Glass bedding help wanted

[7mmfan]

I have a beauty of a 7mm-08 that I bought 10 years ago or so. I've hunted some with it, but I've never been happy with its accuracy despite several different loads through it. I've just never found the sweet spot. Last year I started the process of fine tuning the rifle itself by free floating the barrel. Its a lightweight laminated stock, so I'm assuming that a glass bedding job would help it a fair amount as well. I plan on replacing the trigger soon to finish the process.

I'm really looking for someone local who has done some glass bedding and that might be willing to get together and guide a newbie through it. I know it's not overly difficult, but the last thing I want to do is botch this. Plus, I'm just not outfitted at home to do this kind of work. Anyone close by willing to help a guy out sometime in the next few weeks? I'll bring the beer. Gun to be worked on for reference.

[Crunchy]

Dont be afraid to give it a go.  There are a ton of YouTube videos that show the process.  Ive only done 2 so far and you learn a  little more each time.  Best part is if you screw something up, just sand and redo it.

[jdb]

That’s great looking rifle.

[7mmfan]

I know it's not terribly difficult, it's just such a dang pretty stock I'd hate mess something up! I've also read conflicting opinions on bedding just the action, or up to the recoil lug as well, and looking for opinions on that.

[Crunchy]

I just did a dang pretty stock.  700 bucks worth of pretty so i know that nervous feeling. 

[Magnum_Willys]

https://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,237754.0.html

[7mmfan]

So what are your thoughts on this guys opinion? He is saying with a fine wood stock, that a guy may be better off only bedding the front and rear action screw areas and the recoil lug? His thoughts on this are at about the 29:00 minute mark.

[Crunchy]

As much prep work that you need to do I do not know why you wouldn't  bed the entire action.   Larry Potterfield has a simple bed job video.  20 mil tape on the barrel from the recoil lug forward.   Tape front, bottom and sides of the lug.  Release agent everything.  Fill voids of stock and action.  Ready to go.

[Magnum_Willys]

I like to bed forward of lug a couple inches and not sure why he would tape bottom of lug - he’s probably tested with and without tho.

[Crunchy]

Everything that I read on bedding they also tape the bottom of the lug.  I by far am no expert on the subject. 

[b23]

I always have everything bed, even have some rimfires that are bed, and if it's a wood stock, which I don't have many of, I always have pillars installed, but keep in mind, bedding isn't a cure all and won't make a poor shooting gun suddenly shoot a lot better. 

Generally, a good stress free bedding job, emphasis on it being stress free, will aid in making a good shooter, shoot a little better, but what a bedding job won't do, is take a gun that's shooting inches and turn it into a .5 MOA gun.

I've seen some really good do it yourself bedding jobs and I have seen some realllllly bad ones, and both believed their DIY work was top notch.  When you crack the action screw loose and you can see or feel the barrel spring back, that's a bad thing. 

[Crunchy]

Its the front action screw you crack to check for stress in the bed job correct??

[b23]

Its the front action screw you crack to check for stress in the bed job correct??

You don't want either to induce stress so check it with both.

[7mmfan]

Where are you guys buying the bedding compound? Anywhere local in Puget Sound to drop in and pick it up or is it something I should buy online? Recommendations for specific compounds?

[Crunchy]

I used marinetex gray and ordered a 12 oz can from amazon.  Devcon 11010 is another good one from what I hear.  Make sure you buy the long screws that go into your action and cut the heads off.  Eliminates a lot of problems.