What a difference a bedding job can make

[Jeff In TX]

I had Chad Dixon rebuild my LH Winchester Model 70 .300 WSM into a McMillan stock and Brux barrel into a precision tac driving rifle. About six or seven years ago I got the itch to have a AAA grade English walnut stock made for it. I decided on a Weatherby MK 5 style stock. The stock is beautiful, unfortunately the stock builder used an aluminum bedding block in the stock. It wasn't fitted to the receiver very well and there was a big recoil lug area which never allowed the recoil lug to mate to the aluminum bedding block the the best I could tell. The rifle in the McMillan stock shoots in .5's to .7's when I do my job. In the wood stock it had a wonderful 3" plus buckshot pattern at 100 yards!

I decided to have it bedded. I talked with Chad about the project and he wasn't keen on bedding over the aluminum bedding block and explained his reasons, Since it was a simple bedding job of just the recoil lug area i had my local g-smith look it over and he said no problem. My local g-smith did a great job bedding the rifle, it was amazing looking at the bedding how much bedding material filled in the recoil lug area. This will be the rifle I take on my Wyoming buffalo hunt in Oct and have decided to leave it in the wood stock for the hunt!

The first shot to the upper left was my cold bore shot. I was actually aiming at a black magic marker spot I put on the target that the second shot hit. The third shot was a hair higher/left of POA. Not too bad for a beautiful wood stock!

 

[Marble]

I've done almost all my rifles and when properly done, it makes a significant difference. It's not difficult and only costs around $25.

Good decision to have it bedded.

For one of my rifles I decided to make my own pillars for the front and back of the action. It took most of the day and a lot of trial and error, but the result was perfect and the gun shots 1/2+ groups out of a factory rifle.

 

[ShtrRdy]

Man, that's a beautiful stock.

I recently learned how much difference a bedding job could make. I'm a believer now.

 

[Barrelnut]

Jeff, that is one of the best looking rifles I have seen in quite awhile. Would like to ask what color cerakote is that on metal?

Have a Savage pillared and bedded to a McMillan drying in the garage right now. Will unwrap it tomorrow and she how she does...

 

[Canadian Bushman]

What a gorgeous rifle, and a shooter too.

 

[Jeff In TX]

Jeff, that is one of the best looking rifles I have seen in quite awhile. Would like to ask what color cerakote is that on metal?

Have a Savage pillared and bedded to a McMillan drying in the garage right now. Will unwrap it tomorrow and she how she does...

I'm almost 99% sure the Cerakote color is flat dark earth. The flat dark earth matches Chad's desert camo stock pattern perfectly. I wasn't really sure how it was going to look in the walnut stock. To be honest I think it's looks fantastic!

Best of luck on your Savage project!

 

[MudRunner2005]

Yep, a good bedding job, can sometimes be as big of a difference as a barrel swap to an aftermarket barrel or truing the action, and can be worth it's weigh in gold.

However, a bad bedding job, can cause as much stress and problems as if the rifle was bolted into a stock made of jello, or worse-off than if it had never even been bedded in the first place.

 

[WildRose]

I've had similar experience with mine and find that the cheaper and sorrier the stock the bigger the benefits of installing pillars and doing a good bedding job. For about 50.00 in materials (Devcon putty)some tungsten powder and stainless rod you can turn even a cheap factory composite stock into one that will be very serviceable and for hundreds less than a custom stock.

Having been a carpenter and cabinet maker early in life I have to give the OP a hat tip, that truly is a beautiful piece of work. Even though I prefer aluminum, steel, and fiberglass for their durability and resistance to changes due to temp/humidity etc wood like that turns a tool into a piece of art.

I'm to the point now as far as bedding goes that my advice to anyone buying a new rifle is to go ahead and install pillars and properly bed it (unless it's already been done for you in a custom/semi custom) before you ever even shoot it. The savings in time, ammo and/or reloading components, not to mention emotions gives you returns far, far exceeding the cost and the time to do it right.

If you have an older rifle that "shoots ok" that was never bedded, do it, you will not regret it.

 

[J E Custom]

I'm to the point now as far as bedding goes that my advice to anyone buying a new rifle is to go ahead and install pillars and properly bed it (unless it's already been done for you in a custom/semi custom) before you ever even shoot it. The savings in time, ammo and/or reloading components, not to mention emotions gives you returns far, far exceeding the cost and the time to do it right.

If you have an older rifle that "shoots ok" that was never bedded, do it, you will not regret it.

+1 good advice !!

I don't start load testing until I do a complete stress free pillar bed. it does not matter if it is wood, Laminate, composite or if it has a chassis.

The object is to hold the action perfect every time and without stress. I used to use the action screws to hold the action in place while the bedding cured but found this could flex the action
enough to make the positioning of the action change with different torque or conditions.

J E CUSTOM

 

[Triple BB]

I bought an HS Precision stock. The bedding block where the lug fits was at least an 1/8" bigger than the lug. And yet HS states if you bed their stock it'll void the warranty. I bedded it anyway. Have a hard time believing there wouldn't be some amount of movement it weren't bedded. Never shot it before I bedded it, but it shoots great now.

 

[WildRose]

+1 good advice !!

I don't start load testing until I do a complete stress free pillar bed. it does not matter if it is wood, Laminate, composite or if it has a chassis.

The object is to hold the action perfect every time and without stress. I used to use the action screws to hold the action in place while the bedding cured but found this could flex the action
enough to make the positioning of the action change with different torque or conditions.

J E CUSTOM

I use the action screws but after I torque it down just snug and let it set about five minutes I back them off a half turn or so. Right or wrong I like to have the whole system together as much as possible so it best simulates the end product.

If I did a lot of them I'd probably get the bedding kit from Brownell's and use it but at most I do a couple a year now so it doesn't justify the expense.