Bedding a remington 700 sps...how much to bed?

[streetstang67]

I'll be bedding my remington 700 sps dm (.30-06) very soon. I've never done this before, but I am confident that I will be able to tackle this. My only concern is where to bed other than the action. This is not a bull barrel, its not a super thin barrel either, its just the normal barrel that came on this rifle.

I dont know if I should bed the action and first 4" of the barrel, then float the rest. Or Bed the action and about a half inch of the fore-end of the stock, at the tip. Or bed the action and float the rest, etc......

I had originally planned on bedding the action then free floating everything else, but the more I read, it seems benefitial to bed the first few inches of the barrel as well. Also I read that if you dont have a bull barrel, you should bed a small area at the tip of the stock, closest to the muzzle.

What do you recommend?

I know I could just bed a little, then test, then bed some more, then test, then experiment with pressure here or there and test it...but I figured many of you would have advice so that I won't have to do all that trial and error.

Thanks!

 

[Howard Roark]

Bed the action and as far out the barrel as the chamber. Free float the rest.

 

[The Deer Hunter]

I found this informative.

http://riflestocks.tripod.com/bedding.html

 

[goemado]

I recently pillar bedded and free floated a Remington 700 BDL. After bedding it shot 1.5" groups - same as before free floating the barrel (same box of factory ammo). The action was bedded about 2.5" in front of the recoil lug.

I plan to experiment more with the front pressure pad and am planning on bedding a new pad once the "sweet spot" is found (assuming it exists).

My point is you may need to experiment with a pressure pad near the fore end tip (I sanded mine off during the free floating). With a standard profile barrel (as I have and it sounds like you also have), the front pressure pad may improve accuracy.

Good luck.

 

[streetstang67]

Well, I guess I might have to experiment with a pressure point at the tip, but how far up the barrel should I bed?

So far I have a suggestions for the length of the chamber (for a .30-06, I'm gonna assume thats about 3.5"), also suggested is 2.5". Any other suggestions?

 

[critter]

I bed my guns (all wood stocks) doing just the action and the enlarged barrel reinforce (about 1.5-2") or the 'fat' part of the barrel. The rest is completely free floated.

I understand that some get better accuracy with a pressure pad bedded at the tip. That can be done (or tried experimentally) AFTER the other is done if desired. I never tried it as accuracy was good enough the other way. Doing it the way I do, I DO NOT get a 'wandering zero' when the weather changes and the stock pressure therefore changes. I will take a little larger groups IF THEY ARE ALWAYS WHERE THE CROSSHAIRS ARE.

Good luck as that is a fun, interesting and educational project. Hope it is also profitable.

 

[streetstang67]

Yes, thats what I'm going for, to hit where the crosshairs are.

Currently I have a problem with my first couple shots being off the rest of my group. I want that first (cold bore) shot to be where the rest of my shots are.

 

[dakotasin]

i bed all my remingtons the same way. put a clay dam just past the point of where the shoulder of a case would be, and then dremel out the action area, including making mechanical locks all the way back along the action rails and tang (you are removing just enough material so that there is no contact w/ the stock to the action - use your wife's lipstick to make sure, and hide the lipstick from her, because she'll be plenty fired up about it). i've never had a bedding job not improve accuracy of any rifle (most dramatic improvement was actually on a savage 110) i've done.

caveat: i have also been told that bedding the way i do is incorrect, and to leave the tang and rails alone. -shrug- its just what i do.

when you get the bedding cured, to make sure you did not bed in a stress point, check to ensure that when you remove the action screws, there is no movement in the stock or barrel. if there, you need to hog it out and start from scratch.

here is a great discussion on bedding: http://www.baitshopboyz.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=5343&PN=1

 

[streetstang67]

Well I was hoping there was a standard amount of barrel to bed, or at least a common amount. So far I have suggestions from 1.5" to 3.5"

Also, since this in an injection molded stock, I have to fill in certain hollow areas before bedding. The first "section" starts at the beginning of the barrel and is 1-3/4" long, the second hollow section starts just after the first and goes until 3-5/8" down the barrel. So while it is possible for me to fill both these voids and then bed the desired distance, if I'm only going to bed the first 1-3/4" of the barrel, then I only need to fill that first section