Has anyone got any experience with wood-stocked rifles bedded with a metal bedding block, as an alternative to glass bedding the action? How well does this work, in practice? The Brownell's online catalogue has drop-in finished walnut stocks for the model 700 and Model 70, made by some outfit called Protostar Technologies, with metal bedding blocks in them. (Go to brownells.com, and search for the walnut stocks for the Rem 700 and Winchester Model 70 offered by Protostar Technologies. For example, Brownells item number 100-001-046 is one of the stocks for the model 700s.)

Here's the link, I hope it works:

http://www.brownells.com/aspx/NS/store/ProductDetail.aspx?p=18151&title=REMINGTON+WALNUT+SPORTER+STOCKS

I saw a laminated Miller rifle with a big aluminum block inletted into the stock in one of the gun rags and I believe that if Miller thinks its OK then it probably is. I don't see how it would perform any different than a well inletted and glassed stock. It seems like overkill unless the wood is soft or its a big bore.

I've built a few target rifles which used machined bedding blocks to fit the M70 actions. They worked very well but I'm not prepared to say they were any better than a glass reinforced and bedded stock. Of my own rifles 2 use blocks and 3 use glass. All work well and I'll continue to use both systems. Regards, Bill.

Bill, do you think the stocks with aluminum blocks are any stronger than those that are glassed?

Bigbrass,
I have a Sako L461 BR in a stock made by the previous owner. The stock has a lot of figure in the action area and every time I shot it I had to fool with the bedding to get it to group. My gunsmith machined an aluminum bedding block for it and that cured the problem.
Stepchild

The Ruger steel bedding bar in my 77 has taken the
recoil great for me testing my big bore wildcats.Ed.