case.

The job is uglier than a pile of Shankster's wimminz though and it doesn't sound like it shoots.

I would take this as a good opportunity to do the following:

1) Don't go back to this guy
2) Get a dremel tool and grind all that out of there
3) Read through Mr. Roscoe's bedding posts and learn to do the job yourself
 
#24
Re: Need Professional Opinions on a Bedding job..

Show-off
wink.gif


<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: C. Dixon</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Graduate from med school with a 4.0 and what are you called?

Doctor.

Graduate with D's and F's and what are you called?

Doctor.

You get what you pay for.

DSC_0021.jpg


DSC_00212.jpg


DSC_0102.jpg
</div></div>
 
#25
Re: Need Professional Opinions on a Bedding job..

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: mgd45</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Between 2 & 2.5 inches at 100 yards.....maybe.....if I'm lucky... </div></div>
That is no surprise.
 
#26
Re: Need Professional Opinions on a Bedding job..

Thanks for all the reply's ! Damn those are some nice bedding pics! It's those kind of pics that I was envisioning when I was looking at my rifle stock.

I know it's just a cheap factory stock, but I figured that by bedding it & stiffening up the stock fore end it would make it a little better than when I started. I really like how lightweight it is...

Well, I guess it's time to learn how to do it myself......
 
#28
Re: Need Professional Opinions on a Bedding job..

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: C. Dixon</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Graduate from med school with a 4.0 and what are you called?

Doctor.

Graduate with D's and F's and what are you called?

Doctor.

You get what you pay for.

</div></div>

So....if you don't mind me asking.....what should I expect to pay for a good quality bedding job? $150-200 range...?

The gunsmith stated that he normally charged $125 for a bedding job....but agreed to drop the charge some since we had a mutual friend (who told me about him) & I was LEO....Guess, I was just expecting him to do the same quality job no matter what......my mistake.
 
#30
Re: Need Professional Opinions on a Bedding job..

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: crumpmd</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Dixon I can't believe you let shit like that out of your shop. You ought to take a good long look at yourself in the mirror and ask yourself if you can live like that anymore.</div></div>

Us bottom feeders gotta eat too. . .
smile.gif
 
#31
Re: Need Professional Opinions on a Bedding job..

Other guys are correct, I would have never bedded that stock, even for a best friend. There is not enough KIWI to polish that turd. As far as the bedding job that was performed, it sucks also.

A bell and carlson medalist with the full aluminum bedding block would be a low cost option. I've been pleased with them for the money.
 
#33
Re: Need Professional Opinions on a Bedding job..

Clearly you cannot make a plastic ADL type stock look like something out of Dixon's shop. But I have bedded a plastic ADL youth stock and with patient application and care it will look reasonably good and give decent accuracy. It is not your best option, but I think if you wanted to stiffen the stock a bit and have a better union between the receiver and the stock you can accomplish that.
If the rifle is still shooting only 2 moa I would look at other factors as well. I have an old Rem 700 30.06 in a wood ADL stock and it shoots about 1 moa with good ammo. Old remmie barrels were not good and I imagine old Savage stuff is the same.
 
#34
Re: Need Professional Opinions on a Bedding job..

As a garage hack I would be embarassed to admit I did a job like that let alone charge for it. I would rather run it through a brush chipper and claim it was stolen.

Take a look at boyds for an inexpensive laminate replacement. $100 for the stock, some bedding compound and the ability to read and follow Roscoes bedding thread and you will be good to go for a truck gun.
 
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