I have pretty much finished the refinishing of my stock and am thinking I would like to bed the action. The question is where does a person stop with the bedding? In previous actions I have bedded, I have stopped with the bedding at the recoil lug and usually included the lug. On the Ruger, its a little different. There is a plate that is located in front of the recoil lug area that the forearm screws mount to. Shoud I include this in the bedding?
Good question with that new system of bedding that Ruger has adopted...
My approach has been to install a recoil lug much like on a Rem 700 and toss the new system, then add another recoil lug and use the forend recess as a location for the 2nd recoil lug, then glass the stock from stem to stern....
I didn't want to come off sounding like an idiot or something but I had never seen such a thing before. Are you talking about adding a new lug to the bottom of the barrel like on a mod 70? I am trying to figure out what you were describing. I guess you could add the lug and some type of bridge in the stock and fill the rest with bedding.
Another question that comes to mind is whether to use steel or glass bedding. I may be imagining things but I think Brownells offers both. I have used only glass in the past but might there be extra strength in the steel for recoil purposes?
I think what Ray was saying is to throw away the forward recoil lug (this would be the one on the plate that screws into the forearm). You could then machine a dovetail into the rib on the bottom of the barrel and install a new barrel recoil lug (I would tin or weld it into the dovetail). That is the easy part. What I am not sure about is how you tackle the forward receiver lug which is puny and anchored using a fastener set at 45 degrees.
Ray, can you please explain how you would improve the forward receiver recoil lug on the Ruger M77?
Ray might be talking about removing the barrel and getting a lug between the barrel and action like a Remington. Plenty of the Sakos are daone that way.
I am sure if many people who bought the Rugers (and also new Sakos) saw them pulled apart first, then they might not buy them.
Mike
Posts: 7206 | Location: Sydney, Australia | Registered: 22 May 2002
It is actually very easy to bed, just do it in steps. I just finished my 416 Rigby Ruger M77 and did it the same way I did my 458 Win M77 years ago. Start by bedding the recoil plate in the barrel channel. Bed that plate the same as you would any recoil lug. No contact on the bottom of the lug or sides and front, full contact to the rear. I do this by adding electrical tape to the front, sides, and bottom of the lug and bedding. After set-up remove the tape and it leaves a perfect amount of clearance while allowing full contact to the rear. I like to use steel bed in this area. Also bed the plate where the action goes through the pull down hole. Here bed it full contact on the bottom, none on the sides. When bedding this plate you just barely put in the action screws so you do not bend the plate. Be sure to remove enough wood so that you have at least 1/8" bedding compound for strength. This method allows the plate to come out easily. Next, bed the action at the rear screw, and along the sides of the action up front. There is no need to bed the front screw as it only pulls the action down into firm contact with the plate. With the plate already bedded, the plate will not flex and allows a very rock solid lockup. Next, free float the barrel completely. Lastly, bed the barrel around the barrel screw that is located just forward of the recoil plate screw. I bedded that in full contact along the front, sides, and back, an area about the size of a nickel. The reason I bedded this last after first free floating the barrel was I wanted this section to only offer support to the barrel, not add upwards pressure. If this works as well as it did on the 458 it will shoot sub-MOA all day long. I have not shot my 77 Rigby yet as I am still waiting for brass to arrive, and I don't want to use the brass that I already have as it is for the No. 1 in 416 Rigby. Good luck.
Imagine getting a Model 70 and machining the recoil lug off. Then machining a slot across teh bottom of the action that is maybe (I forget exactly how big)an 1/8th" wide and deep.
A plate a few inches long with a recoil lug at one end and an upturned section to fit the action slot is about hgow it is.
The worse ones were the early rifles that also had the sling swivel like a band around the barrel and the screw projected through the forend. So if you turned the sling swivel screw you altered the tension between the wood and barrel.
Of course just to complicate matters, the big Ruger also has the front screw angled like the samller ones do.
Mike
Posts: 7206 | Location: Sydney, Australia | Registered: 22 May 2002
I agree with you. That is why I stated what I did regarding adding a barrel lug. I just cannot figure out how to "fix" the receiver lug since it is practically nonexistent and has a threaded hole in it at a 45 degree angle.
I just did my M77-.416 last week. I used Brownell's steel bedding. I did it in 3 separate operations: front lug first then under and around the lug extension where it contacts the receiver then the rear tang. Before I started I free-floated the barrel as Ruger usually has them contacting the last couple of inches. Allow plenty of clearance behind the rear tang. First shooting this weekend with 400 gr. Swift+104 H4831 (clocks 2530-2550 out of my rifle) gave me one 3/4" 3 shot group at 100y and one 1.5" 2 shot group. Now I am thinking about reshaping the stock around the magazine and over the pistol grip as Ruger left these very 'square' and quite uncomfortable on a long carry. C.G.B.
Posts: 238 | Location: Colorado | Registered: 05 June 2001
I forgot to borrow the camera to take the pics this weekend. I promise I will do it within the next couple of evenings. Sorry about that Don G.
It sounds like maybe Big Bore and CGB have accomplished the task at hand. I am looking at the easiest possible solution (lazy). Re building the recoil lug may be more than I bargained for. A 3 shot 1 1/2" group at 100 yards is probably the best I could hope for.
My .416 shot well before I re-rebedded it but lately I have read of numerous stock failures with these so hopefully I have performed a preemptive strike. My rifle really likes the Hornady rn's but I am hoping to plug an elk with the beast this fall and the Swift sp surely has a much better B.C., which should give it a little flatter trajectory. C.G.B.
Posts: 238 | Location: Colorado | Registered: 05 June 2001
I did not mean to confuse...Install a recoil like a Rem 700..mill cut for a ring with a recoil lug between the action and chamber area of the barrel, slip it on and tighten er up.....Cut a dovetail and drill and tap a 2nd recoil lut up about 5" on the barrel and glass the whole gun....Works great...
Steel bed is supposed to be stronger, to what degree I'm not so sure..I doubt if its much....I use Marine ? from Brownells.
Thanks for the clarification. I thought that is what you were suggesting. It is the same approach I was thinking of. Any suggestions on a gunsmith who could do the work well.
