What hurts bedding

[rabbitsnsuch]

Has anyone tested how much bedding is affected by removing the barreled action from stock? If so does it matter that much or does just being careful suffice? Also does rucking or training with a bedded rifle and beating on it in competitions ever do any harm? Thanks

 

[cageli]

Has anyone tested how much bedding is affected by removing the barreled action from stock? If so does it matter that much or does just being careful suffice? Also does rucking or training with a bedded rifle and beating on it in competitions ever do any harm? Thanks

My thought only, as I have not really tested it. I do think bedding is a temporary thing, it’s good for some time then you would have to redo it. As to how long it lasts, things you have mentioned, removing BA, banging the rifle around, would decide. Be more careful will help. I think chassis is the king, but stocks just feel really good, and for most applications, stocks with bedding are already overkill. The benchrest level accuracy is the only occasion that I can think, requires a perfect bedding and bounding.

 

[Ledzep]

Depends on too many things to give you a clean answer. Most don't ever really wear a bedding job out. I'd wager that most folks that re-bed the same action do so because of OCD, boredum, etc..

If it's done right and the epoxy is mixed right, it ought to last 10+ years of regular use.

 

[John Kuhl]

Keep cleaning solvents out of the bedding will help a lot.

 

[phlegm]

Water might be an issue.

Derek Rodgers is shown in the photo below. He put tape over the bedding to keep water out in case of rain.

I've never thought of it as a possible issue, but perhaps it could be. The next question is what type of bedding compound would be subject to this.

Read for yourself: https://bulletin.accurateshooter.co...crowned-at-f-class-worlds-in-canada/#comments

 

[Stooxie]

My guess for the issue above is that once he has it all bedded and secured he doesn't like to remove the action much, or at all. Getting water in there means he'd have to take it apart to dry it all out.

-Stooxie

 

[rabbitsnsuch]

Keep cleaning solvents out of the bedding will help a lot.

Any particular solvents to stay away from, or that you recommend for this? I guess I don't know what bedding compounds are used to what may do it harm. Thanks.

Depends on too many things to give you a clean answer. Most don't ever really wear a bedding job out. I'd wager that most folks that re-bed the same action do so because of OCD, boredum, etc..

If it's done right and the epoxy is mixed right, it ought to last 10+ years of regular use.

This is what I had figured but didn't want to assume. I don't go out of my way to harm and like to keep my stuff nice so I should be fine. Thanks.

My thought only, as I have not really tested it. I do think bedding is a temporary thing, it’s good for some time then you would have to redo it. As to how long it lasts, things you have mentioned, removing BA, banging the rifle around, would decide. Be more careful will help. I think chassis is the king, but stocks just feel really good, and for most applications, stocks with bedding are already overkill. The benchrest level accuracy is the only occasion that I can think, requires a perfect bedding and bounding.

I like the look and feel of a stock but as far as practicality and how much money to put into it over the years or just say screw it and get a chassis is bouncing around my head. But might try my chances on the next rifle with a stock.

Thanks everyone for your input.

 

[Vodak]

Bedding compounds are various formulas of epoxy and fillers. Nothing magical, some of the best options are available on hardware store shelves in some places.
Keep any solvents/cleaning products/oil away from it. It’s not like it’s going to instantly melt and ruin it, but it may over time. Stuff a paper towel or a rag into the bottom of the action to catch anything that drips out of the chamber and you will be fine.

 

[shoot4fun]

A guy who built a few excellent rifles for me once said a nice smooth void-free bedding job was a thing of beauty but was no asset to accuracy. In fact, he added, it could be detrimental. He always used Devcon but, while his bedding was impeccable, let the pillars do the work. His reasoning was that the curing process wasn't complete when the stuff got hard and it actually shrunk away from the action over time, leaving the possibility that the action screws would lose their torque and the accuracy killing vibrations and wobble would set in.
He used a think sheet of metal to wrap the action during bedding and also had devised a special operation that floated the front action screw so it always centered up perfectly.
Not sure how much sense it makes but he did build me a few awesome shooting rifles in the day. May he RIP.

 

[Greg Langelius *]

I bedded my Garand using the NRA Garand Reprint as my guide. I took the advice of NRA N/M Highpower shooters who insisted the action only be taken out of the stock once annually, in order to do a thorough cleaning.

My only other bedded rife is the 2001/2002 SH Ghost Dancer Savage .260. It's mated to a McMillan A3 Tactical, and is a pillar bedded genuine work of art by them. It's a great shooting rifle to this day that has probably only been o/o the stock less than a handful of times since 2001.

I don't really have much use for Chassis systems. I think they're great, I suspect that they work better than pretty much anything else at what they do, and they usually cost more than I'd care to pay. That's not a hanging offense, and my rifles seldom come into the vicinity of challenges that justify every claim made about chassis systems.

Where affordable precision is the goal, I have resorted to the Choate Savage Tactical Stock, which employs an aluminum bedding block, shoots at least as well as I can, and probably much better. It's good enough for my needs, and is affordable according to my means. It is also easily configurable to cope with my own excessive LOP.

My driving priorities start with the word adequate, move on to include my abilities and needs, and put my respect in those who do better and rate more precision than I can afford.

I clean my guns with Hoppe's #9, and/or Gunslick foaming bore cleaner. I clean the bolt recesses with a specific tool and cotton dental rolls dampened in a mixture of Lucas Heavy Duty Gun Oil and rubbing alcohol. and are left slightly moist, allowing the remaining alcohol to evaporate and deposit a very light coat of the oil in the recesses

Any time there's solvent/foam soaking in the bore, the rifles are stood muzzle down over a pink cotton shop cloth. Every time the rod exits the bore, it is wiped down with a pink cotton shop cloth. The bolt lug rails get cleaned out with a dry pink cotton shop cloth. The alcohol/gun oil technique is used to dress the bore with light coat of oil.

Greg