Gunsmithing To bed or not to bed

[dareposte]

I have a B&C Medalist with aluminum bedding block, fit to a Rem700. The contact area seems pretty good on the bedding block. I free-floated the barrel channel which was hitting, but haven't decided if I should bother to bed the action to the stock or not.

I've bedded several aluminum block'd rifles using JB Weld or Devcon, but didn't really see much improvement out of them. Generally if it won't help very much I prefer to leave the stock alone, for resale value and interop with other actions.

Haven't shot this combination yet, so I'm not sure how it shoots. The action in it will shoot 3/4 MOA all day long in a good stock.

So whats the vote... is it worth doing?

 

[Niles Coyote]

Re: To bed or not to bed

If you find yourself seeing unexplained fliers once you shoot it, bed it.

 

[USMCj]

Re: To bed or not to bed

Bed, now. Remove one more variable.

 

[mscott]

Re: To bed or not to bed

I would bed it. I don't typically worry about re-sale value when assembling something.

 

[dougm58]

Re: To bed or not to bed

I always skim bead my HS stocks. I like the action touching evenly all over when torked into the stock.

 

[oneshot onekill]

Re: To bed or not to bed

I don't know... I used a Whidden aluminum Bedding Block in my McMillan A5 and my rifle makes tiny groups. Of course, Whidden is not the same block. I also don't worry about torque being the same on both screws. I know... I'm a knuckle-head... but it doesn't seem to affect the way my rifle shoots.

Rifle's a Remington 7.62X51 40X Repeater... Magnificent!
(340 rounds since last cleaning)

 

[USMCj]

Re: To bed or not to bed

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: oneshot onekill</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I don't know... I used a Whidden aluminum Bedding Block in my McMillan A5 and my rifle makes tiny groups. Of course, Whidden is not the same block. I also don't worry about torque being the same on both screws. I know... I'm a knuckle-head... but it doesn't seem to affect the way my rifle shoots.

Rifle's a Remington 7.62X51 40X Repeater... Magnificent!
(340 rounds since last cleaning) </div></div>

The Whidden block is great, if you action is straight and true on the outside. Most Remington actions are not. They are more of a bananna shape, so the v block puts stress on the action when they are torqued down. I know this because I had it happen to me with a AICS stock. I would torque the front screw, the rear of the action would float in air, and the same in vice versa.

Nothing beats a good stress free bedding job, nothing!

 

[Black Ops]

Re: To bed or not to bed


I would bed it no doubt. This will help eliminate vertical stringing if that is an issue...

But who am I to say

<span style="font-weight: bold">Mike
Tac Ops</span>

 

[oneshot onekill]

Re: To bed or not to bed

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: USMCj</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: oneshot onekill</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I don't know... I used a Whidden aluminum Bedding Block in my McMillan A5 and my rifle makes tiny groups. Of course, Whidden is not the same block. I also don't worry about torque being the same on both screws. I know... I'm a knuckle-head... but it doesn't seem to affect the way my rifle shoots.

Rifle's a Remington 7.62X51 40X Repeater... Magnificent!
(340 rounds since last cleaning) </div></div>

The Whidden block is great, if you action is straight and true on the outside. Most Remington actions are not. They are more of a bananna shape, so the v block puts stress on the action when they are torqued down. I know this because I had it happen to me with a AICS stock. I would torque the front screw, the rear of the action would float in air, and the same in vice versa.

Nothing beats a good stress free bedding job, nothing! </div></div>

Maybe my rifle being a 40X which I believe is a "Custom Shop" rifle doesn't have that issue. Food for thought.

Thanks for settin' me straight.

 

[dareposte]

Re: To bed or not to bed

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Black Ops</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
I would bed it no doubt. This will help eliminate vertical stringing if that is an issue...

But who am I to say

<span style="font-weight: bold">Mike
Tac Ops</span> </div></div>

Thanks for all the feedback, there are a lot of knowledgeable opinions that have been offered up and the clear consensus is to just go ahead and bed it.

I'll hit the front, tang, and recoil lug. Any place else that's critical?

 

[FNARSHOOTER]

Re: To bed or not to bed

Roscoe posted a step by step bedding post that was the best I've ever seen. The stress free part is easy if you follow his post.
Scot

 

[USMCj]

Re: To bed or not to bed

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: dareposte</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Black Ops</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
I would bed it no doubt. This will help eliminate vertical stringing if that is an issue...

But who am I to say

<span style="font-weight: bold">Mike
Tac Ops</span> </div></div>

Thanks for all the feedback, there are a lot of knowledgeable opinions that have been offered up and the clear consensus is to just go ahead and bed it.

I'll hit the front, tang, and recoil lug. Any place else that's critical?
</div></div>

I bed the whole action rather than just the front. Why do only half the job?

 

[CT]

Re: To bed or not to bed

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: dareposte</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
Haven't shot this combination yet, so I'm not sure how it shoots. The action in it will shoot 3/4 MOA all day long in a good stock.

So whats the vote... is it worth doing? </div></div>

Answered your own question - shoot it first; no brainer. If it strings vertically, skim bed, then shoot again for results.

 

[Mr.Kirk]

Re: To bed or not to bed

I've seen them shoot w/ no work and I've seen them only shoot after bedding. I like to look for tension when the action is being tightened or loosened in the stock. If you see lift and such when tightening it up, it is not fitting right and needs to be bedded. Also, like everyone said, there is only one way to know if it will shoot.

 

[sobrbiker883]

Re: To bed or not to bed

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: dareposte</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I have a B&C Medalist with aluminum bedding block, fit to a Rem700. The contact area seems pretty good on the bedding block. I free-floated the barrel channel which was hitting, but haven't decided if I should bother to bed the action to the stock or not.

I've bedded several aluminum block'd rifles using JB Weld or Devcon, but didn't really see much improvement out of them. Generally if it won't help very much I prefer to leave the stock alone, for resale value and interop with other actions.

Haven't shot this combination yet, so I'm not sure how it shoots. The action in it will shoot 3/4 MOA all day long in a good stock.

So whats the vote... is it worth doing? </div></div>

If you've floated the barrel channel you've modified the stock, so don't worry about resale anymore. If the action is in a good stock shooting 3/4 moa all day long, why are you putting it in a BC?

If you are going to use that stock with a particular action-bed it. If you are going to use it for more than one rifle of the same action-you may want to bed it for the one that will ride it most, but bed the action and the rear of the recoil lug only.

 

[sobrbiker883]

Re: To bed or not to bed

Oh, and if you haven't shot it yet and are asking opinions here, shoot it first to see if it needs it. Additionally you will have solid data to share down the road with others that will ask the same question in the future.
I wish I had with the AICS's I bedded (recorderd comparative data before/after that is).

 

[dareposte]

Re: To bed or not to bed

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: sobrbiker883</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
If you've floated the barrel channel you've modified the stock, so don't worry about resale anymore. If the action is in a good stock shooting 3/4 moa all day long, why are you putting it in a BC?]
</div></div>

Good points, I'm putting it in the B&C because I want to try out a heavier stock and a higher cheek comb than the H&S it was in, and the BC A2 has a rep as a solid stock. I shot my friend's savage in the Medalist A2 and liked the way it fit, so I ordered one to try out. At $200, why not? If I don't like it then I'll sell it and move on.

I'm eyeing an ACIS for my 338-in-progress, but haven't gotten behind one to see if I want to sink the cash into it.

 

[dareposte]

Re: To bed or not to bed

Bedded it, shot it, shoots great, thanks for the advice, glad I didn't waste ammo figuring out I needed to bed it.