Bedding a new stock?

E

EMH

New member
I have a Winchester M70 Ultimate Shadow Stainless Steel model in 308.
I wanted to try a different stock, so I ordered a Bell & Carson medalist, but then I got to thinking, will I have to glass bed this stock? I know the stock comes with the "full bed", but will I have to do the glass bed epoxy and all that jazz? I was under the impression I could just bolt it all down and be good to go.
 
If it has a "bedding block" you can just mount your barreled action and start shooting. I always bed my actions into any stock they're going to live in. I usually shoot it a bit to make sure I like the stock and if I do, purchase a glass bed kit from Brownell's and bed it. No bedding block is as tight as a bedding job, although they can be quite good. If it has an aluminum bedding block I use a dremel to remove some of the aluminum and to scuff things up, then I use a drill to drill several holes in key areas to give the bedding a place to flow and add support. I also like a 1.5" pad of bedding forward of the front recoil lug to help support the barrel and keep it from ever touching the stock. With all that said, if it's a hunting gun and it being Sept. I may shoot it first and if it's grouping well I just hunt with it and then do the bedding job as a winter project after the season but that's up to you.
 
For best accuracy, epoxy bed only the receiver. Totally free float the barrel. Devcon Plastic Steel or MarineTex have the least shrinkage and have the best track record. Some steel filled brown stuff also works well, Bisonite, maybe.
 
Done right it won't hurt anything. It probably won't make any difference either. I have several synthetic McMillans with the action bedded. I've done the B&C stocks too. Never made a bit of difference. The guns all shot very well before bedding them. At best it might help ensure everything goes together exactly as it should a little easier after removing the action from the stock for cleaning.

Glass bedding is more helpful with wood stocks to help minimize the stock expanding and contracting as environmental conditions change. Most synthetics just don't benefit nearly as much.
 
The B&C Medalist has a full aluminum bedding block- you can't epoxy bed the receiver.

Some guys "skim bed" them- meaning a very thin layer of epoxy to take up any slop in the fit, much as you'd do with a picatinny rail on a receiver.

My son has a B&C Medalist for his Rem 700, and it shoots cloverleafs and never needed skim bedding.

My advice is shoot it and see before you mess with it. They're not supposed to need any work.
 
Although a lot of these bedding block stocks are supposed to not need a skim job, I would never NOT bed an action.

We took an HS precision stocked 308 to the Riflesmith, and you could see where the action holes in the stock were egging out from the receiver movement under recoil.

I was like... :eek: Sometimes seeing is really believing. I dropped my gun off the next day for a skim bed. :o
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top