Best barrel bedding for a 300 weatherby

[msta999]

I have decided to go with bedding the barrel of my Vanguard deluxe (wood stock) 300 weatherby. I floated the barrel earlier, by building up a void area under the front mounting screw, but I get movement on the 100 yd target. I'll have 3 holes touching, then one off to the right and high a couple inchs, then 3 straight up in a nice tight group. I am using sand bags and have always been a good (better than most) shot, but this weatherby is just giving me problems....I want the problems gone before hunting season starts. I thought about just using the bedding material in the area the action sits around the front mounting screw, and keeping the barrel floating. Not sure it that is the way to go or just make sure the problem is gone and bed the hole thing. I had wanted to leave the stock removeable, so I (or someone) could refinish the stock, due to a few dents and couple scratches, but I guess since this is only a 800.00 gun new, I'll just bed it and save up for a new american made Mark V. My question is which is the best bedding product for a magnum 300?

Any advice, on this, is welcome too.

Thanks for reading.

 

[PRE 64 JOE]

Glass Bedding

msta999, I use acra glass jell on my .300 win mag, and my .300 h&h mag. the groups reduced by half, the best combo I found is to bed the action and about one inchforward of barrel, free float light to medium barrels and bed the stock forend on the bottom about 1inch back and only on the bottom of the stock 1 inch by 1 inch area and put a piece of thin paper under the barrel that will require about 10 pounds of lift to slide the paper out from under the barrel at the forend, I use electrical tape on the action lugs, hopes this makes since, Joe.

 

[fguffey]

http://multimedia.mmm.com/mws/mediawebserver.dyn?6666660Zjcf6lVs6EVs66S1QnCOrrrrQ-

Lowe's has a the same type product for half the price, I like the strength and will try it one the next stock, if it works the money will go further.

F. Guffey

 

[Bart B.]

I prefer Devcon Plastic Steel, Bisonite Steel or MarineTex; these have the least shrinkage based on proper tests compared to AccraGlass or other epoxies commonly used. Although AccraGlass is popular for bedding, it shrinks about the most of anything. The best (most accurate) bedding jobs require the fit be as tight as possible. Using a good release agent (Simonize car wax applied as thin as possible) and the barreled action can be removed and replaced dozens of times and it will still be very tight.

Competitive shooters have found that best accuracy is attained when the barrel doesn't touch anything; completely free floated. Stock fore ends bend when on bags and the shooter presses his cheek on the stock to shoot it. They also bend from sling use that pulls them away from the barrel changing the pressure they may have had against it. That pressure transfers to the barrel where ever it touches; it's worst at the front part of the fore end and is not repeatable. And that popular pad for an inch or so in front of the receiver does nothing to help support the barrel as the popular belief claims. Heavy, medium and light weight target barrels always shoot best and are well supported by their barrel shank screwed (or pressed) into the receiver; no pad at all.

You'll need at least 1/16th inch clearance around the barrel. The old "dollar bill" or "thin paper" (that's about 5 to 6 thousandths of an inch) clearance isn't enough, especially at the fore end tip where it bends the most. I've shown many folks that a dollar bill will get pinched between the fore end and barrel when they're on the rifle using a bench. Some rifles are heavy (or fore ends flimsy) enough that their own weight bends the fore end up enough for it to touch the barrel when resting atop bags on a bench. You can clamp a dial indicator on the barrel to measure how much the fore end bends; most folks are amazed at how much movement there is.

Winchester offered their Model 70 in stocks with a lot of clearance around the barrel for this reason. They worked very well. But too many ignorant buyers didn't like that 1/16th inch gap; it looked "ugly" and not "precision fit" they thought was best. So they quit doing it.

 

[Horsemany]

I'd start with the most likely fix. I'd bed the action and 2" out into the barrel. After that's done I'd shoot it. If it's not noticeabley better I'd next remove the wood from the front of the forearem thus free floating the barrel. (by doing this after you bed you have maintained the factory look and ride height of the action in the stock). Now you have a bedded action with a free floated barrel which is often the most accurate combo. If you wish you had the pressure point back(it shoots worse free floated) you can pour one from bedding compound.

I prefer Brownells Steelbed for large mangleum calibers. It is expensive but 70% stainless steel filings. It will be stronger than any other part of the stock. Devcon is excellent too.

 

[Bart B.]

Horsemany, if the barrel's got any bedding under its chamber area and/or the barrel contacts the fore end at any point, it ain't free floating. Free floating means the barrel's not touching anything except the receiver; the barrel's "free" of any contact with anything in front of the receiver including the fore end or epoxy anywhere in it.

One can keep the barreled action's "ride height" the same as factory original and free floating it by shimming the barrel at two points in the fore end channel when setting the barreled action in the stock then waiting for the epoxy to cure.