1st try at bedding, how do I deal with the action screws?

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Thanks for the advice. I can see that sheen on the epoxy and I wouldn't expect another layer to adhere to that very well.

You can see the shallow holes in the plastic I drilled to get some bite, and depth. Hope it all stays put. Gonna let it cook a bit tonight near a space heater in my bathroom, then suck it down tight tomorrow afternoon before I head to the range.
 
Hard as a rock this morning. The space heater was just the right amount of "warm" for it to set overnight. Assembly when I get home from work, then off to the range with a box of handloads to see what happens. :D
 
The crucial part, the area that the recoil lug would rest against, looks good. Well done.
 
Well, I'd love to say this bedding job shrunk my groups in half, but unfortunately it didn't. In fact, I'm not sure I can tell the difference. LOL Oh well, gonna keep playing with loads and see what I can get. This rifle might just be a 1.25" rifle and that's that. I know that's more than good enough for a hunting rifle, but just once I would like to luck into a 3/4" gun. Might be asking a lot from a stainless Ruger though.

The experience was very good and now I'm not afraid to bed my own rifles. I have about 3 more I plan to do, with the 2nd one already underway. It's also a Ruger 77 stainless with a synthetic stock. Gonna put a touch more epoxy under the barrel on that one.
 
Newtosavage said:
Gonna put a touch more epoxy under the barrel on that one.
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Putting bedding in front of the recoil lug, towards the muzzle, doesnt help accuracy IMO.

Bedding is placed there for 2 reasons, that i know of.
1. To keep some actions from flexing.
2. Keep the barrel from drooping. This downward drooping of the barrel requires removing materal in the barrel channel. Sometimes a lot with a bull/varmint weight barrel.
 
I figure bedding the first inch or so of the barrel can only help. At that point, the barrel is so thick and rigid that there is no way it can flex, so it's pretty much part of the action IMO.
 
Welp, 2nd stock is set and drying...

Put a bit more epoxy in this time, and it squished out the top next to the barrel. Sure hope it comes apart! ha, ha. This is the one that HAS to come apart.

I remembered to plug the screw holes with putty this time, so I left the masking tape off and just coated the recoil lug real well with shoe polish then OneShot.
 
barnbwt said:
You just aren't committed to accuracy enough if you expect to take the stock off ever again.
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I've never seen a zero change across several bolt action and Garands bedded in plastic steel pulling the barreled action out every few hundred rounds for cleaning. Just torque the screws to what's best after stuff is put back together.

Watched a national champion swap 4 barrels in and out of one action testing each for best accuracy. Others watching thought that was a bad thing to do. Then they were shown the targets shot at 600 yards. All 20-shot test groups (same ammo) were under 4 inches. Last one shot was the smallest, but not by much.
Newtosavage said:
Gonna put a touch more epoxy under the barrel on that one.
Click to expand...
All that does is transfer inconsistent pressure from bending fore ends to the barrel. Bolt gun barrels should not touch anything except ammo and receivers; totally free floating with at least 1/16" clearance to fore ends.
 
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Some people just can't catch a joke ;) --that line is what anyone who's ever welded a gun into a stock permanently by accident would say to cover their butt
 
Thanks for the tip Bart. I hadn't heard that before and apparently neither have all the people who are putting bedding compound under the first "inch or so" of the barrel. I literally see that every time I look up an article or video on rifle bedding, which is why I did it. You know, monkey see... :D

Popped the 2nd one out this morning about 2:00 a.m. I guess my neighbor's stupid dog that barks all night is good for something after all. LOL It took a bit more pulling, but it popped right out, even without any tape on the recoil lug, and a bit more epoxy around the base of the barrel. That combo of shoe polish and OneShot is pretty darn good release agent I'd say.

Going to the range tomorrow. Will post pic's and results then.
 
Newtosavage said:
Thanks for the tip Bart. I hadn't heard that before and apparently neither have all the people who are putting bedding compound under the first "inch or so" of the barrel.
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Lots of folks bedding barrels under the chamber have heard that's not good to do. Doesn't matter to them 'cause their beliefs and tests prove otherwise. Same thing about neck only versus full length sizing bottleneck cases.

Most of them are not aware of the thousands of rifles shooting bullets most accurate with free floated barrels. Nor do they understand how barreled actions flex and wiggle as well as stock fore ends flex and wiggle. Both before the bullet has left the barrel.

Watch the stocks, barrels and receivers bend in this site's section titled "Mode Shapes and Natural Frequencies."

http://www.varmintal.com/aeste.htm
 
Glued in receivers started when benchresters started shooting heavier bullets. Round receivers twist more from barrel torque. Just like a round nut in flat jawed sockets or wrenches. My experience is with a 308 Win barrel in a Rem. 700 short action. It would twist loose from perfect bedding every 300 or so rounds with bullets 168 grains and heavier. Others had the same problems. Winchester 70 receivers' flat surfaces kept them in place over a few barrels wearing out.
 
Lots of folks bedding barrels under the chamber have heard that's not good to do. Doesn't matter to them 'cause their beliefs and tests prove otherwise. Same thing about neck only versus full length sizing bottleneck cases.
Click to expand...

I'm sure that's the case. Humans are funny that way. Once we believe something, it's tough for us to change.

Good news is I can float that entire barrel once again, in less than a minute with my Dremel. So no harm done there. I used to neck size only too, mostly because I didn't want to lube and clean my brass - but also because I had read it produced more accuracy. After a year of not being able to close my bolt very easily, I switched to FL size and my group size didn't change. But it sure was easier to close the bolt and to get a round out of the chamber if my Ruger picked it up wrong.
 
Newtosavage said:
I figure bedding the first inch or so of the barrel can only help. At that point, the barrel is so thick and rigid that there is no way it can flex, so it's pretty much part of the action IMO.
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Doh! Wrong...

Range session was an exercise in frustration. Cutting out that portion of the bedding under the chamber tomorrow.
 
You might be right. This might be a 1.5" rifle and that's all it'll ever be. Could be harmonics? Could be Throat and Leade? Could be stock? Or, could be all three and there is no way to cure it ... For many of my old rifles (hand-me-downs) I'd take a consistent 1.5" rifle any day. Only rifle I have that is better than that is a single shot 22-250 bull barrel. And it's a 1" gun ...

On the old mil-surps I have worked over (gotten in bubba sporter config), all bedding did was make them much more consistent. It did not really tighten the groups. But it reduced the fliers, put the groups in the same place so the sights could be adjusted to a predictable POI, and made them feel better shooting. But I'll take that :D
 
BrocLuno, you may be right. However, I dropped some factory green box Remingtons in my 7x57 and sure enough - they shot an inch just like they always do. LOL. Try as I may, I just can't beat those factory loads in my rifle. I gotta work hard to equal them. I sure wish Remington didn't discontinue the 140 grain 7mm core lokts.

My .280, with a pretty decent elk load (154-grain Interlocks @ 2800 fps) is a steady 1.25" gun. I don't have a problem with that. Elk are big critters, and 1.25" at 100 is 5" at 400 yards - more than enough to do the job IMO.

I think the problem I have is that my Savage rifles have me spoiled. The WORST they do is 1.25" and usually an inch, and if I try at all, my handloads are always under an inch. That's without bedding and with a cheap plastic stock. My "new" 17HMR Savage is now giving me 1" groups at 100 yards after about 400 rounds through it. Heck, my first 5 shots with it at 100 yesterday could have easily been covered by a penny. Almost boring.
 
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Broke both rifles apart and hogged out the bedding under the chamber areas. Now the actions and recoil lugs are fully bedded but the barrels are completely free floating. We'll see what happens now. Not sure what else I can do!
 
S
Newtosavage said:
Broke both rifles apart and hogged out the bedding under the chamber areas. Now the actions and recoil lugs are fully bedded but the barrels are completely free floating. We'll see what happens now. Not sure what else I can do!
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Shoot them.....
Then shoot them some more!

Maybe try some of the flat base bullets, while bc isnt awsome ive found them to be a little more forgiving about loads than boattails.
 
LoonWulf said:
S


Shoot them.....
Then shoot them some more!

Maybe try some of the flat base bullets, while bc isnt awsome ive found them to be a little more forgiving about loads than boattails.
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Thanks. I have found the same to be true actually. My 154 Interlocks are always very consistent performers. Can't say the same for the 139 BTSP interlocks unfortunately. However the BTSP Sierras have been very good. I've yet to shoot a Sierra bullet that didn't group well.

I do have at least two consistent 1" loads for both of my Ruger 77's, so I can't really complain. I should get to the range this weekend, and I'll post up my findings. I'm not expecting any change but you never know right?
 
Well, put me in the "no bedding under the chamber" group now. ;)

This morning from my .280 - 6 shots at 100 yards, no waiting. The barrel was almost too hot to touch when I was done.

IMG_3247.JPG IMG_3247.JPG
 
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