Full length barrel bedding

[Swiftkill]

I just looked at Barrett's website,, they guarantee a sub 1" group with premium ammo... Pfffff. almost any modern 5 or $600 factory rifle can do that unless you got a real dog. I agree with JE custom. You can see dramatic changes in repeatability just in forearm pressure point placement just moving your gun foreward and back on a front pedestal rest, that's why they have front forearm stops! You need to sight in on a bipod if you want touse a bipod. You will not likely shoot quite as good groups off a bipod as off a pedestal rest, you might get lucky but I severely doubt it. Benchrest rail guns are a different animal and may be fully bedded but thats because the rail is 10 times the rigidity of the barrel.

 

[DSheetz]

I did one stock full length until I could get a different stock to replace the plastic one that it came with just to make it more ridged.

 

[jarnold37]

No. Lock the action firm, float the barrel and tang

It seems that a lot is to be considered and different methods to be tried. It seems that any barrel will resonate and whip when fired. The thinner the barrel the more the whip, especially from shot to shot. When a cartridge is fired in a very light small diameter barrel, the temperature of the barrel heats quickly. The barrel would possibly whip more the hotter it became. Three shots with a 1.450 diameter barrel is not affected as much by the heat as the light barrel. I read that manufacturers put that pressure point near the end of the forearm for two reasons. One, is to dampen the resonance and whip and also to support the entire barreled action as the action does not fit precisely in the stock. I have cut this band out (floated the barrel) of factory guns and had loss of accuracy in some occasions. I assume because the action had more ability to move after each shot. So I would think if you are going to float the barrel channel it would be necessary to bed the action. I always bed from the recoil lug back to include the tang. If the tang is not supported the front screw is doing most of the support and will bend the tang with very little tightening of the rear screw. If pillar bedded, there is a chance to rock on the front pillar as there is movement due to shrinkage of the compound. I know the statistics that the compound shrinks very little, but even a little is enough to have the pillar(s) carry most of the support. Some compounds continue to shrinks for several months, even if only a very small amount. I have had good results by pouring my pillars when bedding as it is the same stability over time because aluminum pillars do not shrink at all. On large barrels, I pour a 2" pad under the barrel to help support the action due to the weight of a 30" 1.450 diameter barrel. Even after 3 quick shots with a 110 grain capacity case, there is not enough heat to notice and does not put undue stress on the bedded action

 

[Blancoalex]

Jarnold37, been long time since I have done poured pillars. That is what I did for first few rifles I ever did being young with no equipment to work with.

 

[Mram10us]

I still pour pillars in light kickers. like em

 

[Blancoalex]

New question, how would you bed a rifle that you could take apart and it be 100% zero every time using same torque setting?

 

[25WSM]

You will never achieve full 100 percent retention of zero. Once the action is torqued back down it usually takes a few shots to settle in. Recoil will force the lug back into full support. My rifles seldom need an adjustment on the scope but do require a few shots to settle in.
Shep

 

[Ol' Red]

I have a 721 Remington with the factory barrel. It shot 2"to 4" groups when I got it. I bedded action and it got better. I bedded the full barrel channel and it has shot sub MOA, usually .7" every since. I'm glad it worked out. I would have restocked it before I would have cleaned that barrel channel out.

 

[Ol' Red]

Cause that is actually a pretty calm day in that part of the country. Ifn you can't shoot in wind there, you would never get to do any hunting.

I can relate to that. We get a little wind here in Wyoming sometimes too.

 

[J E Custom]

New question, how would you bed a rifle that you could take apart and it be 100% zero every time using same torque setting?

The only way that I know, is to do a stress free pillar bed so that nothing changes. Even then, I would have to check the zero's to make sure. To locate the action in the exact same place every time, the torque would have to be the exact same also. always Open for suggestions though.

J E CUSTOM

 

[Bingoc]

I can relate to that. We get a little wind here in Wyoming sometimes too.

I'll bet that you have one of those Wyoming wind flags made out of 1/4 in. steel.

 

[J E Custom]

From My opinion on this issue, I will say that there is no perfect way to bed a rifle, just the best way for that rifle and ammo. My preferred method for consistent results is what I recommended. That doesn't mean that it will work on all rifles and ammo combos. I bed according to caliber, use and barrel contour and find that when you bed the entire stock that many things can/change the accuracy at any time. I have been shooting and bedding for over 55 years and there has always been exceptions, and these will just have to be excepted as possible but based of my appearances, many of these methods will rarely produce and a good dependable method will produce 95% of the time.

I can think of several dozen different methods that I have tried and have learned the hard way never to do them again, so over time I have narrowed bedding down to some basic rules that produce and If I stay within those rules I find that problems don't exist and the bedding last for many years with no problems.

Some of us try to keep some of the members from making the same mistakes that we did by giving advice, but nothing says you have to take this advice. So If you do something that you heard on the internet or a friend of a friend of your brother in laws best buddies dad. be prepared to pay the consequences. Who knows, it may work for that rifle and ammo, and you are good.

J E CUSTOM

 

[Forcedoutage]

I have always full length bedded the Kimber Montana's I have bought. Same similar to Melvin Forbe's does on his ultralights. Seems to help those skinny barrels in my experience.

 

[Ol' Red]

I'll bet that you have one of those Wyoming wind flags made out of 1/4 in. steel.

Mine has a 1/2" steel plate base so it doesn't blow over in the breeze.