New floor plate broke my M70

[calinb]

I'm looking for advice on an attempted fix for my (formerly) most accurate CF rifle (well under MOA). Thanks in advance for any shared experiences or advice. Here's the story:

I got a great deal on a Winchester M70 243 WSSM with a flexi-flyer cheap plastic OEM stock and blind magazine. I immediately installed and bedded a Hogue aluminum stock to it but no single piece floor plates were available for it so I designed and 3D printed a cover for under the mag well and retained the blind magazine, original trigger guard, and 3 screws. It was super accurate (dispelling the rumor that chrome lined barrels are inherently inaccurate, BTW).

PTG finally did a manufacturing run of single piece bottom metal so I bought one for the door feature and aesthetics. The one-piece bottom metal does not use the often hated middle trigger guard screw, of course. Now the rifle can't shoot under 2 MOA! I've tried all kind of screw torque sequences anywhere from 25 to 60 in-lbs to no avail.

The two potential corrective actions that come to mind are:

1. Dremel out some of the bedding epoxy and re-bed.

2. Cut a third machine countersunk hole in the PTG bottom metal and install a third screw in it.

or I could regress

3. Go back to my 3D printed cover.

What do you think?

Thanks,

Cal

 

[243winxb]

Double check the magazine fit. Could it be to long? The bottom metal tighting on the magazine , before comming in full contact with the stock. Resulting in a loose action.

 

[calinb]

Double check the magazine fit. Could it be to long? The bottom metal tighting on the magazine , before comming in full contact with the stock. Resulting in a loose action.

Thanks--great suggestion to check it, but the magazine has clearance. I can move it up and down a bit with my finger.

 

[sage5907]

I have always liked the 3 screw arrangement on a Model 70 better than the 2 screws on a Mauser style trigger guard. I own several Model 70's and everyone of them shoots less than MOA with the 3 screws. You haven't got anything to loose by cutting a 3rd hole in the new bottom metal, and if that doesn't work just go back to the original setup with the Hogue stock and the 3 screws.

 

[calinb]

I have always liked the 3 screw arrangement on a Model 70 better than the 2 screws on a Mauser style trigger guard. I own several Model 70's and everyone of them shoots less than MOA with the 3 screws. You haven't got anything to loose by cutting a 3rd hole in the new bottom metal, and if that doesn't work just go back to the original setup with the Hogue stock and the 3 screws.

I think I'm inclined to go that direction (add the hole to the bottom metal), because I'm hesitant to mess with a bedding job that worked so well and I can always go back to my previous setup. (I'd rather have an accurate rifle than one that's not accurate with a hinged floor plate.)

Thanks so much!