Now what? Bedding ?'s

[gdcpony]

I have a 98 in .257Roberts and am putting a Boyds Feather weight Thumb hole stock on it. I believe I am to the point of actually bedding it now and am looking for any input. This is my first time and I have no help so please give me any advice you can.

I have done the following:
1. Opened out the wood surrounding all the metal to allow bedding compound to be in contact with the action. This includes the recoil lug, rear tang, and sides of the action.
2. Made sure I have proper alignment of the barrel to channel. This took allot of work on the floor plate as it was pulling the whole action to the left side.
3. Cleaned the stock and action/barrel

I think I am ready but before I open and mix the compound I wish to ask some questions.

1. The area forward of the action after about one inch has a hug gap I won't be able to fill. Just a difference in the barrel contour the stock was inlet for. I do plan in the future (a couple years) to swap the barrel for a beefier one in .257 Roberts Ackley, so can I just bed the action and the small part of the barrel just an ahead of it or should I try to fill that in somehow>

2. Bed the action screw holes or not? I can put a release agent on them and open them slightly after pulling them, but have heard they should be floating to let the lug take the recoil most. Or should I dig up some "pillars" to put in them? They are really oversized.

3. Can I bed the floor plate as well? I don't know why it would matter, but I was looking at it and it seemed like a good idea then.

4. Neutral shoe polish as a release agent? I have read it works, and I have a ton of it. Can I use it?

5. Bolt the action in or just clamp the receiver?

I am sure I will have more later (hopefully not too late!), but this will get me started. The stock was well made, by the way, but Boyds has to account for a large number of variations in the Mausers and that shows.

Pics are being worked on right now.

 

[dawico]

You should bolt the action in, that way the stress is the same. When I did my guns, I put release on the bolts, then afterward drilled out the holes so the bolts didn't make contact.

Shoe polish sounds like it will work, but I can't say for sure. Whatever you use, use a bunch of it.

You can use styrofoam to fill in any big gaps as long as the area isn't a main bearing surface. Don't use it behind the recoil lug or something like that. I don't like to bed any part of the barrel, just the action area.

 

[gdcpony]

Some pics to clarify.

The rear tang area

The gap I mentioned

The front of the floorplate

A rough over all.

I know that this rifle has a long way to go, but the stock is a ton better in my hand, and looks sharp too.

 

[Dr. Vette]

I know it's a different forum but this is an excellent thread to read on bedding:

http://www.snipershide.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=1167022#Post1167022

Kiwi neutral shoe paste works great! I didn't believe it either but tested several waxes and the Kiwi wins.

Use masking tape wrapped around studs (actually bolts with the heads removed) to center your action screws into their holes when bedding. See pictures in the thread linked above.

Personally I do not use tape or clamps or tubing or action screws to hold the action into the stock when bedding. I prefer zero stress at all. Also, I would do the bottom metal after bedding the action.

Really - read the thread and look at the pictures referenced above.

 

[gdcpony]

Excellent Thanks! Back out to do some more work on it.