Suggestions for bedding an older Savage tupperware stock.

[entoptics]

My buddy's rifle is just not shooting very good, despite having spun on an 1:8 5R X-Caliber, heavy sporter barrel in 7-08, and trying quite a few different bullets (Barnes, Hammer, and Badlands). It didn't shoot that great with the OEM 243 barrel either. Unfortunately, it's a top release, accutrigger model from ~1 year before they changed the action screw spacing on the short actions, so getting another stock is highly unlikely. It's a real shame, as OEM accustocks can be had for a song.

My last ditch effort will be to bed the stock with some devcon (tang, both action screw pillars), but the design is a bit goofy, and I'm wondering what I should do in the area around the recoil lug, as it's not a "slot".

You can see from the pictures hat the stock/action contact isn't exactly "like a glove"...The pillars actually sit below the plastic, and before I smoothed things out with some sandpaper, there were burs and ridges and molding marks in there. Figure removing a bit of plastic and bedding it with some devcon can't hurt, and potentially could really help...

How would you go about this, particularly in regards to the front around the recoil lug and barrel nut?

 

[Bucklowery]

I have opened it up and bedding that whole area for a solid wall.

I had Richards microfit inlet a blank for me when I was building a custom stock for a Stevens 200. You might check with them
Thanks

Buck

 

[GrayCreed]

Accraglass from Brownells and some aluminum arrows to stiffen up the forend.

 

[Ramem7mm]

A pretty cheap option is to get a bell and Carlson stock and bed the recoil lug. Try some Hornady precision ammo if you can get some.

 

[Old Rooster]

No recoil lug to hold it in place under recoil?
Or is that tiny dip in front of the front action screw the recoil lug?
Have not seen one like that before.

 

[entoptics]

Accraglass from Brownells and some aluminum arrows to stiffen up the forend.

Did that for a couple of Marlin X7 for my BIL. Seemed to help. Don't think it would be easy with this stock, as it has a sort of grid of struts molded in, which would require hogging out to lay the arrows.

A pretty cheap option is to get a bell and Carlson stock and bed the recoil lug. Try some Hornady precision ammo if you can get some.

This rifle has pre-2007 action screw spacing, which might make it a challenge. Also, my buddy isn't real interested in spending any more money on this thing.

No recoil lug to hold it in place under recoil?
Or is that tiny dip in front of the front action screw the recoil lug?
Have not seen one like that before.

The recoil lug lays in front of that buttress with the little notch you mentioned (which is for the recoil lug indexing tab). You can see where it sits by the faint outline in the dust in the first picture.

That's what has me a bit puzzled about this job. I'm used to having a recess to fill in. In this case, there's no front...

 

[can1010]

first you don't bed the tang on a savage, everything from the rear action screw and back must float. knock out the pillars they are not glued and deepen the shelf that stops the pillar so it sticks above the stock allowing for bedding material. use modeling clay, plumbers puddy or even kids playdo to make a dam Infront of recoil lug to contain bedding, rough up stock but don't use excessive speed on Dremel it will heat up plastic and release oils and then bedding wont stick. i even dill holes into the plastic at angles and fill with bedding to act as a key to help hold bedding. bedding savage factory stocks is a pain but can be done.

 

[sable tireur]

Also, my buddy isn't real interested in spending any more money on this thing.

This is the first thing to consider, IMO.

If he does not want to pursue making his investment in the barrel a better rifle, let him run off into land of DIY and handle the ridiculous bedding himself.

Personally, this is also the place at which I would suggest selling this rifle and start with decent design and the potential for bedding or accessories. The above is simply a lost cause.

A pretty cheap option is to get a bell and Carlson stock and bed the recoil lug.

I had Richards microfit inlet a blank for me when I was building a custom stock for a Stevens 200.

These are the two suggestions which could work. Another would be Boyd's. I would spend some time discussing this stock switch with those manufacturers to judge the better solution.

Best of Luck!

 

[338 dude]

Boyd's or stockys

 

[Reelamin]

I just bedded the exact same stock on a 116. "Dont worry about anything behind the lug on a Savage" direct from a high end rifle builder friend. Build a play dough dam where ever you want on the front, plug rectangle holes from bottom with dough, dam behind the plastic to keep from filling the magazine. Take a small dremel bit and draw some lines in all the smooth areas to rough it up. No dremel anything to scratch it as its pretty hard. Sand the areas where your action will touch to eliminate any unwanted contact. Fill in barrel nut grooves with dough, and shoe polish the steel and action. Screw in stud (cut off bolt) and test fit, use compound of your choice (I use JB Weld), press in action and wrap it super tight with surgical tubing. Done!

 

[ntg]

There are stocks that you can find, and will work fine, if he changes his mind. What can1010 said is pretty much what I do. I do make sure to use drillbit in my Dremel, and do some diagonal holes to ensure mechanical lock. Looking at your picture I would take a drum on my Dremel and remove some of the plastic so there's a little bit more of bedding contact around those pillars, and probably even drill some small holes next to the pillars and go from there. One more thing I put a couple layers of masking tape on the front of the recoil lug and carefully shave them off so that the sides and the back of the recoil lug are getting bedded to your bedding material. Make sure you clean it up with a degreaser, I use rubbing alcohol. Also on plastic stocks I use JB Weld, seems to work fine. One more thing, you sound like you've done similar before, but whatever you do, don't forget release agent. I use kiwi, clear shoe wax.

 

[Old Rooster]

I agree with drilling holes and roughing up base and filling everything else with putty as mentioned.
Put Johnson floor wax on everything that contacts the action surface,2 coats,let each coat dry and buff slightly.Put Jhonson floor wax on screws and in pillars but not on top of pillars as well as inside action screw holes.Put decon on stock and tighten,don't back off as the front tab will not have enough contact to serve as a recoil lug and let it dry overnight.That is the way I would do that job.
I wish you the best and please report how it went.

 

[HSmithTX]

I THINK these stocks are polypropylene and you HAVE to use mechanical means to adhere the bedding to the stock. can1010 covered how pretty well but just make sure the bedding can lock to the stock. I have busted out the X bracing in the fore end and braced when filling back with epoxy. IMO 1/4" steel square tubing is much more desirable than arrows, carbon or aluminum. It is a bit heavier, but what's an ounce or two in the scheme of things when it is vastly stiffer? Yes, it is putting lipstick on a pig, but what's to lose other than a few hours and $25 on epoxy? I have a Rem700 I have done this on, I put $30 worth of steel and epoxy into a $4.29 garbage stock and it shoots great. It's stable on the bipod, I can't bend it a half inch just loading the bipod anymore. It's stable in temps from 40-100+ degrees. It performs as well as "good" stocks, there is no difference in the rifles performance. I did it just because I wanted to know if I could, and it worked out. I would do it again too if I had a rifle I wanted to shoot as well as I can get it without a lot of money in it. I probably cut the resale value of my $4.29 garbage stock in half doing it LOL but I didn't and still don't care about that.

 

[338 dude]

I THINK these stocks are polypropylene and you HAVE to use mechanical means to adhere the bedding to the stock. can1010 covered how pretty well but just make sure the bedding can lock to the stock. I have busted out the X bracing in the fore end and braced when filling back with epoxy. IMO 1/4" steel square tubing is much more desirable than arrows, carbon or aluminum. It is a bit heavier, but what's an ounce or two in the scheme of things when it is vastly stiffer? Yes, it is putting lipstick on a pig, but what's to lose other than a few hours and $25 on epoxy? I have a Rem700 I have done this on, I put $30 worth of steel and epoxy into a $4.29 garbage stock and it shoots great. It's stable on the bipod, I can't bend it a half inch just loading the bipod anymore. It's stable in temps from 40-100+ degrees. It performs as well as "good" stocks, there is no difference in the rifles performance. I did it just because I wanted to know if I could, and it worked out. I would do it again too if I had a rifle I wanted to shoot as well as I can get it without a lot of money in it. I probably cut the resale value of my $4.29 garbage stock in half doing it LOL but I didn't and still don't care about that.

Instead of steel try a solid, fiberglass electric fence, post from tractor supply. About a quarter inch in diameter three or 4 feet long cut as needed.