action bedding and barrel floating

[GingerGuy]

I would suggest you visit the Miles Gilbert web site. They offer kits for glass bedding a rifle. I just finished this job on my Ruger Hawkeye .223 Rem and I am very pleased with the results.

The Miles Gilbert site has their instructions available for reviewing the procedures to bed a rifle. Their instructions are very detailed. Their kits include just about everything you will need to bed a rifle. You will want to fully understand the process before starting.

When you start out, only bed the tang area at first. And then go shooting to see if you need to bed further. Only bedding this area had my Hawkeye really tight and found no need to bed any other areas.

It only takes a small amount of bedding compound to do the job, only mix a small quantity of resin. And don't panic about separating the action from the stock, they will be tight together, just keep working to loosen them.

I floated the barrel with only sand paper, it took a while, but I didn't have much wood to remove. I fired my rifle after only doing this and I did not notice much difference.

Between glass bedding and matching the bullet weight to the twist on your rifle made a big difference for me. The Ruger Hawkeye is a 1:9 twist, which likes a heavier bullet. Most factory ammo out their is 55 gr, and a 1:9 twist performs better with a 75 or 80 gr bullet. I reload and found my reloads now will group very well, but the 55 gr. factory ammo does not.

I am just a regular joe and had read about improving a rifles shooting with glass bedding and it does work. It is a project many people can do, just take your time, run through the process dry first, understanding exactly what you will do for every step and then get a 2 hour window of no interruptions to perform the bedding....good luck.

 

[HiBC]

Some time ago ,here on TFL,a gentleman showed some of his work glasbedding.He also had a long box full of what appeared to be crushed walnut hulls he snuggled the rifle down into.That guy knows how!! I don't know who it was.
The forend shim has been a bit confusing as it is more accurately called a "forend pressure point" bedding.Another way to accomplish it is to put the rear portion of the stock in a padded vise.hang a 3 or 5 lb weight from the forward sling swivel stud.Put a little release on the barrel,and a spot of your favorite goo at the forend forward end.Install action and torque the screws.When the resin is hard,you will have tension.


In any case

Do not torque the rear guard screw first.Go in stages,with the front guard screw torqued before the rear one.

Be sure the guard screws do not contact the stock.

Frankly,without knowing your skills,and I mean no disrespect,if you are confused by the terminology as we discuss this issue,you may need to find an experienced mentor,or just pay a good smith to get it done.

Having said that,In a series of well planned stages,I might carefully set the action up for a pillar bed job first,then remove material all around the magazine and guard,and glass the guard Then I would probably mill and grindmaterial out all around the receiver,recoil lug,etc,and glass the receiverwith it resting on the pillar bed I just did.I might put one thickness of magic clear tape on most of the action,except for the primary bedding areas at the lug and tang and pillars.

Then I might take it apart,grind or mill the barrel channel out maybe 1/16 of an inch all the way around.I'd put 2 or 3 layers of wide electricials tape carefully on the barrel and install it.I would then run something thicker than a dollar bill,maybe a piece of flannel between the bbl and stock to see that I had clearance all around the tape.Then,I would take it apart,and lay the glass in the forend.

But,everybody does it different.Sometimes an ultralight foamcore and kevlar stock,sometimes wood.

Do you know the old school black or horn forend tips weren't just decoration?They were to seal the end grain from wicking water ito the wood of the forend.

With changing moisture content,and some stocks whose grain structure is unstable,wood can be troublesome in a forend.Free float and glass solve the problem.

If the torquing of guard screws has caused any crush at the tang or front lug,or if in any other way the reciever is being stressed as the guard screws are tightened,the rifle won't shoot so well.Pillars are good.They don't crush.

The top edge of the mag box should show no gap at the reciever,but should bot bear tight.I use 1 thickness tape clearance when I glass the mag box and guard.

If you have an aluminum floorplate/guard,please do not pull it out of the stock by the trigger guard bow.You may hear a discouraging snap as it breaks right at the hole for the hinged floorplate pin.

I am not trying to discourage you too much.There is a lot to a complete action bed and freefloat job .