My new 300WSM, what do you think?

[Camocam813]

Just bought a 300wsm from an auction sight. While waiting to receive the gun, I have been lurking on this forum and other sites. The more i research, the more i want to start tinkering.

This is the description of the rifle:

Custom built Winchester M70 300 WSM. HS Precision green stock with aluminum bedding block for free floating barrel. E.R. Shaw precision 26" fluted, tapered and crowned 1 1/8" bull barrel. Includes 20 MOA scope base and 6-9" Harris Bi-Pod. Shoots under MOA using Sierra BTHP Match King bullets. Shot only 31 times for breakin. Trigger set at 3#.

Do you see anything that worries you? What needs to be done, if anything, to make this rifle as accurate as possible. The action does not seem to have been bedded, although there is a tiny bit of material inside. The barrel does not seem to free float, is this a problem?

Here she is.

 

[winmag]

I'M IN LOVE!!! I hope mine turns out that coolgun).
Take a couple more side profile pics so you can see the whole package.
Way cool rifle. How much did it set you back? If you don't mind me asking.

 

[D.ID]

I would rebed it but I have to bed everything for my own sanity. I like daylight between my stock and barrel but normal people are content with a dollar bill fitting threw in between. Good looking rig.

 

[Camocam813]

Dollar bill??? I couldn't fit dental floss in there. Here are a couple more shots. $690 +shipping....always nervous buying online though.

 

[D.ID]

Wrap a dollar bill or piece of paper around the barrel and try to slide it down the barrel in between the barrel and stock. If it will not freely slide threw there then the stock should be relieved until it does so the barrel is truly free floating. An appropriate sized deep well socket wrapped in sand paper works well for this purpose.

 

[7stw]

Nice looking rig and I am sure that it will shoot. I would have it re- bedded, and possibly shim the barrel while it is setting up so you can get some clearance under the barrel. It seems to have the RIGHT STUFF, but it needs a little tweaking. That barrel looks awesome! Let us know how you make out. very nice, nice job on the pics too!
AIM SMALL, MISS SMALLlightbulb 7 STW

 

[D.ID]

Nice looking rig and I am sure that it will shoot. I would have it re- bedded, and possibly shim the barrel while it is setting up so you can get some clearance under the barrel. It seems to have the RIGHT STUFF, but it needs a little tweaking. That barrel looks awesome! Let us know how you make out. very nice, nice job on the pics too!
AIM SMALL, MISS SMALLlightbulb 7 STW

He is right, if your rebedding it do not sand it just wrap a band on the barrel of electrical tape to center and elevate the barrel while the bedding sets up. Thank 7stw I forgot we are talking about rebedding.

 

[ICANHITHIMMAN]

For what you paid you made out fair. You are in need of a bedding job that is for sure!!!! The front of the action will need to be elevated. When you bed the stock you can use tape wraped around the barrel to acheve this or make to pads from bedding compound twards the front of the stock.

 

[winmag]

That's way cool. Great price too, considering a new factory rifle starts around $750+, & you never know if your gonna get a shooter, or a lemon. Is say you did very well.

What HS stock is that? I like it. It's not a PSS021, wich is one of many that I was considering for my build. Yours looks way cooler.My only concern with your stock for my build, would be if a fluted Hart # 4 would look too small Youve got an elephant tusk of a barrel on that bad boy. Looks sweet how you have it set up tho.

 

[Camocam813]

Ya, i think i will shim the barrel and bed the action, then sand out thestock to give it a little room. This all of course after i shoot it a few times. I'd hate to mess with something i can shoot sub moa. We'll see. Thanks for the input guys. I knew i could come here for usufull info. But the gun looks sick though right. Putting on a weaver 3-15X 50 EMDR with low rings.

 

[brentc]

I would free float your barrel before you bed it. That way you ensure proper fit into the action inletting when you drop it into the bedding compound. It almost looks to me like the barrel channel was not allowing the action to fully seat into the aluminum block when it was torqued and the layer of epoxy, or whatever it is, was added to "bed" or a better word might be to shim the action into the stock. I kind of doubt the rifle shot very well with all that stress. Maybe that's why he was looking to get rid of it.

No problem though, with a little bedding and some barrel clearance it will probably shoot great.

An easy way to maintain perfect roundness in your barrel channel using common hand tools is to wrap a properly sized socket in sand paper and sand until you have adequate clearance around your barrel when your action sits against the bedding block. Then you can touch up the sanded area with a closely matching spray paint.

 

[7stw]

Ya, i think i will shim the barrel and bed the action, then sand out thestock to give it a little room. This all of course after i shoot it a few times. I'd hate to mess with something i can shoot sub moa. We'll see. Thanks for the input guys. I knew i could come here for usufull info. But the gun looks sick though right. Putting on a weaver 3-15X 50 EMDR with low rings.

STOP! STOP. If I were you, I would not sand out that barrel channel. If you are rebedding it, all you have to do is elevate the barrel up front and center it. This can be done with "O" rings, or wrap tape around the barrel, or put a piece of cardboard, or something along those lines. Then bed the area under the action. You can even bed up as far as about 2 inches forward off the lug. When the epoxy dries, remove the shim material the you used in the for end, and then your barrel will be properly floated. If you bed around the recoil lug, put a piece of electrical tape on the FRONT side of the lug, and the bottom. This gives the lug clearance, but will not move under recoil. If you are afraid to do it yourself, I am sure that there are smiths around that know what to do, but I would not go sanding on that barrel channel. You don't know how thick the top coat is on the barrel channel. That stock is made from a atomic fiber, and is "encased" in a layer of fiberglass. Shimming and bedding is your best option!
AIM SMALL, MISS SMALL, 7 STW

 

[brentc]

How about this. First things first, make sure the barreled action fits in the stock properly before you do anything. That aluminum bedding block isn't a doing it's job if you're not using it for the structural stability it is meant to provide.

You will never get a proper stress free fit into the stock the way it was designed until you get it to where it doesn't bottom out in the barrel channel when you torque the action screws.

Once you get it to where it fits properly into the stock, then you can bed it to a perfect fit. Don't try to polish this turd if you are expecting decent results. It will not hurt that stock one bit to sand a bit of material away for barrel clearance. This is one of the most basic procedures to ensure proper fit.

 

[sp6x6]

I agree with Brentc. If you look close at picture with bottom metal trigger guard, back is up in stock. Stock pictures clearly show material above the original seating area. the front of bottom metal is flush, if back was brought down for a professional type reveal, this would cant barrel up and out of stock and maybe resolve problem