Stock Bedding Question

[smallbutfierce]

I have a Stevens model 200 that I am going to bed into a Boyds thumbhole laminate stock. I have the staggered feed long action model so the mag stays with the stock. Do I rig it up with clay dams to bed the mag in as well or do I just bed the contact areas? Also, if I want to install pillars do I do that before or after, and is it a separate step? I have been researching this a bunch and these answers seem to have escaped me.
Thanks in advance

 

[Dr. Vette]

Read through here if it's your first bedding job:

Bedding Project - Sniper's Hide Forums

When I did this with my Savage, I put clay in front and behind the magazine just to be sure it wouldn't seep in that little crack in there and lock in. Be sure to use release agent on the clay too as it does help.

Most people suggest bedding the pillars at the same time.

Be sure not to bed the tang of that Savage. I usually put 3 layers of tape on the tang just to be sure it's floating.

 

[earplay]

I just bedded my Rem 700 sps and found this helpful Stress-Free Pillar Bedding.

I elected to go without pillars in the end as it simplified the process. A long range expert I consulted said it wasn't totally neccessary with synthetic stocks that don't tend to compress a lot anyway. I think the key is ensuring the process is stress free either way you go.

Matt

 

[smallbutfierce]

Well, its done. It popped out way better than some of the videos I watched. I didn't even need to strike it with anything. Thanks for those walk throughs. I used devcon and cut my pillars out of steel spacers. Doesn't look quite as nice as the others, but it worked. I will be taking it to the range tomorrow to see how much better it is over the plastic stock it came with.