Accuracy improvement after bedding a stock.

[DJ Fergus]

Just curious as to how many times you guys have saw accuracy improvement and how much after bedding a stock? The reason I'm asking is because Ive bedded everyone I've ever owned. The first one that I done was about 13 years ago. I was trying to improve accuracy. And I actually didn't see much impovemet. It was about. 3/4 moa rifle with factory ammo before and after bedding. Later when i started reloading, I was able to maintain 1/2 moa and less with certain loads. Now I just bed them as a precautionary measure to avoid problems rather than expecting a drastic accuracy impovemet, and that's the way I look at it now. Just wondering what everyone's thoughts and experiences are on the matter?

 

[simo hayha]

1/2moa out of a factory barrel ain't bad

 

[birdiemc]

I had a magpul hunter on rem 700 that went from 3+moa to under 1moa after bedding just the recoil lug.

 

[ar10ar15man]

it is about consistency.
wood stocks move all over the place in changing weather
laminated wood not so much
composite not so much
it is just one step in the search for consistent small groups

 

[J E Custom]

If bedding a rifle after it has an already established accuracy level it may not improve it that much, but the consistence will normally improve, making for a much improved rifle.

Also bedding drastically changes the harmonics and to realy see an improvement, you need to work up new loads. Most factory ammo has almost a built in inaccuracy and improvement is sometimes hard to see.

I also pillar bed every action to eliminate one source of accuracy problems in the beginning.

J E CUSTOM

 

[DJ Fergus]

1/2moa out of a factory barrel ain't bad

It's an older sendero 7mm rm. I done alot of load work to get it there. But it shoots factory ferderal ammo with 165 Sierra's 3/4 moa

 

[DJ Fergus]

If bedding a rifle after it has an already established accuracy level it may not improve it that much, but the consistence will normally improve, making for a much improved rifle.

Also bedding drastically changes the harmonics and to realy see an improvement, you need to work up new loads. Most factory ammo has almost a built in inaccuracy and improvement is sometimes hard to see.

I also pillar bed every action to eliminate one source of accuracy problems in the beginning.

J E CUSTOM

My thoughts also. When I first started shooting, I wondered how in the world they couldn't all go in the same hole. Now I wonder how in the world could factory ammo all end up in the same hole at 100yds.

 

[Dean2]

I have bedded many rifles. Most shot from a little to a lot better, some shot the same, none ever shot worse. Most rifles I bed the recoil lug and tang, wood stocks I do the whole action. Any pillars I build out of Devcon rather than trying to fit Aluminum or stainless pillars and then glass bed like I used to do.

Some sporter weight barreled rifles I have completely bedded from the mag well to the end of the forend. It is surprising how often full length bedding the barrel will dramatically improve First Shot cold bore consistency. Since I judge sporters on 3 shot groups I want the first cold bore shot and next two shots to hit in the same place.

 

[Canhunter35]

I've found it helps more with consistent poi

 

[nwmnbowhunter]

I am a novice....

When i started putting pillars and bedding my actions, the first thing i noticed was how "positive " the stop was when the action clamped down against the pillars.

Enlightened me to the importance of consistent torque on action screws, especially if they aren't bedded.

Usually I gain about 25% accuracy just with pillars/ bedding.

 

[bigngreen]

The amount of gain is equal to the amount of available movement and stress, if you have a sloppy lug there's a big part of gain in magnums especially.
If you loosen a screw and the action starts moving you will gain. There are some that respond less than others bases on how they transfer recoil to the stock and fit of the inlet.
Bedding the bottom metal is also an important step on many.

 

[J E Custom]

I am a novice....

When i started putting pillars and bedding my actions, the first thing i noticed was how "positive " the stop was when the action clamped down against the pillars.

Enlightened me to the importance of consistent torque on action screws, especially if they aren't bedded.

Usually I gain about 25% accuracy just with pillars/ bedding.

All stock materials will compress over time and lose their torque. Pillars eliminate this because there is no stock material being torqued.

A proper pillar bed places the pillar between the action and the stock
and the fit is metal to metal to metal so the action screw cannot compress any stock material.

With this system, the bedding is in a stress free state and does its job of locating and keeping the action in the same exact place every time for consistency. the pillars do their job by keeping the torque consistent.

Pillars and bedding are actually two different processes and do two different functions, but together they produce the best outcome and consistent results.

I prefer to use a material that torquing cant reach it's yield strength and torque remains the same for as long as you have the Rifle.

Some use bedding compound or other materials that over time can compress depending on it's yield strength, Some thought should be used for the selection of pillar material depending on the length of time the pillar bedding is expected to last for best results, Some methods are/may be easier, but may not last as long as others.

Lastly, torque is very important and should be within the tensile strength of the action screws. Most action screws should/will be somewhere between 35 and 60 inch/lbs. 60 inch/lbs is only recommended for extreme service and should be maximum torque use on any action. I find very little if any differences in accuracy with different torque values if the pillar bedding is done correctly. only if it is not. normally changes in torque that changes group size/accuracy indicate a less than perfect stress free pillar bedding.

Probably more information than necessary for some, but there it is.

J E CUSTOM

 

[Dean2]

JE

I agree wit pretty much everything you have said above, my only quibble would be with the term stress free bedding. No matter how smooth the bedding job there will always be more stress at the two or three action screw locations. It would be impossible for it to be otherwise. All in, what a great bedding job is designed to do is to LOCK the action in place so it does not move around under recoil or from wood expansion/contraction. A good bedding job also helps make an action more rigid, similar to sleeving an action.You also want the torque to remain stable over long periods.

Whether an action touches only at the pillars and is free floated everywhere else or it is bedded in a smooth, non compressible bed like Devcon, or an excellent job of bedding is done in wood and the torque applied is correct so it doesn't crush the wood (wood also needs to be completely sealed from water) the outcome is the same. The action will not move under recoil. As you rightly said however, pillar and bed is the easiest way to get this to happen consistently.

 

[Jeffrey Van Zandt]

https://www.accurateshooter.com/technical-articles/stress-free-pillar-bedding/