I just got ahold of a new Berretta Mato in 300 Win Mag. It came with 2 stocks, one of which was a really nice piece of walnut.
I excitedly bolted the 300 mag into the wood stock and took it to the range to sight it in. I bore sighted it and got the first shot on paper, made a sight correction and the 2nd shot was perfect 1 1/2 inches high at 200 yds. The 3rd shot was 1/2 inch from the 2nd. The only problem was that a chunk of walnut about 1" in diameter flew off of the stock right behind the tang!!!!!!!

Well I repaired the chunk out of the tang with dyed acraglass and refinished the area. I went ahead and rebedded the action with acraglass gel kicking myself for not bedding it before I ever shot it. The Mato has about a 1/8 to 3/16 vertical shoulder on the back of the tang, so when I bedded it, I put a layer of electritions tape to give a little bit of clearance on the tang.
After waiting for the Acraglass Gel to harden for about a week I went and shot the rifle again, and dammit it another chip (same place different chip) didn't come loose after about 25rounds!!!!!!!!

I'm trying to decide where to go from here. I feel that I had the rifle well bedded (the entire action and first 1 1/2 inch of the barrel) and it shouldn't have broken the second time. I've always been a little suspicious of the thin front recoil lug on the Mato's and wondered if it was adequate for the Magnums. I have 2 other Mato's in 270 Win and 280 that shoot great (1/2 minute to 300yds), but have heard that some of the Magums have not been near as accurate and wondered if the thin front lug might be the culprit of indifferent accuracy in the magnum calibers. My Dakota 97 (a near identical action) has a recoil lug almost twice as thick and isn't inset into the front of the receiver.

As I see it some of my options are as follows, I would much appreciate your learned opinions on them:

1. Round the rear tang of the 300 Mato so that it doesn't have a sharp vertical shoulder. And rebed the tang. Thinking that it recoil it would deliver a straight back blow to the stock.

2. Rebed the tang with more clearance in the rear.

3. Use the stock for the 270 or 280 instead, maybe the Claro Walnut in the stock isn't up to a 300 Win Mag (IMO it's too pretty to give up on).

4. Rebed the front and maybe even use a crossbolt to reduce action flex in the tang area.

5. Other Ideas?

Again, I like the stock and want to use it for one of my Mato's. I like it on the 300 but am a little leary of having it chip again in the future. Is the squared off tang the culprit. How much clearance should I have left in the rear or should I modify it to ride the top of the wood like a model 70?............DJ

I am sure others would agree with me that we need to see the stock in order to make a "learned" decision.

DJ,

If your tang area is getting that much stress the recoil lug and/or the bedding of that lug is obviously not doing its job.

Reinforcing or adding clearance in the tang area is ignoring what is causing the problem up front. Same is true for just adding a cross bolt. Start at the recoil lug and work your way back...not the other way around.

when herters moved to south dakota I had boughten a bunch of stock blanks from them for cheap. Nice pieces of wood but every one split at the wrist. Got to the point that I drilled a hole through that section of the stock and accraglassed in a steel rod. ended those problems

Im not farmiliar with that particular rifle, but would pillar bedding be an option for giving it some strength?

quote:

Originally posted by 22WRF:
I am sure others would agree with me that we need to see the stock in order to make a "learned" decision.

Your probably right but at the moment I don't have my digital camera handy.

The front lug is bedded with acraglass gel, that I allowed to dry for a week. It has 1 layer of tape clearance on the front of the lug but the rear of the front lug is skin tight. I guess that Devoncon Plastic Steel might give me a slightly stiffer front bed but it wouldn't be any tighter than I've got it now.
Pillars are probably a good idea all the way around but I don't think they will keep the action from any rearward movement since they shouldn't touch anything horizontally.

Butchloc, The chip is coming off the top of the tang or the steel rod would have been the first thing I tried. Good Idea though.

Maybe I can borrow a camera to get some pics. Thanks for the responses..........DJ

DJ, relieve some of the wood at the rear. I cant remember what the rear tang looks like on them but the wood at the end of it should not be subject to recoil. It is evident that yours was. A gap is not uncalled for in this case, just the opposite.

Chic, How much of a gap do you think would be appropriate, and what would be the best way to acheive it (i.e. more layers of tape and rebed, or just cut it). Do you think I should knock the edge off the bottom of the rear of the action? It's about 3/16" thick and parrallel to the face of the action..........DJ

I cut it with a gouge and undercut the wood so the gap that is showing is less than what you actually see. This leaves the tip a bit fragile but the gap should be enough so it does not or can not get to it. I would imagine I usually leave 0.010 to 0.013" or so.

Thanks Chic, I'm getting ready to cut it per your advice in just a few minutes.......DJ

Chic, Undercut the stock and rounded the sharp corner on the rear of the tang. Shot the rifle today and no problems with the stock. Rifle shot great. Thanks all...........DJ