Savage Stock Bedding Help

[mconwa951]

I took my savage .308 to a gunsmith i found online said he specialized in savages and long range shooting. I wanted it bedded, wanted him to check the crown and do his "accurizing" work. Also install a picatiny rail on top.
I got it back and went to range and after 10 shots the scope mount was lose and falling off...no big deal i borrowed a fellow shooters torque screwdriver and re tightened the screws the groups were same as before right around 1 to 1.25 moa at 100yds but started stringing after 5 shots or so.
I took the stock loose and this is what i found i have never bedded a rifle before but i though you didnt want anything touching the barrel out past maybe 1/2" to an 1" out hence free floating the barrel. Am i wrong here but he has a contact point 3 inches down the barrel is this suppose to be like this.
Thanks for your help guys.

 

[Camshaft]

Thats a pretty weak bedding job. Did he even install the factory steel pillars?

 

[johnnyk]

I can't see where anything has been done. Looks to me like that "bedding" compound you have there is what the mfg's use - instead of real bedding compound.
1 - 1 1/4" huh? That is the guarantee that most factory rifles come with - straight from the factory with nothing special done. What was it doing before the bedding job?
I'd like to know this gents name so I don't mess up and ever take him one of my rifles. JohnnyK.

 

[FEENIX]

Take it back and have him do it right ... at no extra charge.

 

[TikkaShooters]

I would definitely take it back and have him use a real bedding compound like Devcon.

If he is still unsure how it should be done, have him go to 6mmbr.com and watch the video of a true pro doing it.

 

[Dr. Vette]

If you have any mechanical ability I'd grind it out and do it yourself. Whoever did it for you has no idea how to properly bed it, so why force them to do it wrong again? Let them know you are not satisfied but I would not let them touch it ever again.

The first rifle I ever bedded was a re-do of a poor job from a professional gunsmith, and the rifle went from shooting 4 inch groups at 100 yards to 1 1/2 inch groups at 200 with factory ammo.

Here's a previous post of mine with 3 suggestions:

http://www.longrangehunting.com/forums/f37/help-glass-bedding-please-75831/#post533766

Bedding is not hard to do if you are methodical and pay attention. Be sure to float the tang on that Savage. If you don't know what that means, let us know.

If you're not comforable doing it yourself, then ask for some suggestions for a gunsmith who can do it correctly.

 

[squirrelduster]

That's a hack job.
Learn how to do it yourself and tackle it. Use some Devcon. If it doesn't come out right grind it out and do it again.
If you don't want to try it yourself then find a good gunsmith that will send you pictures of some previous jobs.

 

[WildRose]

From what I can see the others are correct. The guy didn't do anything other than a poor job of mounting your scope base.

Tell us where you live and someone here can probably direct you to a competant gunsmith in your area who will do it right.

I sure wouldn't take anything back to this same guy.

 

[mconwa951]

Thanks guys I had contempleted doing it myself i am a carpenter by trade and have a pretty good mechanical mind. I just wanted it done right so I took it to a guy who was suppose to ge a professional and honestly i do not want to ever take anything back to him again or take this back...it took him 6 months to get this done and get it back to me.

I actually have the Miles gilbert Bedrock kit from when i wanted to do myself so I think im gonna give it a whirl. I am guesing grind his crap out and start over correct?
Also i am guessing I should stop right where the barrel starts so it is free floating correct?
And last can someone recomend a really good video i can watch online of this being done?
Thanks for your help guys

 

[squirrelduster]

Click on the link Dr. Vette provided and there are two good articles.
I use regular model clay from the hardware store and buy a real mold release product. Brownells is a good one. Very convenient in that you hit everything because it is spray.
Don't forget to tape the stock with blue tape so nothing sticks to it.
Take a look at this Bedding the action...Easy to do?
Check out the pictures on the bottom from Chad at Long shot rifles. That is what a bedding job should look like.

 

[WildRose]

Click on the link Dr. Vette provided and there are two good articles.
I use regular model clay from the hardware store and buy a real mold release product. Brownells is a good one. Very convenient in that you hit everything because it is spray.
Don't forget to tape the stock with blue tape so nothing sticks to it.
Take a look at this Bedding the action...Easy to do?
Check out the pictures on the bottom from Chad at Long shot rifles. That is what a bedding job should look like.

There are also a number of decent videos on Youtube.

Plumber's putty works pretty well too for filling the voids and doesn't shrink up like modeling clay can in very low humidity.

 

[mconwa951]

Ok so i've done some watching videos on Youtube like the Midwayusa ones just wish he would do one more in depth then just the minute and a half long ones. I also did some research on here and found some other posts sounds like guys are bedding the rear action screw to the recoil lug and free floating the tang and the barrel.
Now the rear action screw has some metal that sits on top i am assuming for the blind magazine. do I just chisel away the metal around the blind mag and the action screw hole and just leave the metal and stuff under the metal?
I am also assuming just chisel away the wood from the front of the blind mag to the recoil lug?
This stock has what looks like factory steel pillars are these ok or should i install new alum ones as long as i am doing this?
The instructions tell me i need to worry about the height of the barrel in the stock so not to remove to much wood? What the? How much is enough and how much is too much i was thinking like 1/8"?
How do i keep the stuff from seeping up around the action and back down into the blind mag? Same with the trigger area just modeling clay or?
And to float the tang it is a nice laminate stock that the barrel was free floated in i am assuming this is case with tang do i just chisel out a lil extra around tang to ensure this?
Sorry for my ignorance i just am kind of particular with my rifle and want it to come out the right way. Thanks again guys for all the help
Mike

 

[WildRose]

Ok so i've done some watching videos on Youtube like the Midwayusa ones just wish he would do one more in depth then just the minute and a half long ones. I also did some research on here and found some other posts sounds like guys are bedding the rear action screw to the recoil lug and free floating the tang and the barrel.
Now the rear action screw has some metal that sits on top i am assuming for the blind magazine. do I just chisel away the metal around the blind mag and the action screw hole and just leave the metal and stuff under the metal?
I am also assuming just chisel away the wood from the front of the blind mag to the recoil lug?
This stock has what looks like factory steel pillars are these ok or should i install new alum ones as long as i am doing this?
The instructions tell me i need to worry about the height of the barrel in the stock so not to remove to much wood? What the? How much is enough and how much is too much i was thinking like 1/8"?
How do i keep the stuff from seeping up around the action and back down into the blind mag? Same with the trigger area just modeling clay or?
And to float the tang it is a nice laminate stock that the barrel was free floated in i am assuming this is case with tang do i just chisel out a lil extra around tang to ensure this?
Sorry for my ignorance i just am kind of particular with my rifle and want it to come out the right way. Thanks again guys for all the help
Mike

Don't touch the metal at all. Your factory pillars are fine. Just chisel away/sand some of the wood around them enough to get bedding compound around them and under the tang.

What you are doing is trying to get perfect even contact between the action and the stock/bedding compound.

Anywhere you have bedding compund coming in contact with wood you want to rough things up so the bedding compound makes contact with and bonds to the wood, not just the finish.

Use tape over the magwell and fill the magwell and trigger with clay.

 

[Bravo 4]

You guys have never used a spoonful of honey for a bedding compound?

I've had my run-ins with so called gunsmiths. I thought they were all hacks till I met Kirby, and I think he would consider himself more of a gun builder instead of gunsmith.