To bed or not to bed under the barrel?

wadcutter · Post by **wadcutter** » Sat Nov 14, 2009 12:06 pm

With bedding a rifle action. A lot of people also bed the first inch or two under the barrel. Is this a good idea or not?

What's your experience.

Trev · Post by **Trev** » Sat Nov 14, 2009 12:45 pm

It is the standard practice, I doubt anyone has bedded like that then test fired then removed the bedding and tested again to see if it changed.

If your bedding a rifle just do what seems to be the tried and tested, bed the first couple of inches of barrel

wadcutter · Post by **wadcutter** » Sat Nov 14, 2009 4:11 pm

Trev,
What is the idea behind bedding under the first few inches of barrel?

Ackley Improved · Post by **Ackley Improved** » Sat Nov 14, 2009 4:16 pm

http://www.6mmbr.com/pillarbedding.html

If this bloke does it... do it!

Cheers

Trev · Post by **Trev** » Sat Nov 14, 2009 4:49 pm

No Idea Wad, But I presume it would have something to do with the barrel harmonics, maybe bedding that really thick part of the barrell helps and then the thinner part is allowed to vibrate. But really, I have no idea, I just bed mine all that way.

Trev,
That is a great article, used that for my first bed job. But there is one really big mistake in that article, the bottom pic with him setting in those beautiful estuchens, look at the mud on the thread, once that is pushed in and the screw done up, that mud will compact all around that thread, no way on earth could you get it undone. Crikkies, I have enough trouble getting some actions and screws out with just a hint of mud getting in a hole or a slot.

Aussie_bob · Post by **Aussie_bob** » Mon Nov 16, 2009 10:28 am

In a good solid custom action you shouldnt need to bed the first section of barrel as the action will be able to support it with out any strain.
I havent bedded any of mine under the barrel But if you were using a remington action or something with large port etc yes as it helps support the weight of the barrel takes the stress off the action and threaded area.

Curtley78 · Post by **Curtley78** » Mon Nov 16, 2009 4:38 pm

G'day Wadcutter,

On a center fire most definitely, however. On a rim fire I am still unconvinced, given that on the older model of Walther & Anschutz the only bedding is adhesive tape and that most of these Ol rifles are still rattling the cages.

On a rim fire, I have found that 'tension' and following the manufacturers recommendation accounts for most part for lost accuracy in BR. In prone a great deal of Olympic grade shooters will tell you the same.

As for bedding a centerfire. Most of the shooters that I know bed their rifles at least an inch and a half along the barrel and would utilise ferells.

Regards

Sean

wadcutter · Post by **wadcutter** » Mon Nov 16, 2009 6:58 pm

I am getting a lot of different opinions on this subject. Some of the top U.S. gunsmiths no longer have any bedding touching the barrel, even on very long and heavy barrels built on Remington actions. Other top gunsmiths such as Shane Clancy, beds under the barrel for the first inch or so.

My sons new Tikka has a completely free floated barrel and it shoots quite well.

At this stage I am not sure if it is the way to go or not.

surfclod · Post by **surfclod** » Fri Nov 20, 2009 1:22 pm

When I bedded my Savage I kept the barrel free floated so that I had the option of swapping barrels with relative ease. It worked fine with the factory barrel but when I installed the replacement and began load development I kept getting flyers that I could not blame on my own error. When talking to a fella at a local gun show who had made up a tactical rig in .260 Rem he mentioned that he had the same situation and bedding the first couple inches helped a lot. After I did the same I eliminated a lot of flyers so I am a believer in it now.

kurcha · Post by **kurcha** » Sun Nov 29, 2009 8:09 pm

wad just make sure that beding only touches 1/3 of the serfice of u action surcumference * 1/3 the rest is free i bedded my Antsutst its shoots better now

wadcutter · Post by **wadcutter** » Sat Dec 12, 2009 11:44 am

I removed the bedding under the barrel and this eliminated the hot barrel flyers.

I lowered the torque setting on the action take down screws from 65in/lb to 47in/lb and it now shoots into the one ragged hole.

Just shows you that all rifles are different.

Curtley78 · Post by **Curtley78** » Sat Dec 12, 2009 3:03 pm

wadcutter wrote:.....I lowered the torque setting on the action take down screws from 65in/lb to 47in/lb and it now shoots into the one ragged hole.....

G'day Norm,

The same rule applies for rimfire rifles, notably 54 series Anschutz rifles. Recommended factory specifies 10 Newtons, most shooters will halve that value, which improves accuracy significantly.

Regards

Sean

AusVarmint

To bed or not to bed under the barrel?

To bed or not to bed under the barrel?

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