Hello, this is my 1st post. I have enjoyed the information sharing. It is excellent!
I am also new to big bores and am hooked on them. Recently I purchased a new Win model 70, chambered in 416 rem mag, and was wondering if any one has had any experience with glass bedding one (along with any suggestions on reinforcements to weak spots). I am concerned with the stock cracking under the stresses of recoil and sealing it from the weather. So far I have fired about 60 rounds, load developing and am very impressed with the accuracy. This gun is a lot of fun to shoot, and will get plenty of ammo fed through it.
Thank You in advance
Leadmover

[ 09-25-2003, 03:01: Message edited by: Leadmover ]

You gotta peel out that hotglue bedding of the primary action recoil lug and glass bed from there out to the secondary recoil lug on the barrel, inclusive.

True up the surfaces of the barrel lug before bedding it. It is amazing how rough they can be from the factory sometimes.

Hide a crossbolt rearward of the barrel lug and do full contact bedding of the barrel between the lugs.

Free float the barrel muzzleward of the barrel lug, and see how it shoots.

Pillar bed the action.

The Winchester crossbolts fore and aft of the magazine box are nicely located, but it wouldn't hurt to glass bed them so it doesn't show you have been in there. You will need the proper spanner tool for removing and replacing the crossbolts.

Be sure there is adequate clearance behind the tang, of course.

Seal any bare wood internally, that is not already covered with epoxy, with a coat of polyurethane or clear epoxy, either one painted on with a small brush.

Before CZ, I did Winchesters, and Rugers, and Mausers ...

Cheers!

[ 09-25-2003, 07:50: Message edited by: DaggaRon ]

The Winchester crossbolts fore and aft of the magazine box are nicely located, but it wouldn't hurt to glass bed them so it doesn't show you have been in there. You will need the proper spanner tool for removing and replacing the crossbolts.

Thank You for your reply, could you please expand on this comment. I am not sure what you ment by doesn't show you have been in there. The cross bolts on my Winchester are hex so removing them will be on problem.

Leadmover,
Ah, yes, you are right. Sorry. I got discombobbulated. Off the top of my head I was thinking it was a spanner head. Getting my rifles mixed up with customs using the Brownells type, etc. The Pre-64's used bakelite plugs over "chicago screws" and "rivets," or one crossbolt here and two crossbolts there as they evolved, sometimes with the Mauser style spanner head, etc. My mental page corruption is now refreshed, thank you.

That is a 7/64 hex head that will also barely admit a T-15 Torx, on the M70 Classic. A tiny hex receiving hole in the big decoratively engraved crossbolt head, that is very nice and rugged. The M70 Classic has definitely got them right. Except for that tiny little hex wrench that they take!

Carefully try the tightness of the set in these. Do not apply enough force to strip the hex wrench nor round the hex hole. If they are tight, leave them alone. They are doing the job for compression to prevent bowing out of the wood around the magazine box fore and aft.

This is something that Winchester does a good job with generally, from the factory, in both their location and fitting. They sure beat CZ here.

If they are loose or move at all when you test them, then you are free to make them better. That would involve removing the heads of the cross bolts and making sure the whole affair is epoxied in place under good compression. I feel that the shaft of the crossbolt should be permanently epoxied into the wood, and any exposed portion or removable head can be left removable, as it can be periodically checked for tightness, or it too can be can be red Loc-Tited or epoxied in its threads.

If they are set tight from the factory, leave them them alone, or risk metal damage/stock refinishing, etc.

Otherwise, as above, IMHO, and what I have done.

I started off with a gunsmith in Alaska who was allergic to epoxy, so started glass bedding my own, pretty early.

DaggaRon: Thank you again for all your help, I still have one more question reguarding the area around the magazine box. Would you recommend bedding around the mag box and risk locking in the stock, or just a lite coat of bedding,or none at all?
Weatherman is calling for rain this weekend so I figure I'll get started on my bedding project.
I am really looking foward to getting my big bore back to the range.

Leadmover,
You do not want to bed the magazine box inside the stock magazine well. It should be free of contact with the box side walls. As a final step after the bedding is done, I would paint the bare wood inside of the magazine box with a small paintbrush and clear epoxy, or polyurethane, using masking tape on the exterior of the stock to prevent any drips, runs, or smears from showing when you are done. I Like the clear, 90 minute epoxy from the hobby shop best. It will definitely seal, waterproof and strengthen the bare wood inside with just a light single coat. You can always sand/shave/chisel/scrape it down and recoat if you get too much in any spots. It is best to seal all internal bare (not already covered by epoxy bedding) wood areas this way, IMHO.

Cheers!

Since your going to bed the recoil lug then I would not remove the cross bolts just dig down and around them via the recoil lug and then fill that orface with steel bed or glass...Bed the recoil lug and forward to the 2nd recoil lug remember to keep about two layers of tape clearance around the 2nd recoil except for the rear surface. Only the rear surface shoud make contact on the 2nd lug and the first lug also..Leave a 1/2" gap in front of the 2nd recoil lug or you won't get the gun out of the wood..you can do this with clay or a small block of shaped wood by adding it to the front of the 2nd recoil lug and taping it or by releaving the wood in front for about an inch and not letting the glass get in front of the recoil lug....glass the tang and drill out behind the tang, under the wood and fill or insert a threaded bolt covered with glass and then glass the tang, deep enough to just barely be out of the way say about 1/16"..later cut about a 20 thousand gap behind that tang...Just some pointers to go along with Daggas instructions.