Bedding question for the wise

T

ThatguySHM

New member
Question for those with more knowledge then I:

I have a Grayboe Outlander stock that I would like to bed. When I sent them an email about bedding the rifle, I let them know I had a record lug recess that was .250", as my recoil lug is a .250" thick parallel side lug and it took a bit of shaving the paint to get it to fit right. Ryan McMillan emailed me back himself and told me early production models had the .250" lug recess and it was fine.

Rifle shoots great, but I still like to bed my hunting rifles. I used it as is this past season and took my deer at 230 yards, no problems. It isn't always as consistent as it could be, so I plan on bedding it in the next few days. Rifle is a Remington 700 Remage in 7mm Rem Mag 1 in 9" Criterion barrel.

Would you bother sticking a bit of Devcon in the lug area for the sides? Hog out a bit of the front of the recoil lug recess to bed the lug? I'm thinking about just skim coating the receiver and calling it a day.

Thoughts? Thank you!

SHM
 
I would open the lug area up and bed it tight. Sometimes I tape the bottom and sides with masking tape, but not always. You could skim bed the receiver area if like, but I would tight bed the lug.
Others may have different ideas.
OH, and I recently finished bedding a Grayboe stock for a guy.
 
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I'd hog out a bit and do the recoil lug area. That way you won't be second guessing, wondering if you should have done it the first time. Just a few more minutes of labor and a tad more putty.
 
Originally Posted By: K22I would open the lug area up and bed it tight. Sometimes I tape the bottom and sides with masking tape, but not always. You could skim bed the receiver area if like, but I would tight bed the lug.
Others may have different ideas.
OH, and I recently finished bedding a Grayboe stock for a guy.



^^^^^^^This^^^^^^^


K22, you have convinced me through previous posts, to keep that lug tight.

Year's ago, I bed everything tight. Then a friend convinced me that only the back of the lug mattered. Tape the sides, bottom and front. That way it comes apart easy. That sure works, and seems accurate too, but I agree with you. That front needs to be tight also. Taping the sides is optional.

The tight bed lugs always came apart and went back together just fine. The front of that lug is important. Bed it in......
 
The other thing I'm thinking about is switching to a .200 lug, and just bedding the .050" in there. I don't really think I need the .250" on a hunting rig, it's just what I had at the time.
 
Originally Posted By: SmokelessOriginally Posted By: K22I would open the lug area up and bed it tight. Sometimes I tape the bottom and sides with masking tape, but not always. You could skim bed the receiver area if like, but I would tight bed the lug.
Others may have different ideas.
OH, and I recently finished bedding a Grayboe stock for a guy.



^^^^^^^This^^^^^^^


K22, you have convinced me through previous posts, to keep that lug tight.

Year's ago, I bed everything tight. Then a friend convinced me that only the back of the lug mattered. Tape the sides, bottom and front. That way it comes apart easy. That sure works, and seems accurate too, but I agree with you. That front needs to be tight also. Taping the sides is optional.

The tight bed lugs always came apart and went back together just fine. The front of that lug is important. Bed it in......

And I was convinced by another guy who helped me with one of those problem child rifles. Bedding it tight was the answer.
The argument against it usually concerns scraping off bedding into the lug area when assembling. That is very rare.


You really don't need that heavy of a lug on a hunting rifle, but some guys like them. Whatever you do bed it tight and don't bed the .250 lug tight, change out lugs and call it good. Bed the smaller lug tight also.
Is the lug pinned?
 
I tape the bottom only, I want them tight, but I only do my own guns.

Tip on getting these tight bedded actions out of the stock:

1. remove the stock screws
2.grab the barrel and forearm and squeeze
3.the tang will raise up ever so slightly
4. insert a small screw driver in between the tang and the stock
5.pull the barrel and the stock apart easily. If it is really tight, as you pull on the forearm
and the barrel, the gap at the tang and stock will increase. As the crack between the stock
and tang increases, stick the screw driver in a tad bit further. Now the action and stock
come apart real easy.

Before you bed the action, if you put a 45* angle on all the edges of the recoil lug with a small file, the action also comes out of the stock easier.

Guys have different theories on bedding recoil lugs, hot and cold weather changes seem to make the most sense to me, but it does not sit well with me. I bed everything but the bottom unless a screw goes though the bottom of the recoil lug.

The biggest reason that most gunsmiths only bed the rear is convenience for the customer. Some people can not use the screw driver trick under the tang without gouging up the bedding or dropping the stock in the floor.
 
Originally Posted By: ackleymanI tape the bottom only, I want them tight, but I only do my own guns.

Tip on getting these tight bedded actions out of the stock:

1. remove the stock screws
2.grab the barrel and forearm and squeeze
3.the tang will raise up ever so slightly
4. insert a small screw driver in between the tang and the stock
5.pull the barrel and the stock apart easily. If it is really tight, as you pull on the forearm
and the barrel, the gap at the tang and stock will increase. As the crack between the stock
and tang increases, stick the screw driver in a tad bit further. Now the action and stock
come apart real easy.

Before you bed the action, if you put a 45* angle on all the edges of the recoil lug with a small file, the action also comes out of the stock easier.

Guys have different theories on bedding recoil lugs, hot and cold weather changes seem to make the most sense to me, but it does not sit well with me. I bed everything but the bottom unless a screw goes though the bottom of the recoil lug.

The biggest reason that most gunsmiths only bed the rear is convenience for the customer. Some people can not use the screw driver trick under the tang without gouging up the bedding or dropping the stock in the floor.

The screwdriver is a good tip Keith.
Taping only the bottom of the lug is my normal way also.

DAA, really liked your bedding article. Great tip on checking the bedding using a dial indicator.
 
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Sure wish one of you guys would do a instructional video for us fledglings so we stand a better chance of not messing up. I for one have to ship my rifles to have this done, would rather do it myself if I knew how.
 
There's videos on youtube. I did a rifle years ago with devcon, clear shoe polish as a release and some kind of crafting clay from a hobby shop to mask the areas I didn't want devcon.
 
I did my Savage a few weeks ago, I always bed the lug front and back with a layer of painters tape only on the edges. Takes a bit of work to get them out but it goes together like a glove. That rifle I did with gray Marine Tex. I just have some Devcon left over from a few other rifles. I think I'm going to order a new recoil lug, maybe even factory width so I can bed front and back. I should be able to mark the barrel and receiver, only difference will be how far down the barrel nut goes.

I use a hex head that's a bit longer than factory length and tap on them with a dead blow to help get a snug rifle out of the epoxy the first time. Gentle taps upside down usually free it enough to wiggle it out.
 
If you back out the forward action screw just enough to protrude above the stock, with the whole assembly upside down in your lap, then tap the head of that screw with a plastic hammer or a dead blow hammer while holding the for end with your opposite hand. That pushes the lug up and out of the bedding. Tang screw removed, of course.
 
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