Bedding a Bell and Carlson Medalist for Weatherby Mark V

[CoolHandCass]

I have a Weatherby Mark V synthetic in .257 Weatherby Mag. and I just bought a Bell and Carlson Medalist stock really just for cosmetic purposes. I would still like to know opinions on bedding the action and free floating the barrel on the new stock. I have yet to mount the barreled action on the stock yet, because if bedding the action is the way to go I will get a local smith to do the work. I just don't trust myself to do the job, ha. Will bedding the action improve accuracy? Free floating the barrel improve accuracy? Or should I just drop in the action a let her rip? This gun is my workhorse so I don't want to do anything to F it up. Opinions are appreciated.

Thanks,
Cass

 

[J E Custom]

I have a Weatherby Mark V synthetic in .257 Weatherby Mag. and I just bought a Bell and Carlson Medalist stock really just for cosmetic purposes. I would still like to know opinions on bedding the action and free floating the barrel on the new stock. I have yet to mount the barreled action on the stock yet, because if bedding the action is the way to go I will get a local smith to do the work. I just don't trust myself to do the job, ha. Will bedding the action improve accuracy? Free floating the barrel improve accuracy? Or should I just drop in the action a let her rip? This gun is my workhorse so I don't want to do anything to F it up. Opinions are appreciated.

Thanks,
Cass

I would be tempted to try it first. sometimes they shoot well if the action likes the fit.

Shoot a 5 shot group and see what happens. If it doesn't shoot then bed it.

You might get lucky.

Bedding is always good insurance and rarely hurts accuracy.

J E CUSTOM

 

[Dr. Vette]

Set the barrelled action into the stock, and look at the space between the bottom of the action (behind the recoil lug) and the aluminum support of the stock. It's easiest to see from below when the bottom metal and magazine are not in place. The last B&C I purchased and used for a Mark V (last summer) had the end of the forend tip upward enough that I had over 1/8 inch of room at this location. There is no way I could have torqued it down without putting severe stress on the action and barrel.

If yours fits fairly well here, then go ahead and try and tighten it in place.

 

[CoolHandCass]

Thanks y'all. But what about free floating the barrel? The stock has a 2 raised portions at the fore end. They look like they may create upward pressure on the barrel which would prevent me from free floating it. Should I sand them out and free float the barrel or leave them in. What are the benefits/disadvantage of both? I've seen varying opinions on both.

Thanks

 

[J E Custom]

Thanks y'all. But what about free floating the barrel? The stock has a 2 raised portions at the fore end. They look like they may create upward pressure on the barrel which would prevent me from free floating it. Should I sand them out and free float the barrel or leave them in. What are the benefits/disadvantage of both? I've seen varying opinions on both.

Thanks

Tip pressure sometimes helps the first 2 or 3 shots to be consistant, but when the barrel and action
start to warm up the group may start to open up. Floating normally helps this but may also loosen the group up.

5 shots will normally let you know what the rifle needs.

If it will shoot 5 shots in a tight group don't mess with it, if it shoots 3 in a great group Don't mess
with it. if it won't group, then pillar bed and float it.

Once it is bedded and floated it may change the ammo it likes.

J E CUSTOM

 

[CoolHandCass]

Just took a look at a new mark v with the b&c stock from the factory. I noticed that the barrel isn't floated and that the stock had the pressure points in the fore end. Guess I'm gonna try it out without floating the barrel and see what happens. I heard that the stocks are made to weatherby specs so maybe the weatherbys like the pressure on the barrel.

 

[REDHEAD]

I have a Mk 5 Lite, glass facyory stock. It has a front preasure point. Been wondering the same. Seems Wby's like them. Mine also has 2 shime s under the trigger guard screw. Perhaps best not to loose them . I have been reading on this blog, one needs 1.5 to 2 inches of glass bedding under the chamber if you remove the preasure point. I'm on the fence too. Seems to do it right, one should pillar bed it, then glass bed the action to 2 inches(?) forward odf the recoil lug. Or if it shoots ok, leave it,,,

 

[msalm]

I've used the medalist stocks on several of my own rifles in the past. Some I've bedded, a few I just bolted in and shot. They all shot very well either way, so I would just bolt it in and see how it shoots first.

 

[Dr. Vette]

Just took a look at a new mark v with the b&c stock from the factory. I noticed that the barrel isn't floated and that the stock had the pressure points in the fore end. Guess I'm gonna try it out without floating the barrel and see what happens. I heard that the stocks are made to weatherby specs so maybe the weatherbys like the pressure on the barrel.

Yes, but still test fit it and see how the action fits into the stock. Obviously the one I got was "out of spec" but since I floated the barrel I didn't care. Just letting you know that there is no way I could have tightened that action into the stock without some serious problems.

FYI, Dad's 7mm Wby UltraLightweight shot an 11/16" 3 shot group at 200 yards last fall with factory ammo - and the barrel on that one is floated. It came in that configuration when we bought it.

If the rifle fits the stock well you won't hurt a thing by shooting it and see how well it works. You can always bed it or float it later. My personal 7mm shoots well in factory configuration.

 

[CoolHandCass]

Plan on bolting the barreled action in this weekend to see how it fits. Probably won't actually get to shoot it until my scope gets back from leupold for repairs (got some dust inside the lens...go figure). Hopefully, I'll be able to get out to the range and try it out then. In the meantime, I'm definitely going to check the fit before shooting. I'm hoping to be one of the lucky ones where everything actually cooperates!

 

[Dr. Vette]

Good luck!
Let us know how it goes. I'm considering buying another one, and I think my last one was a fluke with the QC.

 

[CoolHandCass]

Thanks everyone for your helpful advice! Vette I'll let everyone know how it turns out. Happy shooting!!

 

[CoolHandCass]

Well I fit tested my barreled action today and I'm not too impressed with the fit...the action seems a little looser than I'd like. It fit really tight in the synthetic stock that I removed it from. The barrel also doesn't set in the stock like it did in the other. It sits a little higher. I'm assuming this is from the tips on the fore end. I didn't torque the action down, just snugged it. I was a little scared it might be too much pressure if I tightened it too much. Any suggestions on where I go from here?

Thanks,
Cass

 

[sp6x6]

I would float the barrel and torque it in w/ 50 -60 inch lbs. Then go shoot. If it had a sloppy fit I would bed at least the recoil lug area and first heavy inch or two of barrel.