New stock bedding

[Thehowler]

Wondering what a professional bedding job from a gunsmith is going for these days?
I just purchased a Bell & Carlson stock to replace my factory Browning A-bolt composite stock. I talked briefly to a local smith who said to set up his mill and bed a stock, he was 150.00 per hour. Said I may get lucky With the stock they send me or not? What did you pay for this service?
Thanks.

[Crunchy]

Should not have to mill much? I think my smith charged me 150 to install pillars, and bedded the the front recoil lug and about 2 inch forward of it, as well as the rear action tang.  Thing shot money afterwards.  I suspect to full bed the action 200-250ish.  I plan on doing it myself once  the rest of my parts arrive.  Really dont need a mill to do it.

[deerhunter_98520]

It's pretty easy to do, I just looked up videos on YouTube and did my own 

[b23]

Stocks like B&C and HS Prec. don’t really need pillars and should be a simple skim bed so the action makes full contact.  They should cost the least to bed of about any stock.  I think my smith charges me right around $150 to bed my HS Precision stocks.

[NWShooter]

Do your home work! Check up on the Smith. 10% of the Smith's out there are the real deal, the rest are hacks. B&C stocks can be found with full length blocks and the lighter models with just pillars. I would not go near a Smith that wants $150.00 a hour to bed. That's a joke and I can't count the bedding jobs I have had done over the years. $150-$200.00 for a bedding job on a pillared B&C and less for a skim bed on a full length block.

[bobcat]

I had a gunsmith bed by Weatherby Vanguard with a Bell & Carlson stock. Was $85. Shoots awesome after having that done.

[NWShooter]

I had a gunsmith bed by Weatherby Vanguard with a Bell & Carlson stock. Was $85. Shoots awesome after having that done.

Such a bargain for a well done bedding job deserves some recognition. Please post some contact info for the Smith.👍 Along with pricing, maybe they provide other services at such a discount.

[hogslayer]

It depends on what your after.  Lots of different types of bedding jobs.  I just paid 350 to have a stock bedded and some minor inletting.  But the gunsmith is one of the best, and I know it’s done right and that’s what matters to me.

[NWShooter]

It depends on what your after.  Lots of different types of bedding jobs.  I just paid 350 to have a stock bedded and some minor inletting.  But the gunsmith is one of the best, and I know it’s done right and that’s what matters to me.

Mind sharing the name of one of the best?

[hogslayer]

Alex Wheeler is the gunsmith I use.  He did have to do some work on the barrel Chanel and ejection port for fitting the action. 

[yorketransport]

Alex Wheeler is the gunsmith I use.  He did have to do some work on the barrel Chanel and ejection port for fitting the action.

Alex does excellent work at a very fair price! There are some folks who I don’t mind paying a premium price for thier work. Then there’s the other 90% who’re about as qualified as some guy you found on Craig’s List.

[b23]

There are some folks who I don’t mind paying a premium price for thier work. Then there’s the other 90% who’re about as qualified as some guy you found on Craig’s List.

This is very true and keep in mind, not all bedding jobs are created equal.  I've seen some really good bedding jobs and I've seen some real crap work too.  Never bothers me to pay a premium for quality work. 

With a true stress free bedding job, the barrel shouldn't move when you crack the action screws loose.  I've seen some that were so bad you could physically see the barrel spring back as you cracked a screw loose.

[Tracker0721]

So ya know, B&C warranty their stocks and it voids it to bed it. In their testing bedding it did nothing to improve accuracy. I bedded my most recent one and accuracy went from .5 moa to .5 moa. Also most come with a full length aluminum block meaning ya ain’t gonna put pillars in. NOW! If it’s not a pre inletted stock and it must be milled out then get the check book out. Inletted my first wood stock and bedded it at 14. The bedding process is easy. Super simple. Can do it in the kitchen and be cleaned up by the time the wife gets back from running to the grocery store.

Here’s what Brownells pricing survey found.

[hunterofelk]

Buy Brownells Glass Bedding Kit and do it yourself. Dont forget to use the release agent!

[bobcat]

Bedding my Bell & Carlson stock sure improved accuracy! Went from inconsistent 1-1/2 to 2 inch groups to consistent .5 inch groups or better. Mine doesn't have the aluminum bedding block.

[Jonathan_S]

JB Weld and WD-40. Emphasis on the WD-40   

If you're good with a razor and masking, it will even look good.

[deerhunter_98520]

JB Weld and WD-40. Emphasis on the WD-40   

If you're good with a razor and masking, it will even look good.

That's what I just used on my Boyd's stock for my 264 

[yorketransport]

JB Weld and WD-40. Emphasis on the WD-40   

If you're good with a razor and masking, it will even look good.

Now that's full redneck!!! I at least use shoe polish as a release agent.

[BULLBLASTER]

JB Weld and WD-40. Emphasis on the WD-40   

If you're good with a razor and masking, it will even look good.

Now that's full redneck!!! I at least use shoe polish as a release agent.

Have you met the Jon? 
Full on redneck is all he knows!

[Jonathan_S]

Yorke, I used an oil based pomade as a release agent one time and it was actually the best I've used!

[jasnt]

I use wax for a toilet bowl. Got ya’’ll Beat on the red neck release agents
Where’s the toothless smile emoji

[deerhunter_98520]

I use wax for a toilet bowl. Got ya’’ll Beat on the red neck release agents
Where’s the toothless smile emoji

I'm not even going to ask if it was new wax 😂

[jasnt]

I use wax for a toilet bowl. Got ya’’ll Beat on the red neck release agents
Where’s the toothless smile emoji

I'm not even going to ask if it was new wax 😂

and I won’t tell

[Tracker0721]

PAM and that devcon steel stuff is probably the best. Devcon plastisteel.

[Magnum_Willys]

Marinetek grey is inexpensive and specs out about like Devcon Titanium and is available at local marine store for about a third of a can of Devcon.  But if planning ahead no reason not to use Devcon Titanium.

13k Compression vs 15k Devcon
1800 Adhesion vs 2000 Devcon
4000 Tensile vs 2000 Devcon

Clear ( neutral) kiwi shoe polish works for release agent.

[ribka]

Thanks

Marinetek grey is inexpensive and specs out about like Devcon Titanium and is available at local marine store for about a third of a can of Devcon.  But if planning ahead no reason not to use Devcon Titanium.

13k Compression vs 15k Devcon
1800 Adhesion vs 2000 Devcon
4000 Tensile vs 2000 Devcon

Clear ( neutral) kiwi show polish works for release agent.

[Thehowler]

My new stock showed up yesterday. Everything went together nice, fit and finish looks awesome. I did have to add about a 3/32” aluminum shim under the recoil lug to get free float clearance around the barrel. That made my front action screw just a little too short, one full turn to torque spec.
Called Browning for a longer screw, no dice. Called Stockys, they offer longer screws for Remington and Winchester rifles, no Browning. So went down to the local gunsmith and asked about a source for the screw. He said it will have to be made, it would be expensive but he could do it. Showed him the rifle and new stock. He looked it over, checked barrel clearance with his dollar bill than took it in the back to take a closer look. Brought it back and said he could bed the action for 350.00 dollars, it would probably take a full day, and probably 12 weeks out to start. I thanked him for his time and left.
Stopped by the hardware store on the way home and picked up a couple of 1/4”x 28 tpi stainless bolts. I think I could chuck one up in my hobby lathe and come pretty close to what I need.
Been watching a few YouTube videos on action bedding, we will see.
Taking it to the range this weekend to see if my groups closed up any.

[yorketransport]

I have bunch of 3" long stock screws sitting around just in case I need to make longer ones for any of the guns. It's pretty easy to trim it down to length even with a Dremel or a grinder. Just be sure to clean up the threads before threading it into the action.

This is a great article on how to bed a rifle if you haven't seen it yet. There was a video at one time, but it's a pretty old article and the video is gone now.
https://www.accurateshooter.com/technical-articles/stress-free-pillar-bedding/