HS Precision stock, is it worth bedding at this point?

[freezerfull]

So I dropped an Rem 700 adl .243 that consistently shoots well under MOA with my handloads into an hs precision 2000 sporter stock with aluminum bedding block. The barrel now free floats which is what I was going for to prevent poi shiftes when shooting from a bipod. My first range trip I had constant lateral shifts in poi, I played with the screw tension with no inprovement. Today I took it out and worked up loads again to see if it liked a different recipe, no luck. I then pulled the action from the stock and placed a small cardboard piece under the barrel by tip of foreend. Groups tightened up. The recoil lug was fimly pressed back against the aluminium the whole time, and the aluminum marks on the action look like it had the proper contact on the block. So basically I think my barrels needs some pressure which defeats my entire plan of using this stock. My only thought is skim bedding it and extending the bedding under the chamber to support the back of the barrel but I don't want to butcher this stock and have to still bed a pressure point in, might aswell use the Tupperware it came with. Any suggestions?

[magnumb]

I owned 2 HS Precision stocks in past years.  I also found that the accuracy from both of the original stock performed better than either of the HS stocks.......unfortunately.  Thankfully, being in LE, I didn't have to pay full freight on their purchase.  I sold them very soon after receiving them.  This was many years ago and they were also just too heavy for my liking.

FWIW - I had always bedded each rifle I had owned prior to purchasing the HS stocks and figured, like you, I'd be good to go.  I wasn't.  I was so dissappointed in this purchase that rather than attempting to 'fix' the problems and perhaps make these stocks less desirable for sale, I sold them 'as is' for a small loss and moved on.  I figured that if any attempted 'fixes' didn't do the trick, that I'd be saddled with 2 expensive stocks that I certainly would never use.

Sorry to hear of your problems and now your current search for a 'fix', but more than anything else, I just wanted you to know that you are not alone in your findings.....ala, the 'misery loves company' thing.  There will soon be others, I'm sure, that will come along to either refute these possibilities and/or state that their individual experiences with HS stocks has been fabulous, but neither speaks to what you and I have certainly experienced.

'Upgrades', especially very expensive one's, are not always as advertised.  These stocks, at least many years ago, were no exception.

Good luck to you...........

[Stein]

I have a B&C stock on my 700 that has an aluminum bed in it as well.  The B&C stocks have a bump near the forend that intentionally pushes up against the barrel (not free floated).  I believe the idea is to put constant, steady pressure on the barrel.

I shoot about .7 MOA and haven't thought about grinding it off so it free floats.  I think sometimes that the free floating issue is a bit overblown as there is anecdotal evidence on the web (plus my experience and yours) that suggests some rifles shoot as good or better without floating the barrel.

You could either bed it up or just work up a small bump so it pushes up at some point in the forend.  I would probably try the latter as it would be a lot less work.

[b23]

I've used quite a few Remington take off stocks in this same style, Sendero for long actions and VSSF on short actions, for M700 based semi custom builds and they've all worked out very well.  But, every one of them has always been bed to the receiver too.

FWIW, I've got a like new walnut BDL M700 short action take off stock I'd trade you plus $$ on my end if you had any thoughts of changing and going that route instead.

[257 Wby Mag]

Need a little tip pressure.

[freezerfull]

Thanks for the replies. I'm thinking if I bed in a pressure point, then i will still see poi chnages when shooting from bipod, field rest, off hand, etc. might as well just stick with the factory stock, I really don't mind it except my groups jump up about 1-2 inches when I have a bipod on. think I'm gonna throw her in the classifieds. B23 PM sent

[yorketransport]

Horizontal shifts are almost always caused by poor action bedding in my experience. FWIW I'd try bedding the stock. It's entirely possible that your recoil lug isn't perfectly flat. That would give inconsistent horizontal shifts in POI. If the lug isn't making even contact with the hard aluminum bedding block it could be rocking side to side as you shoot. Bedding the action and recoil lug would lock the lug in so that even if it is slightly twisted it would still be making firm, consistent contact with the bedding.

Stamped recoil lugs are prone to warping slightly during the stamping process. This is one of the reason that people switch to thicker machined lugs. It's a very common problem with Savages.

Andrew

[high country]

That they are.....

[freezerfull]

Update. So I went ahead and drilled mechanical locks and roughed the block. Then bedded the lug, first two inches of barrel and skim bedded the block with jb weld. I know, I know not a accepted bedding compound, but hasn't failed me on laminate or walnut stocks yet. Since bedding I've had it out twice and no more poi shifts and back to shooting sub moa with a ff barrel. I think Yorke nailed it, the action was rocking on the lug against the block. Thanks for the input guys. 

[b23]

You just gotta love it when a plan comes together.

I don't believe I've ever seen a rifle that didn't benefit from having the stock bed. 

It's always nice when you can fix things yourself.