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Bedding ultralight rifles

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06 May 2004, 19:15
Todd C
Bedding ultralight rifles
When going a #2 contour or below is there a concensus as to whether or not a barrel should be free floated or bedded the length of the forend? I have noticed that Mel Forbes at New Ultra Light arms is adamant about bedding all the way to the end of the forend yet Mark Basner and Rifles Inc. like to float even the thinest barrels "99% of the time". My guess is that I will have to play with it both ways but Im looking to hear from everyones experience.
07 May 2004, 02:47
Savage99
The Kimber 84M's that I have shoot really small groups and are free floated. More important than groups to me is staying sighted in and they do that as well. These rifles are bedded in walnut stocks with glassed in pillars and glass out under the barrel shank.

If I were starting with a plastic stock I would bed it tight to the barrel. This may produce good groups and hold it's zero ok. This is not a rebuttal of what Kimber does. It's just easier to bed it tight and then file it out afterwards if necessary by hand.
07 May 2004, 03:03
Hot Core
Quote:

... If I were starting with a plastic stock I would bed it tight to the barrel. This may produce good groups and hold it's zero ok. ... It's just easier to bed it tight and then file it out afterwards if necessary by hand.



Hey Todd, I've got a safe full of light rifles and a few heavier ones as well. Some are floated and some do better with just a bit of forend pressure. So, I agree with your thoughts that you "just have to try it" and see what works the best.

Some "stocks" gain rigidity when they are full length bedded. No idea at all if that is what Mr. Forbes has in mind. But if his special light weight stocks flexed at all, there would be lots of whinning and crying, irregardless of how well they shoot.

...

I'd do just the opposite of Don. I'd try the barrel floated first. If it shot well, then I wouldn't do anything else to it.

If not, I'd put some "temporary shim" pressure at the tip of the stock and see how well that did. If that does better, then I'd glass in a "small" pressure pad.

I'm not a fan of full length bedding because it is impossible to clean around the barrel without removing it from the stock. But, lots of people don't give the underside of their barrel a thought.
07 May 2004, 05:53
Savage99
I was speaking from the circumstances that I found. When I did a couple of Bell & Carlsons they came with a small barrel channel molded in. It was hard to avoid trying it bedded full length first rather than cutting all the material out and then finding that I wanted a bedded barrel.

With the Banser UL the channel was very wide. So wide in fact that I was forced to fill it and paint the stock. It was easier to fill it even. I can file it out later.