Bedding or not to bed carbon fiber stock

[big_matt_duq]

I have an ag composite carbon fiber stock coming soon and an APA RTG bottom metal sitting on the bench to freshen up my 308 shorty. The stock has pillars installed and AG said it does not have to be bedded. I have all the bedding stuff at home already. What do you guys think? Bolt it together and shoot it first, bed lug and tang, skim bed lug to tang, or remove some material on rails and around pillars and bed? I have never bedded a rifle before and was going to start by practicing on my 22 but this rifle needs done before deer season. Well I want it for then at least.


AG told me that the action area is solid and not foam cored as well. I know there are a bunch of people who have worked with the manners EH stocks so what have you done?


Thanks

 

[J E Custom]

All stocks no matter what brand can benefit from bedding because no barreled action fits any stock perfectly. The concept behind bedding is consistency. Occasionally A rifle will shoot well without bedding it because it happens to fit in the right places. But if you don't bed and cant find a accurate load, you have to start over and bed the rifle and start the load development all over again. So I recommend pillar bedding "all" rifles no matter what brand or the cost to get the best results, so that when you do start load development, it will be productive.

Without bedding, action torque can change and move the POI or effect accuracy.

J E CUSTOM

 

[adam32]

Put it together and shoot it first.

 

[Dosh]

big, JE nailed it. Production stocks are generically inletted to fit without any problems. As JE stated, generally the torque is not addressed.

 

[FURMAN]

No reason to spend money on nice components and skimp on putting them together correctly. Start off the right way and bed it.

 

[big_matt_duq]

I am going to check how the inlet fits but am leaning towards at least bedding the recoil lug and tang. Thanks for the help.

 

[adam32]

No reason to spend money on nice components and skimp on putting them together correctly. Start off the right way and bed it.

Except a poor bedding job may make things even worse and you'd never know how well it may have shot before bedding it.

I had a Ruger bedded (among other things) by a "big name" smith in Texas...it shot worse after bedding.

Put it together and shoot it.

 

[sable tireur]

Every stock manufacturer I am aware of will make the claim that their bedding block or aluminum chassis does not require bedding to perform accurately. Well, I don't know about that...

I will continue to use this link as a resource to explain proper STRESS-FREE bedding:

http://www.6mmbr.com/pillarbedding.html

If you prefer to watch a video the same information is covered on YouTube.

Note the above mention of 'consistency'. It is imperative to have consistent AND stress-free bedding in order to achieve best accuracy. Some chassis and stocks with bedding blocks require less work on rare occasions but in general, all rifle stocks should be pillar bedded. I'm sure that someone, somewhere will state that they are the exception, their hunting rifle shoots in .1's without bedding and they might be but it will be a rarity for sure.

Regards.