Bedding w/heavy barrel?

[Forester]

I have a varmint gun project coming together and it looks like the barrel is going to be a straight contour 26" McGowen. The action is a Savage Short Action.

I have bedded a dozen or so Savage actions and gotten pretty comfortable with them but in the past the barrels were not so heavy and I just free-floated them all the way back to the recoil lug. This barrel seems like an awful lot of weight to leave hanging out there. Should I bed up the barrel channel some ways to help support it? Or is this a problem at all?

[J E Custom]

Originally Posted by Forester

I have a varmint gun project coming together and it looks like the barrel is going to be a straight contour 26" McGowen. The action is a Savage Short Action.

I have bedded a dozen or so Savage actions and gotten pretty comfortable with them but in the past the barrels were not so heavy and I just free-floated them all the way back to the recoil lug. This barrel seems like an awful lot of weight to leave hanging out there. Should I bed up the barrel channel some ways to help support it? Or is this a problem at all?

I would bed about the first inch at the same time your bedding the action.

And then shoot it and see how it shoots .(Some people float the barrel and then add the
bedding under the barrel if it doesen't shoot) ,I find it easer to do first and remove later if
it doesent work and this saves the bedding job.

Most actions are strong enough to support a barrel 26" long but stock strength can/may be an
issue (Sporter Type) .

J E CUSTOM

[Kevin Cram]

Your action shouldn't have any problem supporting that contour of barrel free floated back to the lug. I've hung 30" barrels and a straight 1 1/6" contour on Savage actions with no problem. The only down side I can see is if you bed the barrel nut and the barrel shank and decide to use the same action and stock but instal a new barrel nothing will fit right. If everything is free floated back to the lug you can switch barrels very easily.

[Forester]

Switching barrels down the road is a consideration, but not a big one, it will take me awhile to wear out this one and if I need to re-bed the barrel then thats no big deal later.

So 2 'smiths, 2 different answers. Bottom line, is there any risk of torquing or otherwise damaging the action with a light recoiling varmint round if the barrel is free floated back to the lug?

Also, the stock will either be the new Choate "McMillan Style" which has an aluminum bedding block or a Boyds laminate.

[Kevin Cram]

You shouldn't have any problem free floating back to the lug. The only recommendation I have is on the Boyds stock, I would have it pillar bedded so you have a non compressable surface for the guard screws to tighten up on. The Choat stock with the bedding block is almost like having it pillar bedded. Either way your not going to damage anything with a light recoiling varmint round and a free floated barrel. Don't over tighten your guard screws when you do screw the action down, I use and recommend 60-65 in/lbs, but that's a whole other discussion and I don't want to beat a dead horse. Good luck with your project.

[Forester]

Originally Posted by Kevin Cram

You shouldn't have any problem free floating back to the lug. The only recommendation I have is on the Boyds stock, I would have it pillar bedded so you have a non compressable surface for the guard screws to tighten up on. The Choat stock with the bedding block is almost like having it pillar bedded. Either way your not going to damage anything with a light recoiling varmint round and a free floated barrel. Don't over tighten your guard screws when you do screw the action down, I use and recommend 60-65 in/lbs, but that's a whole other discussion and I don't want to beat a dead horse. Good luck with your project.

Thanks, and I will be pillar bedding the Boyds if that is the route I go.