I have searched the forum without luck.

I just finished glass bedding a Rem Mountain 7mm-08 in laminate stock using Devcon. Process - bedded rear tang (left rear most in contact with stock as is to maintain level). Glassed receiver and 1 inch of barrel (not action). Two layers of painters tape on bottom ,sides and front of lug. Put four layers of tape on barrel about 1" back from end of stock. Everything turned out good - except - I did not relieve enough of the barrel channel where the tape was and the barreled action is not quite level in the stock. There is about 0.045 clearance at the very forend of the stock and this reduces as you go back to the receiver. At the receiver (and about 4 inches forward it appears that the barreled action is at the correct level.

Question ( I know that this gap will allow foreign material under the barrel): Will this gap affect accuracy? Should I remove some of the bedding and clear barrel channel ans re-do bedding? Or should I shoot the way it is and see results?

Thank you in advance for your help!

No opinions?

quote:

Originally posted by Fbull:
Put four layers of tape on barrel about 1" back from end of stock. Everything turned out good - except - I did not relieve enough of the barrel channel where the tape was and the barreled action is not quite level in the stock. There is about 0.045 clearance at the very forend of the stock and this reduces as you go back to the receiver. At the receiver (and about 4 inches forward it appears that the barreled action is at the correct level.

Question ( I know that this gap will allow foreign material under the barrel): Will this gap affect accuracy? Should I remove some of the bedding and clear barrel channel ans re-do bedding? Or should I shoot the way it is and see results?

Thank you in advance for your help!

Well, since you are going to have to do something, I would suggest removing every bit of contact with the barrel to see how free floating works. And I would make sure I had plenty of clearance around the barrel. You can always go back later and add material to the forearm, but for now I would try that.

Westpak - Thanks for you suggestions.

Are you thinking total free float of barrel may be more accurate than current? Would you not worry about the excessive gap at the forend?

Regards

quote:

Originally posted by Fbull:
Westpak - Thanks for you suggestions.

Are you thinking total free float of barrel may be more accurate than current? Would you not worry about the excessive gap at the forend?

Regards

First part "Yes", second part "No". If the barrel is going to truly float, then it needs to have enough room to prevent any and all contact with the stock when fired, so for me, more clearance is good.

I would first shoot the rifle to see how it performs. What caliber is it and what will you use it for? If it is a hunting rifle, the gap between stock & barrel may not be a bad thing & easier to clean with a piece of fishing line (without removing the action screws and stock).

The other important thing is that the front of the recoil lug also should have had tape when bedding so that only the rear surface of the lug is bedded.

Another question - What determines a fully floated barrel on Rem 700? No bedding in front of lug or no bedding in front of bullet reciever portion of barrel?

quote:

Originally posted by Fbull:
Another question - What determines a fully floated barrel on Rem 700? No bedding in front of lug or no bedding in front of bullet reciever portion of barrel?

By definition it would mean everything from the lug forward. You can allow bedding material to flow forward a little under the chamber area and technically still call it "free floated"

Before I did anything, I'd make sure the rifle will feed properly from the magazine. I've seen bedding jobs like you describe cause the rounds to not stay in the magazine, and/or not feed properly. If it were in my shop I'd mill it all out and start over.

John,

Why would this cause an issue with feeding or magazine function? I do not believe that there has been any stress introduced. However I could be wrong.

quote:

Originally posted by Toomany Tools: If it were in my shop I'd mill it all out and start over.

+1

quote:

Originally posted by Fbull:
John,

Why would this cause an issue with feeding or magazine function?

If the barrel and action are not straight in the stock, the magazine box will not mate up squarely, often causing feeding issues.

John,

Makes sense. Thanks for the heads up. I will check.

I would mill it out and start over...there seems to be quite a few questionable things going on. Futzing around with one thing leads to another and so on...basically chasing your tail. Best to go back to the beginning and start fresh.

Do some searching on bedding on this forum...there is a ton of information on how to do it and how to fix things, and all the thoughts and desires from hundreds of people...including myself. There are also many how to articles on the web. Reading a bunch of them will point out most of the problem areas and things to watch out for.

Mill/remove or at least level out the bedding...epoxy will stick to itself just as well or even better than wood as long as you rough it up a bit.

Put in pillars first, making sure the receiver stays level. Gapitis doesn't hurt a thing except for maybe the more conservative ones decrying how bad bedding has become, plus you need a gap to allow for barrel vibration and stock flex.

Get to the range and do some testing. You have a nice stiff piece of laminated wood so full bedding or full floating is your choice...they both work, but remember, no matter what, wood wiggles like a worm due to moisture content and wood grain, even laminates...expect the zero to possibly shift over time.

Full floating barrels are less prone to zero shift, not withstanding all the arguements and depending on your level of acceptable accuracy.

Bedding isn't all that problematical, is fairly simple but there are many things you need to look at and understand before you get it right.

FWIW I usually pillar bed or make a full bedding block, bed the chamber area and about half the taper and leave the rest floating, but I also have rifles of several brands and home made that I only bedded the receiver starting at the barrel junction and leaving the barrel full floating all the way, and some with half the chamber area bedded, some with all the chamber stopping at the beginning of the taper...and so on...I've done a lot of experimenting over the years.

Also FWIW I found Devcond to be a bit stiff to work with...at least the stuff I first used way back in the can. Now I use Brownells Accuglass GEL with the black or brown colorant and JB Weld They both stay put, can be colored to almost disappear, squeezes into all the small places and is just flexable enough when it sets to allow a modicum of wiggle without zero change.

I have a Wildcat stock I did 30 odd years ago for a Ruger SA...the bedding is still working. The barrel channel has a 1.35" radius as is a switch barrel receiver...it looks a bit odd with a skinny #1 contour barrel and a snake could hide in it, but with a #7 taper it doesn't look bad. It is pillar bedded with a home made pillar at the tang and a bedding block at the front and glassed up to the end of the receiver...it also has a 1/2" glass spine down the middle of the groove with a piece of 3/8" all thread imbedded in it(another experiment) I can swap barrels around and only need a couple shots to rezero and it will stay that way untill I decide to change barrels again.

If the rifle shot to the expected accuracy of <1/2 MOA I left it alone. If not I rebedded until I got it right.

I don't see a reason for all the hoohaa about "which is right", or "which is the best way"...the object is to get your shooter to shoot better and ANY way that works well and stays put is fine as far as I'm concerned.

Luck