How much can a stock change with proper bedding increase accuracy with a specific ammo?

[V35BTC]

I have never had a good bedding job make matters worse. I have a 7mm-08 and a 22/250 that I have hunted with since the mid 90's. Both would shoot .3 moa groups sometimes, others it was more like .8 moa. I had some free time and made some pillars and bedded the wood stocked 7-08, and skim bedded the factory HS Precision stock on the other one. Group size didnt shrink less than the .3 moa, but I gained consistency, now they repeat.

I just did my 6.5-300, drastic improvement in group size.

 

[simone]

It can make a huge difference. I have a Win M70 featherweight classic in .270 that had like a hot glue type bedding from the factory. I struggled with that rifle for a good while. I found one factory load that shot somewhat decent in it and everything else was 2" or more at 100 yards. I pulled it apart and discovered the soft plastic hot melt bedding. I removed all of that, glass bedded the action and floated the barrel. Now that rifle is one of the least picky rifles I have. It shoots everything pretty dang well for a lightweight rifle. Most loads I have tried are under an inch.

That's very interesting. Who knows if the most incisive optimization was the bedding or the free floating though

 

[simone]

A friend and I had the exact same rifle and the exact same caliber. the only difference was I had put an aftermarket stock on mine and bedded it.
the rifle kicked like a mule and was over one MOA no matter what I fed it. The new stock had a good recoil pad and had better geometry.
All that said after changing stock and better, the gun was .6 moa with factory and sub .5 moa with its favorite handload.

And what about the rifle of your friend? How was it shooting from the factory?

 

[simone]

I have never had a good bedding job make matters worse. I have a 7mm-08 and a 22/250 that I have hunted with since the mid 90's. Both would shoot .3 moa groups sometimes, others it was more like .8 moa. I had some free time and made some pillars and bedded the wood stocked 7-08, and skim bedded the factory HS Precision stock on the other one. Group size didnt shrink less than the .3 moa, but I gained consistency, now they repeat.

I just did my 6.5-300, drastic improvement in group size.

So maybe i could buy another rifle and bed to that stock the one that shoots better and sell the other one or use it has a beater

 

[nksmfamjp]

Bedding to an action is not irreversible. It just requires grinding out the old and adding in new bedding.

I'm not sure what good is to you, but if a factory rifle and factory load shot under 1.25" for 20 shots, I'd say that was good. Under an inch would be great. Under 0.75" wow! FWIW, IME, a 20 shot group at 0.75" will shoot 0.5" 3 shot groups all day long!

If you bed the stock well, the next logical step is a new custom barrel chambered and fitted by an accuracy gunsmith. I would not just throw money at another same model rifle hoping for a shooter.

 

[Brad Quarnberg]

And what about the rifle of your friend? How was it shooting from the factory?

He put a different stock on his gun, and we bedded it. After that it shot sub moa with factory ammo and with the same re-loads I used, it was nearly identical in accuracy.

 

[WapitiBob]

I'd shoot the .6 ammo and go hunt.

 

[066wally]

11 percent

 

[simone]

Bedding to an action is not irreversible. It just requires grinding out the old and adding in new bedding.

I'm not sure what good is to you, but if a factory rifle and factory load shot under 1.25" for 20 shots, I'd say that was good. Under an inch would be great. Under 0.75" wow! FWIW, IME, a 20 shot group at 0.75" will shoot 0.5" 3 shot groups all day long!

If you bed the stock well, the next logical step is a new custom barrel chambered and fitted by an accuracy gunsmith. I would not just throw money at another same model rifle hoping for a shooter.

For sure if i'd shot 20 shots groups, my groups would open up at least 50%! If i shot 100 shots group, even more. You have to stop somewhere because, if you look for actual statistical significance on your rifle's accuracy, you have to shoot out the barrel before getting it. Multiple 3 or 5 shots groups from a cold, fouled bore are more than adequate to understand what a rifle is capable of practically. If the shooter is good.

 

[simone]

I'd shoot the .6 ammo and go hunt.

Yeah, shooting a 170 gr 308 softpoint with a BC od 0.2 at 400 meters at 50 lbs a roe deer with 7-8 inches vitals in an area where on average you have 7-10 mph wind. What could go wrong? I already have a rifle for shooting inside 250 yards and it works very well, this rig needs a more aerodynamic bullet to do its job. When the season starts, until I have setup this new rifle, i will keep on using the other one and keep the distances shorter

 

[simone]

11 percent

Only 11? I was hoping at least 12-13%

 

[JuddL]

Don't try and force feed the rifle something it doesn't want to shoot is the moral to the question. It's blatantly telling you that load doesn't hit the sweet spot and the other one does.

You're limited to factory options and sounds like will spend a bunch of money chasing a ghost.

In this example, the best option is to reload or find someone who will show you how to tune that bullet to your gun. There still isn't a guarantee that barrel/gun will like that bullet but that's your best chance.

To your bedding question, bedding never hurts unless it's done wrong but it's not magic. I would not ever expect an unbedded rifle that is shooting 1.5" to shoot .5" after it's bedded unless there was something else going on (like bolt touching the stock would be a great example).

Good luck!

 

[BillLarson]

I got bored about 10 yrs.ago and bought rem 700 .308 varmint.NEW.....out of curiousity ....I loaded up 100 155 scenars with new brass.... flimsy plastic stock....
no changes...just cleaned it..... 1.25 moa
lapped barrel.... 1.0 moa.
put in a H-S aluminum bedded stock....with free floated barrel.... .75 moa...
fit it to the aluminum block using prussian bluing... .60
bedded it with J-B.... .50 moa....
In a hunting gun ....sometimes stock pressure helps... also strengthens unit..... with horses and other unintentional rough handling.... I have seen stock pressure cut group size in half..... Especially on lite guns....
These are real life experiences not internet stories....

 

[JAYgs8163]

Make it real easy for you. Bedding any rifle makes it "better" in numerous ways. Usually substantially more accurate. Barrel is now floated if done properly. Action is mated to the stock and helps eliminate any possible issues when in the field. Bedding also relieves all the stress on the action and action screws when done properly. It's just "better". Even just spot bedding the lug and tang area usually offer improved accuracy.