Electrical Tape Bedding Cure

P

Picher

New member
FYI:

I've greatly improved accuracy on several .22LRs by using a few layers of electrical tape on actions that fit loosely in their stocks. One particular 10-22 wasn't grouping well, but after putting some "temporary" electrical tape on the receiver, the guy started winning plinker benchrest matches and refused to do an epoxy bedding job. As far as I know, the tape is still there.

I recently did the same thing to a friend's (borrowed) .222 Rem, Model 600. Free-floating the barrel and placing electrical tape shims on the receiver at 4 and 8' o'clock, it shrunk groups from 2 1/4" to under 1/2" at 100 yards.

With the receiver screws out, I had wiggled the action from side to side and put two or three layers of tape in the above mentioned places until the action fit nicely in the receiver, then installed the magazine and torqued it down.
 
I thought real men only used duct tape . . .

Well, if it works, why not? I would probably do something more permanent, but if it works I say it's good.
 
If it worked I'm happy for you. The only drawback to this method is that tape will change over time. Over time it will compress further together and even wear from rubbing. This can be cured with a quality bedding job. It will yield the same results but be much more resistant to change. As we all know, change is the enemy, consistency is key.
 
Hello, Picher. Watch out with that electrical tape...Used some and after less than a year, tried to remove...Stickest black goo you ever saw!
 
That was going to be my caution as well. But I guess if you are in a cooler climate it might be ok. Out here in Phoenix I question if it would last too long before turning in to a sticky tarry mess. More power to ya if it works for you.
 
I don't use it on my guns, just for emergency improvements to other people's guns at the range, or in the recent case, to a rifle that a neighbor had borrowed and thought it was shot out.

I've done way too many bedding jobs with the good stuff to use tape on anything I intend to keep. It would be useful to some folks who just want a temporary fix on a rifle that may have collector value.

It's not recommended for guns that are left out in the hot sun for extended periods or in surfaces within the gun that tend to get hot during use.
 
Now that you know that bedding your stock was needed to improve its accuracy, remove the tape and do it the right way. The tape worked fine for diagnosis, but is not a good cure.
 
Tried the tape once on an old .308 I had, after one session it was kind of gooey and replaced it with a piece of white slick cardboard lid taken off a parts box and trimmed to size. It was still there 3 years later when I broke the gun in an accident, (fell down a hill, broke the stock and my arm). Just a hunting gun but it shot .75" groups at 100 yards with hand loads and that was way more than good enough for deer hunting.
 
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