Bedding Bases

[DixieFreedom]

The Ken Farrel base I bought came with instructions suggesting bedding the base to the action.

Do any of you do that? Is it something worthwile on a varmint rifle? Or is it just a target shooters fetish?

 

[marc357]

I thought I would forego the bedding thing, until I mounted it and found quite a bit of "sponge" with the two middle screws.

The front and rear snugged down nice, but the middle ones sponged, the last little bit of tightening, so much you could almost watch it flex..

Epoxy bedding the base is really a trivial operation, and well worth it- you're only going to do it once, and you really want the 100% contact it gives you between base and receiver.

 

[DixieFreedom]

After the epoxy bedding, how do you undo it if you change your mind on bases? Does it become a more or less permanent set up?

 

[HoytemanPA]

I put release agent on the action and rough up the bases. After set I remove, clean/drill out the mounting holes in the base, wash off the release agent and retighten the base down. It is still removable, fits better, and removes the sponge that Marc mentioned.

 

[Invicta39]

I stopped by Badger Ord. in Kansas City to but my base and rings, and they suggest that I used Loctite green or red on the base. They told me to clean the parts with a degreaser and apply a thin film of Loctite. The main reason is to prevent rust. Hope this helps a bit.

 

[DixieFreedom]

Does the loctite cure the "soft feet" sponge flex?

 

[Pete Lincoln]

I use either devcon or accraglas to bed the base to the rifle, some actions tend to have some wide tollerances in dimentions, a little bedding compound under the base helps take up the difference and ensures you don't warp the base (just remember not to screw the base down 100% tight until the bedding has cured unless you know that your reciever is 100% true.)and it prevents the base reacting to the reciever and prevents any water getting in causeing rust.
Pete

 

[Budman]

Pete;
Please explain how you know with 2 piece bases that they are both level? TIA

 

[dbhostler]

I use Brownells Steel Bed on all bases. Apply release agent to the base and reciever if you plan to remove it in the future.
db

 

[Pete Lincoln]

Bud man,, i use a straight edge mate, usualy the side of an engineers steel rule.. and i use 1 piece bases where possible. Pete