Aluminum bedding blocks. Do they work?

[Ankeny]

I have a rifle that is just about shot out and it's time to rebarrel. I should send it to a good gunsmith with a pile of money and just have it done with. But I think I want to do some work myself during periods of boredom this winter.

The rifle has a wooden stock and there really isn't enough wood in the forearm to go with heavy barrel so I am going to replace the stock. I'll have someone competent rebarrel and chamber, but I want to do the stock work myself. I have done traditional glassing in the past and I have retrofitted a couple of rifles with pillars, but I have never used one of the stocks like an HS or Bell and Carlson that feature the built in aluminum bedding blocks. What's the verdict on those types of stocks? The concept looks good and it should be a time saver, but do they work?

[Ian M]

They work really well after they have been skim-bedded with Marine Tex or something similar. Some rifles shoot well without skim-bedding but most respond to the perfect fit you get with a bit of bedding material. The concept is popular, but not necessarily the only way to build a stock.

[7mmRHB]

Ankeny , I've skim bedded quite a few of these stocks with good results each time . If you chose not to bed them you will see the small pressure points start to form on the action ,and you will see that the block is only making contact in four tiny spots. My own gun was touching on a total of about 1\4 square inch.(4 lines 1\16th by 1\4". NOT GOOD.The pressure points were in front of the receiver screws so you know there had to be considerable stress on the receiver. I think bedding is essential on these type of stocks..good luck.
7mmrhb