Action bedding questions

[mickeydim468]

Action bedding questions... Less felt recoil maybe?

I have recently bedded the actions of 2 rifles. I have never done this before, but I was able to do it to both rifles without too much difficulty.

The first rifle I did was my US model of 1917 30 Caliber Remington, commonly call an M1917 or P17 Enfield. This is the rifle I had which had been sporterized with a cut down military original stock to look like a modern hunting stock with a shortened barrel to 20".

Well, I started by removing the stock and putting it on a shelf for safe keeping. Then I took the stock off my brand new Weatherby .300 Win Mag rifle and set the barreled action aside. Then I got out my rotozip and carved away at the synthetic stock until my M1917 action fit. I re-drilled the tang bolt screw hold and it fell right in. Then I opened the barrel channel a tiny bit to allow it to free float the barrel and then I bedded the action and first 2 inches of the barrel. I now have a Eddystone, Enfield, Remington, Weatherby, Winchester rifle in 30-06. Then I put a scope on it and painted it in a weird psychodelic cammo pattern and took it out shooting. I will get back to that part.

Then I took my newish Weatherby .243 Win apart and bedded the stock the same way I did my M1917. The I put it back together and painted it for a light colored cammo with leaf stensils for a pretty cool looking cammo pattern. Then I took it out to shoot.

Here is my main question... Other than a gain in accuracy, what benefits are there for bedding the action?

I will tell you that both rifles improved dramatically in the accuracy once the scopes were re-sighted in. I put 5 shots in just over an inch with the M1917 but three in one ragged hole. The .243 3 shots were just over .35" for 3 shots and just under an inch for 5 shots.

What I did not expect or maybe it was just me. Neither rifles recoil is as bad as it was before the bedding job. I can even hold the .243 on target and see the hit on the paper through the scope as it hits. Come to think about it, I could with the 30-06 too. I have never been able to do that before. Is this a side affect of the bedding that really doesn't get mentioned? I also know that one of the other things I did while bedding the rifles was to make sure they were balanced under the magazine. I had to put just a little epoxy resin in the butt of the .243 to make it equal at the magazine and the 30-06 was just right after finishing up the bedding. I wonder which part had the most affect on the shooting?

Any ideas or thoughts welcome.

Thanks guys!

Mikey!

P.S. If anyone is wondering why I took the synthetic stock off of my .300 Win Mag... I ordered a stock from Richards Microfit that should be here in about 6 weeks from now for that rifle. It is a semi-fancy claro walnut with rosewood tips and maple spacers in a dual grip with a thumbhole and a pachmeir decelerator 1" pad. I will be finishing that stock too as well as bedding the action. I will post some pics of that project when I do it.

 

[Schofield3]

Other than a gain in accuracy, what benefits are there for bedding the action?

One thing I can think of is stock preservation; if you have an old stock that may be splitting or cracking from all the recoil it's seen over the years, bedding the action will stop any further damage.

 

[mickeydim468]

Besides stock preservation, and accuracy, what are other benefits of bedding an action?

You see, I really experienced a large reduction of felt recoil after bedding the action of the .243 and also with the 30-06 but the 30-06 may just fit me better now with the newer stock design, but I did see an improvement with the .243 as well. Has anyone else noticed this type of thing after bedding their stock? Or am I just nuts? The difference I felt with the .243 would be similar to adding a muzzle brake to it. The barrel flip and the recoil are both greatly reduced. It almost feels like my .22lr to shoot now, where before it kicked pretty good and I could not hold it on target after the shot, now I can.

Mikey!

 

[colonelhogan44]

I don't see how that could be the case, but what do I know.

I just bedded an old Yugo 8mm Mauser a few days ago with JB weld...it was my first attempt at bedding and I think it turned out well. I'll post back after I shoot it (when I feel like cleaning for corrosive ammo).

 

[mickeydim468]

Recoil Mystery Understood!

I took the rifles back out to the range and I shot 50 rounds through both rifles. I could have never shot 50 rounds through the 30-06 before this bedding job.

After thinking about it, I think the fitment of the rifle has the most to do with it. I know the fitment didn't change for the .243, but the fatigue was not there from shooting the 30-06, or .300 Win Mag either. I usually shoot them all when I visit the range, and by the time I get to the .243 I guess I must be tired already and it just seemed to kick harder.

That old military stock was not the most ergonomic thing I ever used. The handle part where your right hand holds the stock was at such a clumsy angle it hurt my wrist when I was shooting it before. Now with the modern stock, that angle is very nayural and I do not get as fatigued as quickly as before.

Either way or whatever it was, I sure do love the new custom M1917 I have. It shoots very tight groups at 100, 200, and 300 yards. The .243 is a good rifle too! It shoots better than I can at 100 yards, but it does not fare too well with a cross wind that is whipping in from many directions, so the 200, and 300 yard results were not as impressive as the 100 yard shots. I mean, I was able to put 5 shots in less than 0.5 inch at 100, but at 200 that group opened up to about 3 inches and at 300 it was at about 4.5 inches for 5 shots.

Mikey!

 

[dakotasin]

i've heard of the recoil reduction thing before. theory pitched to me was the recoil lug no longer slams the mortise cut.

i guess i don't buy that, and feel it is a mental thing... almost all my rifles are glass bedded, and i don't recall any of them being softer to shoot after bedding. i'm not saying it isn't possible, i am saying i have not experienced it.

other benefits of beding is more consistent placement of your groups from day to day. so, smaller groups, placed more consistently is a good thing...

 

[Uncle Mike]

t

heory pitched to me was the recoil lug no longer slams the mortise cut.

WOW!...if this is going on, you really do have problems.

I'll have to agree, the recoil reduction thing after bedding a stock, IMO is a fairy tail!

 

[mickeydim468]

I had never heard the fairy tale. It just seemed that way to me and that is why I asked. After more testing on my own I came up with a more plausible conclusion which was rifle fitment being better and reducing fatigue, therefore giving the impression of lighter felt recoil!

Mikey!