Bedding question--to bed the shank, or not bed the shank

[wooltie]

My manners arrives next week and I plan to bed my m70 long action w/#5 sporter contour.

Seems like some people bed just recoil lug, other bed the lug and forward of the lug to support the barrel shank.

Any thoughts on bedding the barrel shank as well, or bedding just the recoil lug and having nothing touch the barrel?

[Bill W]

I used to get good results bedding up to the nose of the cartridge.  That's how far up the barrel I would bed.  Also all bolt areas on the action.

[Crunchy]

I had a smith bed my Rem 700 action a few years ago.  I didnt pay much attention to it at first, but man did it shoot lights out.  So I tore it apart to look at what he did.  He only bedded the tang, and the lug with about 1.5 inches forward of the lug which was raise up maybe 3/16 of an inch.  So the barrel floated.  My stock arrives next week I hope, and I will likely do the same.

[JimmyHoffa]

I used to get good results bedding up to the nose of the cartridge.  That's how far up the barrel I would bed.  Also all bolt areas on the action.

  This is what I've done.  Seems to work fine for me.

[b23]

My manners arrives next week and I plan to bed my m70 long action w/#5 sporter contour.

Seems like some people bed just recoil lug, other bed the lug and forward of the lug to support the barrel shank.

Any thoughts on bedding the barrel shank as well, or bedding just the recoil lug and having nothing touch the barrel?

Probably a good amount of personal preference, depending on the gunsmith/person, doing the bedding, but I don't really like anything touching the barrel forward of the recoil lug. 

I'd also recommend a full action bedding as well as having pillars installed.  Stocks with the aluminium bedding block, like HS Prec., don't need pillars but I still have those stocks fully skim bed for the action.  I think anything wood or fiberglass, or pretty much any stock without an aluminium bedding block, should always have pillars installed.  The heavier the recoil a rifle may have, the more important it is to have pillars installed.

[wooltie]

My manners arrives next week and I plan to bed my m70 long action w/#5 sporter contour.

Seems like some people bed just recoil lug, other bed the lug and forward of the lug to support the barrel shank.

Any thoughts on bedding the barrel shank as well, or bedding just the recoil lug and having nothing touch the barrel?

Probably a good amount of personal preference, depending on the gunsmith/person, doing the bedding, but I don't really like anything touching the barrel forward of the recoil lug. 

I'd also recommend a full action bedding as well as having pillars installed.  Stocks with the aluminium bedding block, like HS Prec., don't need pillars but I still have those stocks fully skim bed for the action.  I think anything wood or fiberglass, or pretty much any stock without an aluminium bedding block, should always have pillars installed.  The heavier the recoil a rifle may have, the more important it is to have pillars installed.

I bought a manners w/pillars installed that will arrive next week.  The barrel on the model 70 is raised from the bottom of the rifle action, so floating the entire barrel is rather easy.  Unlike a remington action where the bottom of the barrel and the bottom of the action action are on the same plane.

[Crunchy]

Well the deciding factor will be a fit check once the stock gets here.  If it looks/feels like the action could use a skim bed I will probably go that route since I already have plenty of bedding compound.  Did a little bed job on my muzzleloader yesterday, which turned out fine.  So I hope I wont screw something up. 

[jasnt]

I never bed the barrel. 

[deerhunter_98520]

  I just did a Boyd's stock and it fit so well I just had to bed the lug...fit very nicely 

[wooltie]

My manners arrives tomorrow.  Not bad for ordering last August!  Just in time to bed and work up loads while temps are still moderate.

I'll bed the recoil lug for sure, and look at skim bedding the front action (because the action is flat) and the rear tang.

[Crunchy]

Mine arrived today. 7 weeks.

[wooltie]

 

You plan to dam up the voids and bed the entire action?

[Crunchy]

Thats the plan.  Going skim bed the action and likley bed an 1-2 inches forward of the lug.  Have some additional  fit testing later today.  Fairly tight fit already.

[wooltie]

Thats the plan.  Going skim bed the action and likley bed an 1-2 inches forward of the lug.  Have some additional  fit testing later today.  Fairly tight fit already.

I'm tempted to bed forward of the lug to end of chamber.  Can always remove compound later if accuracy sucks.

[Crunchy]

Well the barrel is sitting in the bedded stock drying.  Took a few hours to prep everything.  If you don't hear from me for a few days, the release agent didn't work, and my brand new stock is toast    or permanently attached to my action.  Waxed everything twice so praying it works as planned.   Its only my second bed job, so I am not feeling overly confident. 

[JimmyHoffa]

Well the barrel is sitting in the bedded stock drying.  Took a few hours to prep everything.  If you don't hear from me for a few days, the release agent didn't work, and my brand new stock is toast    or permanently attached to my action.  Waxed everything twice so praying it works as planned.   Its only my second bed job, so I am not feeling overly confident.

if it does stick, you can put it in the freezer to help release it

[Crunchy]

Good back up plan.  Hope not to need it.  Find out tomorrow.

[Bill W]

Well the barrel is sitting in the bedded stock drying.  Took a few hours to prep everything.  If you don't hear from me for a few days, the release agent didn't work, and my brand new stock is toast    or permanently attached to my action.  Waxed everything twice so praying it works as planned.   Its only my second bed job, so I am not feeling overly confident.

I bought a .30/06 that someone glued together (no release agent) and it was an excellent shooter until I needed to pull the action from the stock.  I pushed it back together afterwards and it had a lot of stress.  Shot poor groups.   I wouldn't hesitate to glue one together again, provided I didn't need to pull it apart later.

[Crunchy]

Came apart with a little encouragement.  Only one scare which was the front action screw.  It had pushed some epoxy into the action when I screwed it in.  Although I waxed the screw and threads I didnt even try to wax the interior of the action.  Lucky for me one tap with a punch through the action screw hole and it popped right out.  Spent the next few hours with chisels, files, and dremel.  Would have been super easy with a mill.  Looks great, just need to touch up two spots.

[jasnt]

I like to fill my thread holes with wax. Much rather push wax in the action than bedding. 

[Crunchy]

Yeah, I wish I had done that but all turned out ok.  Could have been a disaster.   

[wooltie]

Mine just arrived.  Looks like I will need to buy a dremel to remove some material around the rear tang and bolt release lever/spring.  Need to remove some material around the bottom metal so its easier to install.  My barrel also isn't floated underneath the shank.

Will need to cut the pillars to size and install the pillars as well.

Overall finish and construction is nice, just isn't exactly 'drop in' ready.

[Crunchy]

Looks Purdy.  Drop in ready means its close enough for government work Swamp camo?

[wooltie]

Looks Purdy.  Drop in ready means its close enough for government work Swamp camo?

It wouldn't drop in actually. I had to remove material around the rear Tang to allow the bolt release pin to clear. Then removed material around the barrel shank to allow the barrel to sit and float.