Skim bedding an aluminum bedding block.

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Ankeny

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Sep 23, 2005
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I posted last winter about possibly buying a Weatherby Accumark. I got the rifle and to make a long story short it was returned to a service center and they didn't get it right so it went back to Weatherby. When it came back from Weatherby it shot incredibly well for about 20 rounds then it went to heck in a hand basket. The problem is (I think) bedding issues. After being returned twice it's pretty obvious Weatherby isn't going to take enough pride in their crafstmanship to make the rifle shoot.

Well, I just spent an hour searching the forum for the article that has photos and a step by step explanation of skim bedding an aluminum bedding block. Will someone please point me in the right direction? Thank you.
 
What is different after those 20 shots? One of my Accumarks is bedded and it is my best shooter. I am probably going to bed my 300 to see if that will tighten it up. It looks pretty simple. It is a different technique due to the front action screw bolting up into the bottom of the recoil lug. I am busy the rest of this week but I will put together a post to explain how it was done.
 
One other thing before you go the bedding route is to invest in an inch pound torque wrench and double check the torque on the action screws. My manual says 65 inch pounds but I believe the new ones are calling for 55 inch pounds. If they are coming loose a dab of blue loctight might help.
 
It's a 7mm STW. I have a torque wrench and the specs call for 65 in. lb. In a nutshell, the rifle went back twice because the point of impact would shift and the group size might be 1/4 moa one time and 2 moa the next. I discovered a pressure spot about 1.5 inches ahead of the recoil lug so I sanded it out and the gun is now giving me consistent grouping, but I would like to tighten it up. When I put the stock in the bedding block and run the screws in just tight enough to hold, I can see daylight around one side of the receiver. Of course the daylight goes away when I torque the screws, but obviously the fit could be improved.

It really seems like I saw a post, including photographs, on skim bedding the Bell and Carlson type stocks on this forum about 6 months ago. Can anyone help me locate the thread?
 
The main difference between bedding a Mark 5 on a bedding block and most other guns has to do with the recoil lug. The Mark 5 must be bedded tight on bottom of the lug where say a M700 you usually put a couple layers of tape on the bottom of the lug to create clearance. Otherwise when you tighten the front screw that threads into the recoil lug it will put a lot of stress on the front of the action. My recoil lug is actually bedded tight all the way around. It does make it a lot harder to put in and out of the stock but there isn't much reason to be taking it out of the "wood" that much anyway. When I do my 300wby Accumark I will post some pictures but it will be a couple weeks before I get to it.
 
Thanks guys, that is indeed the thread I am looking for. Too bad the links to the photos are no longer working. FWIW, I am not new to conventional bedding or pillar bedding, but I am not familiar with the aluminum block. Weatherby did bed under the recoil lug, with some white bedding compound that is soft enough to dent with a screw driver. Why would anyone bed with a compressable substance??

I would have just solved the issue on my own back in January but for what I paid for the gun I figured I would hold Weatherby accountable. It didn't work out that way. Once again Weatherby (could be any maker) proves factory guns are a crap shoot and warranty service is spotty at best. BTW, Weatherby told me it's not possible and inadvisable to bed an aluminum block. I wonder if they have a bunch of high school kids working there after school? Good grief.
 
I have a lengthy article with pics on bedding I can email it to you if you like.

Email me at demarpaint (@) hotmail.com and I will send it to you.

Frank D
 
That's weird they said that too you. Glass bedding of the Accumark is an option through the custom shop. I would show you a picture of mine they did but with how it is shooting I'm not going to disturb it. At 200 yards it will just smoke the center out of one of those 1" target spots for 20 shots in a row last time I had it out and that was in gusty windy conditions.
 
Hiredgun:

Weatherby did bed the bottom of the recoil lug and perhaps two thirds of the way up the lug. It was Theresa (spelling) who told me bedding the entire action wasn't in the cards. FWIW, it's the Bell and Carlson stock.

As for shooting under 1/2 moa groups in gusty windy conditions, I as of yet to manage that type of preformance with any of my rifles. I don't have the experience required to defeat the effects of wind drift to that degree of precision.
 
The whole action is not bedded. In the rear it is just a dab under the rear tang and none down the sides until you get to the front of the loading port. It is bedded from there forward out to about 2" under the barrel. The stock on this one is the early HS Precision one. My other 2 Accumarks are the Bell & Carlson ones. I like the latter ones better due to the better recoil pads.

Hubble.jpg

A giant scope helps while aiming too!

I too am powerless when it comes to wind. That 200 yard range is on a single lane dead end country road that is bordered on all four side by 60' tall fir trees. Even when it's ripping 30 mph winds every where else it is pretty mild there. I mainly blows in puffs that will stand a ribbon straight out from time to time and it swirls in all directions so I just watch the ribbons and the lower tree branches. When it looks to lay down I break the shot. The time of flight at 3950 fps seems to keep the wind drift to a minimum. I would post the target but it is riddled with other holes from my 300 with the broken scope spraying bullets all over it.

That same gun at 400 yards is hard pressed to ever get a hit on even a milk jug in 30 mile an hour with gusts. That's why I'm killing myself trying to get these 200 grain Accubonds to work.
 
I recently sent my Weatherby Accumark to a service center because I thought the stock might be warped. One side of the forearm was riding a little closer to one side of the barrel than the other. I sent it to the service center to see if the stock needed to be replaced and if they would skim-bed it afterwards. I was told to loosen the action screws, then tighten to 65 pounds while keeping the barrel centered in the barrel channel. I had been doing that, but not with any specific torque poundage. I guess I'll have to drop a bunch of money for a torque wrench! They would not bed the rifle because they said it would void my warranty. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif
 
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