Gunsmithing Need some bedding Need some bedding advice(Boyd’s stock mini rant)

[Blakeh1]

So I started a little project, T/C compass with a Boyd’s pro Varmint stock in 6.5 Creedmoor. I got my stock in from Boyd’s and while it looks amazing I had a couple issues, the back action screw hole in the trigger guard was off center(easy fix). When I set the barrel and action in the stock everything lines up perfect, spacing on the barrel is even in both sides. But as I apply torque to the action screws the barre pulls about 1/8” or so left where it is almost touching the stock. I did the paper test on it and it is still free floating but only barely. Question is if I bed the stock do you think it will fix the issue or no?​

dvice(Boyd’s stock mini rant)

So I started a little project, T/C compass with a Boyd’s pro Varmint stock in 6.5 Creedmoor. I got my stock in from Boyd’s and while it looks amazing I had a couple issues, the back action screw hole in the trigger guard was off center(easy fix). When I set the barrel and action in the stock everything lines up perfect, spacing on the barrel is even in both sides. But as I apply torque to the action screws the barrel pulls about 1/8” or so left where it is almost touching the stock. I did the paper test on it and it is still free floating but only barely. Question is if I bed the stock do you think it will fix the issue or no?​

 

[XLR308]

To do a proper bedding job you will need to address were the pressure point causing the misalignment is coming from.
If it is only material that needs to be relieved that would be best since you would need to do that anyway for your bedding compound.
Since I'm not familiar with the stock you have does it have pillars installed in it ?

 

[Blakeh1]

To do a proper bedding job you will need to address were the pressure point causing the misalignment is coming from.
If it is only material that needs to be relieved that would be best since you would need to do that anyway for your bedding compound.
Since I'm not familiar with the stock you have does it have pillars installed in it ?

No pillars

 

[XLR308]

No pillars

Check to make sure the holes for the action screws are centered and drilled straight and start you prep for bedding by relieving material.
Some only bed from the lug and back to the area just behind the front action screw and the tang, I prefer to do the whole action length but it's personal preference I guess.

 

[Blakeh1]

Check to make sure the holes for the action screws are centered and drilled straight and start you prep for bedding by relieving material.
Some only bed from the lug and back to the area just behind the front action screw and the tang, I prefer to do the whole action length but it's personal preference I guess.

Will do, I am thinking that this is probably what is causing my problems. Thanks for the help

 

[mcfred]

I just bedded a Provarmint. Hog out the action screw holes, mask it off, and glue it back in with the barrel taped-up to center in the channel.

 

[Blakeh1]

I just bedded a Provarmint. Hog out the action screw holes, mask it off, and glue it back in with the barrel taped-up to center in the channel.

You don’t happen to live near Dallas Ftw do you ?

 

[Blakeh1]

Also are you installing pillars? If not what’s holding the action down to the stock?

 

[mcfred]

I live about 8 hours' drive from DFW.

I did install aluminum pillars, they're in the pic I posted; top left. I set the pillar height so that the magazines work and the receiver and DBM are all square and the whole business floats in the stock inlet a little but centers on the barrel channel. Glue it into the stock and wait. Trim off a bit when it's still "leather-hard" then pop it free when it's good and hard and clean out the rest of the goo where it doesn't belong.

Takes about an afternoon.

Of course if it doesn't fit like it should then maybe a call to Boyds is in order before you go hacking on the stock.

 

[ubettcha]

Leave a bit of the material alone from the tang screw rearward. Relieve the rest of the action area so your action sits in bedding compound. I do not use aluminum pilars anymore it has a different expansion ration than steel and can cause action screw torque issues. I use the threaded rod you find in lighting fixtures for my pilar material. I also use the guide screws in my action while bedding. This way I am not causing stress to the action with a point load at the action screw. To do that I use electrical tape to hold the action in the stock while the epoxy cures. I am using west systems epoxy with cab o sil. This relies on the filler for compression strength and reduces shrinkage. Marine tex has the least amount of shrinkage in a matrix only compound. If I didn't use epoxies as much as i do I would use marine tex and call it a day.

 

[supercorndogs]

I do not use aluminum pilars anymore it has a different expansion ration than steel and can cause action screw torque issues. I use the threaded rod you find in lighting fixtures for my pilar material..

Where did you learn this?

 

[ubettcha]

My father is an aerospace engineer retired. He specialized in making things that were exposed to dramatic changes in temp that couldn't fail. It was him that explained why I was having issues with an aluminum block bedded rifle changing zero in the cold. Since I do 90%+ of my shooting from Nov to April I had to come up with a better way and this was the least expensive way that has worked.

 

[Darrell Rogers]

To extend the expansion rate thought by ubettcha, epoxys / resins / glue / adhesives / all have a different expansion rate in the cold vs warm climates. Being an engineer provides you with exposure to all kinds of stuff that drives you crazy. Learned experience: 1999; GM Assembly Plant in Doraville, GA. While ramping up quantities of a new mini-van for release to commerce (August time frame = HOT) we noted hundreds of windshields cracking and breaking in the final shipping lot. Turns out the urethane used in attaching the windshield to the vehicle had been developed in Michigan and was not thoroughly tested in hot climates. The durometer hardness of the urethane was mismatched to the glass used in this van (glass had major curves and bends) and resulted in thousands of vans needing new glass - and a redesign of the urethane components.

 

[supercorndogs]

Picking fly shit out of pepper. While it may lead to a false peace of mind. You will never notice the difference.

 

[mcfred]

If the difference between aluminum and steel over a 5" span mattered then we would not have aluminum body scopes, rings or bases on a steel receiver. If it does matter in your particular instance and you know about it then don't zero the rifle in the Summer and neglect it until it's Winter and 60˚F different.

A 60˚F difference will more likely affect the burn rate of the ammo and the relative humidity's effect on a wood stock more than an aluminum/steel interface.