Marlin X7 factory stock...Bed it?

[entoptics]

Curious what you all think.

Marlin XL7S, 270 Win. This is a "spare" rifle I don't particularly like that much, and I got it as a hand me down, so I have essentially no money in it beyond rail/rings/scope/bipod.

I'm wondering if anyone thinks it would benefit from a home grown bedding job. I've never done one before, but I'm generally pretty handy. I have a couple tubes of JB weld, that were for another bedding boondoggle I never went through with, so I could probably get the job done for a whopping $0.00 expense.

Here's some pictures of the stock. It has aluminum pillars molded in, and the fore end has a couple nubs that rub on the barrel (intentionally I believe).

My thought was to try and fill around the action/lug, and grind off the nubs and relieve the fore end to leave it free floated.

My only concern is actually making things worse. It shoots about 1.2 MOA on average with a 140 Accubond load I've found for it, but usually worse with different bullets (145 ELDX patterns like my 12 gauge!). It's satisfactory as a spare/loaner, but if I could bring her down to a consistent MOA with some JB weld and elbow grease, I'd consider it worth the trouble.

What say ye?

 

[trailrider121]

I have several of these rifles and they shoot great. Currently two of them have been modified with different barrels and shoot great.

My brother on the other hand bought one, I bedded the stock, ground off the tabs to free float the barrel, stiffen the fore arm with carbon arrows using epoxy. I squared up the recoil lug prior before bedding. Modified the trigger to just a tad less than two pounds and is nice a crisp. The rifle shot consistent 3/4" groups using blue box federal 130 gr ammo. His hand loads using 130 TSX and H4831 shot 1/2" groups. These rifle will shoot but needs a little work.

I say do it, and make sure the action sits in a non stress bedding. I use all-thread for the action screws using same thread pitch and tape them to where they fit snug in the aluminum pillars for bedding.

 

[entoptics]

...Currently two of them have been modified with different barrels and shoot great.

...stiffen the fore arm with carbon arrows using epoxy. I squared up the recoil lug prior before bedding.
...I use all-thread for the action screws using same thread pitch and tape them to where they fit snug in the aluminum pillars for bedding.

What are the barrel options for the X7? Mine's in 270, which I dislike in general. Would consider a rebarrel perhaps.

Was contemplating stiffening fore end with something. Do arrows really add anything? I was thinking small aluminum angle iron

Not sure what you mean by "all-thread" and "tape in place".

 

[Bravo 4]

My son has a XS7 in .308 that we bedded and free floated the barrel. It'll shoot .75" @ 100 with factory 175 SMK ammo and a little better with some 150 SST handloads. I would also like to hear of barrel offerings, heard Savage prefits may take a little work to fit correctly.

 

[Darktimber]

Not sure what you mean by "all-thread" and "tape in place".

I believe he means that he uses all thread in place of the action screws. You can make them a few inches longer than your action screws and screw them into the bottom of your reciever that way you have something to tap on from the bottom to "pop" you action out when your bedding is set up.

Also put 2 layers of painters tape on the front and sides of the recoil lug and none on the back of the lug. And you may need to relieve some stock material behind the lug to make sure you get a good layer of bedding back there.
I would recommend waiting to sand down the pressure points at the tip of the fore end until after you bed the action.

 

[Jud96]

My cousin bought one of the X7 Varmint rifles with the same stock, but a heavy barrel chambered in .308 Win. We pillar and skim bedded it, free floated the barrel, and it shot 1/2 MOA with reloads. It was a great rifle for the money and shot great with just a little work.

 

[trailrider121]

I believe he means that he uses all thread in place of the action screws. You can make them a few inches longer than your action screws and screw them into the bottom of your reciever that way you have something to tap on from the bottom to "pop" you action out when your bedding is set up.

Also put 2 layers of painters tape on the front and sides of the recoil lug and none on the back of the lug. And you may need to relieve some stock material behind the lug to make sure you get a good layer of bedding back there.
I would recommend waiting to sand down the pressure points at the tip of the fore end until after you bed the action.

Yeah that's what I meant to say. The pressure points sometimes work, but I find it being free floated is more consistent. You can use aluminum angle iron instead of carbon arrow shafts. It helps with the flexing when using a bipod.

Barrels to use are Savage small shank but you may need to shave .008-012" off the breech face. You can check this by placing the bolt on top of the barrel breech with a go gauge or new piece of brass. You'll need .008- .012" clearance or your going to have problems.

Now with that said you can change the bolt face to a magnum bolt face using a Rem 783 magnum bolt head. Super easy and now you have a magnum caliber. you will need to rework the mag box to feed or modify a savage stagger feed mag box to fit. So many options for the Marlin.

I'm using Winchester model 70 B&C stocks with bottom metal with my XL7's.

If you want to see some pictures google: marlin xl7 model 70 stock trailrider121

I have built 243, 270, 30-06, 7-08, 7mm saum, 260 rem, and 7mag

 

[entoptics]

Not gonna mess with it till after deer season, but it sounds like it's well worth a try. It's a light and handy little beater rifle, and if I could shave a 1/4 MOA off the groups, it would see a whole lot more use.

Needs a trigger tune also. It's got one of the nastiest creeps I've ever dealt with. Almost like a two stage trigger with a "set". Creeps a millimeter or so at 3 lbs, then clicks into place for about a 1 lb release. If I concentrate, it's not a problem, but sometimes I pull through the creep too hard and BOOM!

I enjoy working on guns, so hopefully this will be a fun and educational project. Pretty much an ideal gun for my first attempt at a bedding job. Not a whole lot to lose really. Even if I somehow destroyed it, I could probably replace the whole rifle for $300 (and get a caliber I actually like).

 

[Darktimber]

Heck yeah man for the money youll have in it [virtually none] its a cool little project for the winter.
I love doing stuff like that, and if you do a nice job id say its highly likely youll get the rifle up to your accuracy standards.
If not you gained some experience and knowledge for next time

 

[Lefty7mmstw]

I wouldn't burn up much time trying to make a Marlin shoot. Some have luck with them (my pops has a marlin in 25-06 that shoots decent- I killed a mule deer with it years back), some are like the 270 I had; trash. The barrel on the Marlin I had would foul out in a group or two and then was basically a shotgun. I traded it for a remmy lr in 300rum... never looked back either as I have a rather accurate Tikka in 270.

 

[Dosh]

A friend bought a X-7 for his daughter, it was over MOA. He got a Boyd's for it and bedded it. It now shoots very well, .900 at 200 yds. Daughter got a javelina with it this year. It was a difficult time developing a load though.

 

[entoptics]

...It was a difficult time developing a load though.

Understood. My specimen has a short mag a long throat. Mag OAL = 3.35". Pretty much everything needs to jump about 1/8" to fit.