I have glass bedded multiple bolt action rifles, but never a Winchester model 70 Safari Express in 375 H&H with the two recoil lugs (one in the traditional location at the front of the receiver and the other further out on the barrel). My rifle is of current manufacture. Can anyone offer advice for bedding one? I usually bed the entire receiver forward to 2-3 inches in front of the normal recoil lug. Should I full length bed (i.e., full contact) the stock all the way to the fore end tip, or bed it just to the front lug and free float the last few inches of barrel, or full length bed the stock to the fore end tip but free float the barrel forward of the 2nd lug? The problem I'm having is how to handle the 2nd lug. Currently the rifle is free floated from the factory and has had no other work done to it. Thanks.

No; just bed as you normally do, and bed the rear contact surface of the barrel lug. It should already be bedded though. You can FL bed if you want.
I don't.

You're saying bed everything from the rear of the rifle forward to the rear of the 2nd lug, correct?

Bed the rear ONLY of the front lug. Make sure it has clearance on the sides and bottom.

Bed the cylindrical section of the barrel in front of the receiver if you wish. I usually do.

Bed the action as normal and make sure the crossbolts are tight.

Bed your 2 inch of barrel, and the front lug. Relieve the front of it makes it easier to remove. I do bed the bottom of them; doesn't matter.

As mentioned already the recent Safari Express came bedded from the factory. Is something wrong with the way it shoots now?

On heavy caliber rifles I always use two recoil lugs and always bed the full length of the barrel. I use pieces of electrical tape on the front and sides of both recoil lugs to give them a bit of wiggle room so the barreled action can be removed easily from the stock. This method has worked exceedingly well for me for many years.

Mr. Farner,

When you say you bed the full length of the barrel channel, are you saying you bed it so that the barrel has full contact instead of free floated? I know some people apply bedding compound in the barrel channel in an effort to weatherproof the wood stock, but also apply a layer or two of electrical tape to the barrel to free float it.

This barrel is so stiff that it won't matter if you free float it, give it fore end pressure, or bed it full length, like Mr Farmer does.
After all, you are already anchoring it in the middle.
So, do anything you like, as long as the receiver and barrel lug are supported at the rear at least. Anything else is just different techniques.

quote:

Originally posted by Russell420:
Mr. Farner,

When you say you bed the full length of the barrel channel, are you saying you bed it so that the barrel has full contact instead of free floated? I know some people apply bedding compound in the barrel channel in an effort to weatherproof the wood stock, but also apply a layer or two of electrical tape to the barrel to free float it.

Yes, bedding from tip of forearm all the way to back of tang with full contact, heavy rifles with two recoil lugs work very well this way..

I bed the forward barrel recoil lug back to the action, including the action lug to the tang..You can free float forward on the barrel lug but that's just an option, you can fully bed the whole thing from tang to forend. or 3 point bed it with glass in the two recoil lugs and tang..I bed big bores tight as a rule..those heavy barrels are stable as can be.

Just like you been doing but with an extra recoil lug to deal with..don't over think it..

I might add on a mod. 70 I leave clearance,two thicknesses of tape on the bottom, and sides of the action recoil lug with contact on the back of the lug..

quote:

Originally posted by Toomany Tools:
On heavy caliber rifles I always use two recoil lugs and always bed the full length of the barrel. I use pieces of electrical tape on the front and sides of both recoil lugs to give them a bit of wiggle room so the barreled action can be removed easily from the stock. This method has worked exceedingly well for me for many years.

Exactly how John bedded my 375 H&H and it consistently shoots 1/2”-3/4” groups at 100.

step one
remove the hot glue used to bed it from the factory

step two ..
bed ONLY the action, as you normally would

step three, when step two is done
bed the barrel lug

you can flip 2 and 3

why twice? i've locked an action into a stock when bedding both action and barrel lug .. and it was an exciting time recovering from that .. and yes, i had over torqued the install...

so, it's my practice to make the bedding of 3 recoil surface rifles into two phases ...

works great for cz 550 rifles, ruger safari mags, and anything else, including the 550 express, 500 jeffe, 500 accrel.. the list goes on....

oh, and when i reuse cz550 barrels, same thing