I recently purchased a MRC X2 in a 7 Rem Mag. I was getting irregular groups with the gun. It was basically shooting two different groups. Both groups were about half to an inch apart. It places the shots in the two groups almost randomly. I took the gun apart the other day and the factory bedding job doesn't look like it was done very well to me. A lot of what I read leads me to believe that the bedding is likely an issue. I have only shot Hornady ammo through the gun. I plan on picking up some federal premium this weekend. It had an EGW base on it that I changed out for a warne to see if that was an issue. Rings are Warne. I am going to put on leupold bases and rings this weekend. I have used a grand slam scope as well as a VX3. I shot both SST's and ELDX. I had two other rifles at the range and both of them shot well under an inch on the same days I shot this rifle. Action screws and ring/base screws were all torqued to spec. Barrel looks good. No burrs or anything like that. I have attached photos of the bedding that are a little tough to see. Bedding at the front looks ok. Bedding on the sides and rear has a lot missing. I have attached the two targets. Both have decent groups if they were shot and the scope adjusted. Both targets were with different scopes. In the one, I was not that far off with shot 6, I was shooting at the top right target.
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Rifle Bedding Question
- Thread starter Rhunter2
- Start date
Help Support Long Range Hunting Forum
Does the bedding look right? I don't know much about bedding but most of the professional jobs I have looked at are smooth and the upper sides of the action are bedded as well. My bedding on the side is gone. Not sure if that is normal.
Is your barrel free floated ? Does the stock touch the barrel at all?
The bedding on your rifle looks like the factory bedding on a Weatherby Vanguard I have . I ground it all out and rebedded it.
It didn't help at all. I ened up re barreling it.
Barrel is free floated. It is a Montana rifle company x2. It is supposed to have about everything done to it at the factory that you would do on a custom. That is why I am not super pleased with the grouping. Depending on what the company tells me' I may just send it to Douglas and have a barrel installed. I think the bedding needs to go and be rebedded. I am going to try some different shells and buy the dies for some hand loads. My experience with Hornady ammo in all my rifles has been excellent. Hornady is all that I have shot so far. Both sst and eldx.
sable tireur
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Oct 8, 2010
- Messages
- 3,949
Rhunter2,
Are you shooting from a sturdy bench?
Are you using a bipod instead of a front and rear bag? If yes on using a bipod, are you pre-loading that bipod?
If you're using bags, is the front bag really hard?
If yours is a full bedding block, I would send the entire rifle back to MRC with the targets to demonstrate the problem and suggest that the bedding and the barrel be revisited. This is predicated on the fact that you have not modified the rifle in any way except to shoot the groups. They need to fix the rifle not you.
The reality is that for $1337.00 complete, I suspicion that they are using an inferior carbon fiber shell (as opposed to a properly designed shell) just so they can claim the use of carbon fiber as an industry buzz word or sales tool, even though it does not provide the rigidity that we all expect from a proper carbon fiber stock. The stock is probably flexing inconsistently under recoil. See Tom Manners stocks if you doubt me. Look at the pictures of his truck parked on a stock.
Years ago when all this hubbub started with synthetic fibers in fiberglass stocks, I was in the "M" facility examining some of the new stocks which were being advertised as having been 'reinforced with Kevlar'. Kevlar was the then new buzz word with the advent of Kevlar vests. I asked where the reinforcement was placed and the response was 'a strip was run down each of the forearm in the mold'. This according to the legal staff was enough to be able to claim the addition of Kevlar as a reinforcement. The reality was that these strips provided nothing except the ability to use the verbiage in their description. Things have changed since then.
Please be sure to follow up with what you decide to do and how it all turns out.
Best of Luck!
Are you shooting from a sturdy bench?
Are you using a bipod instead of a front and rear bag? If yes on using a bipod, are you pre-loading that bipod?
If you're using bags, is the front bag really hard?
In the current version of their website, MRC states that they are using pillars. In your pictures, which are too small for good detail by the way, it appears that you have a full bedding block instead of just pillars. Is this correct?
If yours is a full bedding block, I would send the entire rifle back to MRC with the targets to demonstrate the problem and suggest that the bedding and the barrel be revisited. This is predicated on the fact that you have not modified the rifle in any way except to shoot the groups. They need to fix the rifle not you.
The reality is that for $1337.00 complete, I suspicion that they are using an inferior carbon fiber shell (as opposed to a properly designed shell) just so they can claim the use of carbon fiber as an industry buzz word or sales tool, even though it does not provide the rigidity that we all expect from a proper carbon fiber stock. The stock is probably flexing inconsistently under recoil. See Tom Manners stocks if you doubt me. Look at the pictures of his truck parked on a stock.
Years ago when all this hubbub started with synthetic fibers in fiberglass stocks, I was in the "M" facility examining some of the new stocks which were being advertised as having been 'reinforced with Kevlar'. Kevlar was the then new buzz word with the advent of Kevlar vests. I asked where the reinforcement was placed and the response was 'a strip was run down each of the forearm in the mold'. This according to the legal staff was enough to be able to claim the addition of Kevlar as a reinforcement. The reality was that these strips provided nothing except the ability to use the verbiage in their description. Things have changed since then.
Please be sure to follow up with what you decide to do and how it all turns out.
Best of Luck!
I would try reloads first and foremost. I think you can cut your groups in half.
The stock does not have an aluminum bedding block. The unpainted stock kind of looks like aluminum. It does have pillars. The company has asked me to fire another brand of premium ammo and send it in if the results are not satisfactory. I am shooting from a sled. I am going to pick up some bags this weekend. The front bag is fairly hard but I don't think any harder than shooting bags I have previously used. I do reload but have not reloaded for this gun yet. They claim reloads void the warranty. I want to keep that in place until I know I have a shooter.
Why do you say throw the sled away? I don't understand that comment. I have a 223, 243, 300 win mag, and a 7 stw. All of them I shoot from that rest and get great accuracy out of all of them with the exception of this 7mm. I am not trying to argue, I am just curious as to why. I would also be interested in what rest to use as I am looking to purchase another.
texan79
Well-Known Member
I don't want to be a jerk here, but I'll tell you what I think. MSRP on the rifle is 1300. If they are blue printing their actions, and using a premium barrel, there is no reason that they shouldn't shoot better. That being said, at that price point, there is no way the company wouldnt stay in business if they were producing a true "custom rifle". A Rem 700 blue printed action, premium barrel, and a decent stock will run over 1300 in parts alone.
I think they bill it as a semi custom. I was going to build a Remington like you mentioned. Didn't feel like I had that kind of cash right now. I paid significantly less for the rifle than retail. My thought being if I wasn't totally happy with the performance I would just put a premium
Barrel on it down the road. However, I am not sure the barrel is the issue after looking at the stock bedding. I am also of the opinion that a really accurate rifle will shoot most ammo pretty good. Maybe I have just been lucky with my other guns. The fact that it shot Hornady poorly does not make me very optimistic of purchasing another brand. Especially at $40/box.
Barrel on it down the road. However, I am not sure the barrel is the issue after looking at the stock bedding. I am also of the opinion that a really accurate rifle will shoot most ammo pretty good. Maybe I have just been lucky with my other guns. The fact that it shot Hornady poorly does not make me very optimistic of purchasing another brand. Especially at $40/box.
