I finally broke down and bought a RSM in 458 lott. Any stock experts out there care to comment on the wood as far as strength? No fancy figure but looks strong. Also I have posted a similar question on the African hunting board about how to beef up a RSM stock given this stock any words of advice from those who have gone down this road before?

Thanks Brad

I wouldn't bed it but instead leave it the way it is and if the stock cracks get Ruger to replace it.That is what I would do if I did it over again and did not have an upcoming hunt.I feel that this rifle is not made to be bedded.

The grain layout is great. This is right at the grade of wood i LIKE turning into bigbores. But, hey, who am I to discuss that.

Only a fool doesn't bed a 458 lott, and relying on ruger to replace it could take WEEKS, when time runs out...

Jeffe:

How would you Glass Bed the RSM? RIP gave me some pointers on the other post. Also if I sent it out to be done how much should someone in the know charge to do it? Not sure if I should try and do it myself or not? On the plus side I picked up a matching 416 RSM so if I blow out a stock I can swap it until the replacement arrive. "Why buy one when you can buy two at twice the price...."

Thanks Brad

Well, I guess there's a fool born every minute. I have put a fair number of rounds through my non-bedded Lott RSM without issue. I also killed two cape buffs at one time in Tanzania with it. Some quick shooting and reloading under pressure- again no problem.

My stock is straight grained like Brad's - maybe even more so and I keep the screws tight.

Get it bedded...........period. I have a 2 year old RSM in 375 H&H and it cracked in front of the trigger guard after 5 shots....and the iron fit fairly well in the wood. Get it properly bedded and you won't have a worry....and you get to keep that nice grained stock Jeff says is nice...and it is. If you break it and send it back to Ruger, you don't know what you'll get the next time.
I paid about $100 for a full glass bedding including an epoxy "wrap" reinforcement where it had cracked. Now it's bulletproof.

Gary
DRSS
NRA Lifer
SCI
DSC

I had mine bedded and it cracked. I guess the answer is, there is no answer. Ruger did replace it even though it had been bedded. I intend to have the replacement stock bedded too. I think bedding is cheap insurance.

Do not make this the first gun you bed.

Go to a gun show, buy a cheap gun.
Maybe even a 22lr. Think CHEAP.
Try to bed this rifle.

If it goes well, you have the nack. If it goes poorly, you know you don't have the skills.

My first bedding job was a Rem700 BDL. I had used the gun to hunt for sevarl years in ruff country, so it had many nicks, scratches, dings and the polyurathan was pealing. Although it is technically correct, it doesn't look as good as I would like. It still makes a good ruff hunting gun.

My RSM in 416 had already cracked when I took it to Roger Ferrell for bedding, trigger, pad, etc... It was cracked between the mag and the trigger in the thin webbing. Roger epoxied that back and added an additional crossbolt there. His feelings were that the inletting was poorly done at the factory as it was extremely tight fitting on the action and was actually in tension, enough that it had the mag box compressed enough to cause loading problems from time to time. He relieved the entire stock around the action and then glass-bedded it from tang to forend tip. In doing so, it also created a small bearing "lip" for the slight shoulder at the bottom of the action, I'd say about 1/2" below the top of the stock, where there was none before. He felt that would give it more bearing surface and would help stabilize the whole package. He also ensured clearance around the tang to help ensure no splitting at the wrist. I think for all that work he charged around $300 or so. He normally charges $225 for a M70 type bedding job including stainless steel pillars and full lenght bedding. That's what my 375 got.

I know that's pretty lengthy, but I hope it helps. If not you, then maybe someone else.

David

P.S. Get a red decelerator installed on that rifle. They look really classy on the RSM's. If the look isn't important, I'd consider a Pachmayr F990 Triple Magnum. Thick, cushy pad that I think would be the ticket for a heavy kicker.

I would shoot it some first and if OK would then bed it. I would use Roger Ferrell if doing it again but my .416 turned out OK.

Tang relief good idea. I used Kickeez magnum pad but F990 covered in leather also good. I finally came out of the closet and installed a Vais brake. I am so ashamed.