Glass Bedding

[NE to AK]

What is the difference between glass bedding the action of a rifle (free floating the barrel) and glass bedding the entire stock?

Is one better than the other?

Does this have a significant affect on accuracy?

I have a model 700 BDL 300 win mag. I am looking to do something to minimize the risk of the stock warping in the extreme Alaska elements.

Any suggestions would help.

Thanks,

TT

[Murphy]

Bedding....

NE,

Is that Nitro Express or Nebraska?

In general any rifle will benefit from bedding of the action. This helps prevent the movement of the action in the stock each time it is fired. The barrel may be better floated or may be better bedded full contact with the forend. Generally heavier calibers and heavier barrels shoot as well either way. Sporter weight barrels in such calibers as the 300 WM, may be better shooters when floated.

Most people float the forend when bedding the action and don't get to see if just stabilizing the action will help. When I bed a my rifles, I route out the barrel channel and put bedding compound in it. This will make the forend more rigid and keep it from warping. It also seals it on the inside. Then, if it is a caliber/barrel that I want to float, I just tape the barrel from about an inch in front of the receiver to the end of the forend, then push into the bedding. after setup, remove the tape. This allows free floating yet the forend is very rigid and isn't pushed against the barrel when shooting which can certainly change the point of impact. If I need to, I can go back and bed it all solid. This is what I called free-bedding of the forend.

I don't believe any rifle has been made worse by bedding the action but many have been made worse by bedding the barrel and /or by floating the barrel. It depends. The way I do it I can place a piece of plastic between barrel and forend to determine if it will shoot better with a pressure point or solid. I like options.

There is a general notion about the M700 and that is to bed the action, front and back, and about 1 1/2" of the breech end of the barrel, and float to the end, no pressure point. I've done this several times and it has improved the way they shoot. I free-bed the forend and float the barrel (as above) if the rifle is to be used for position shoots or for hunting where sling pressure will pull the forend into the barrel, the free-bedding of the forend is a good way to go. Any good smith can do this for you if you ask.

I do not want any flimsy forend up front. The free-bedding makes it rigid and warp free. I lean on my rifles when hunting or shooting from different positions and don't want any intermittent contact up front. Either solid or free-bedded, no free floaters.

[NE to AK]

Nebraska

NE is for Nebraska.

Thanks for the info Murphy. I like the idea of fully bedding the stock but taping the barrel so that it is still floated. I will try this.

TT

[grizz106]

I do not want any flimsy forend up front. The free-bedding makes it rigid and warp free. .

Murphy,
this is exactly what I did to that Mod.70 .338-06, literally hogged out the channel to apply Marine-Tex to prevent the little forend to either warp or break if you will. As you stated you can always tape the barrel and then go ahead and relieve the channel some to free-float. In my case, as I have shot enough of the costly NF bullets down the tube to know that I am not satisfied with 1-1.5" @ 100yds. This rifle can do much better. Free-floating now will be acceptable as the wood has been reinforced with the Marine-Tex. I just hope that my gains will be appreciable. Bought more powder. Now looking into Stoney Points OAL tool as well--it is not cheap to reload

regards,