I'm building a custom 308 Winchester with Sako Forester action, Douglas 20" air gauge, and full stock of gorgeous fiddleback walnut. I'm getting conflicting advice on bedding. One smith says to bed the barrel with full contact like the original MSs and another tells me to float the barrel with upward pressure/contact at the barrel end cap. What do you guys think? Any and all advice would be appreciated. Stoney

I'm certainly no expert, but have done a few Mannilichers. Recently, I tried something new that worked well. I full length bedded, but used a couple of pieces of tape on the bbl from about 2" in front of the action, to about 2" from the muzzle. The muzzle cap is fitted to hold the bbl firmly to the stock. This little gun shoots nice, round groups. Since I was using an original stepped military bbl, I was concerned about heat expansion at the step. This method seems to work well. Incidentaly, I did it all in one fell swoop, not stages, and installed the muzzle cap until the glass had set.

Start out with full contact bedding like the original MS.....If it does not shoot then try something else. I have had excellent luck with full contact in Manlichers as long as the barrel was perfectly bedded and the inletting sealed very well...

ALWAYS REMEMBER, you can take wood out but you can't put it back!!
A manlicher requires a perfectly laid out grain pattern of DRY quartersawn wood, preferably French or Turkish...Follow these comments and you'll have no problems, otherwise your on your own as they tend to warp in the slinder forend area....

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Ray Atkinson

ray@atkinsonhunting.com
atkinsonhunting.com

Remember that the SAKO carbines have the stock forward of the barrel band/sling swivel as a separate piece. My carbine is freefloated in the main stock, with the fore piece as floating "decoration to avoid warp binding. My 18.5" AIII "06 barrel at muzzle is 0.700". It shoots 1 MOA hot or cold using 165gr. and 190gr.

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Originally posted by Stoneybroke:
I'm building a custom 308 Winchester with Sako Forester action, Douglas 20" air gauge, and full stock of gorgeous fiddleback walnut. I'm getting conflicting advice on bedding. One smith says to bed the barrel with full contact like the original MSs and another tells me to float the barrel with upward pressure/contact at the barrel end cap. What do you guys think? Any and all advice would be appreciated. Stoney

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