Bedded my Savage tonight. Now the waiting begins **Success!!**

[TonyBen]

I got the action all routed and bedded this morning with JB Weld.

I might give her 48 hours to cure before I remove it from the stock.

I bedded from the back of the tang (where the safety is) all the way to the back of the recoil lug. I'll leave the front to free-float.

This is my first bedding job on a bolt gun.

http://i1205.photobucket.com/albums/bb423/tonyben3/DSCN2049.jpg

http://i1205.photobucket.com/albums/bb423/tonyben3/DSCN2048.jpg

http://i1205.photobucket.com/albums/bb423/tonyben3/DSCN2047.jpg

http://i1205.photobucket.com/albums/bb423/tonyben3/DSCN2050.jpg

http://i1205.photobucket.com/albums/bb423/tonyben3/DSCN2052.jpg

http://i1205.photobucket.com/albums/bb423/tonyben3/DSCN2053.jpg

http://i1205.photobucket.com/albums/bb423/tonyben3/DSCN2054.jpg

[tinkerer]

OK, went a little crazy I see.

May I suggest breaking it loose the first time at about 4 hours, just to be sure you have not permanently glued anything together, maybe a little dremeling just to be sure.

Larry
Tinkerer

[TonyBen]

Thanks.

I used 3 coats of Valspar 225 mold release. Nothing has flowed where it shouldn't. I cut the heads off some long screws and taped the threads, then greased the insides of the pillars so that bedding compound wouldn't adhere to it.

I left about 1/2" of screw sticking out the bottom so that I can hammer on those to break the receiver loose. It's been bedded longer than 4 hours already. It should be okay. I really don't like how soft JB weld is within the first 12 hours.

This is the first bolt gun I've ever bedded, but not the first rifle I've ever bedded. :)

http://m14forum.com/m14/71808-m14-m1a-glass-bedding-tutorial-additional-info-updated-10-06-09-a.html

[harro]

G'day

I just bedded my Stevens into my new Boyds stock a couple of days ago.I didn't sleep to well that night, as like you I have never done one myself.Mine came out excellent and I'm really happy.As long as you have done your homework and prepped everthing well there won't be any problems.Good luck.

Thankyou for your time

harro

[TonyBen]

So much for 48 hours....

I just broke the action loose. It took a couple of good whacks with a hammer but it all came out okay. There were no voids. The JB weld flowed into the front pillar so it's a good thing I greased the hole. My screws came out with no problem.

Now I just have to do the clean up. Thanks for all the info on the forum here. I would not have known how to do this without them.

http://i1205.photobucket.com/albums/bb423/tonyben3/DSCN2060.jpg

http://i1205.photobucket.com/albums/bb423/tonyben3/DSCN2059.jpg

http://i1205.photobucket.com/albums/bb423/tonyben3/DSCN2058.jpg

http://i1205.photobucket.com/albums/bb423/tonyben3/DSCN2057.jpg

http://i1205.photobucket.com/albums/bb423/tonyben3/DSCN2056.jpg

http://i1205.photobucket.com/albums/bb423/tonyben3/DSCN2055.jpg

[PBinWA]

Looks nice. Better looking than my first one. ;)

[tinkerer]

Nice job.

Larry
Tinkerer

[CARBON-ARCH]

Fun stuff ;D

The first one is always the most nerve racking.......

[olddav]

Is it just me or is the tang supposed to be floated on a savage?

[earl39]

Not just you Dave but i really didn't want to be the first to mention it.

Gary

[r29l20]

I noticed the tang too, but it looks like a stress free bedding job so it should be fine. Nice work. :)

[TonyBen]

I didn't know the tang was supposed to be free floated! :o

But hey, that's why I post this stuff. I'm not afraid to admit if I made a mistake. If the accuracy isn't what I like, I'll relieve the bedding in the tang and bed the barrel nut. I'm going to the range in the morning and I'll post the results.

Also, I finally got my trigger assembly back together and checked the safety. It's a good thing I did. If I engage the safety and pull the trigger, then flip the safety off, the firing pin releases. I had to adjust the safety travel screw. It function checks good now.

Thanks for the feedback

Here's a couple of pictures of the cleaned up bedding job

http://i1205.photobucket.com/albums/bb423/tonyben3/DSCN2064.jpg

http://i1205.photobucket.com/albums/bb423/tonyben3/DSCN2063.jpg

Tony.

[gregmckinney]

Looks good.

[Nor Cal Mikie]

Take some sandpaper and a piece of round stock and get some daylight under the tang. That whole area should be clear. The pillar holds it up off the stock at the back.
And even if you had some voids in the bedding, no one will see it but you. ;)
Still a good looking job. 8)

[TonyBen]

I used some old Garand ammo from 1943 to get the scope zeroed. I had 2 rounds that required a second strike to fire. After getting on target, I gave the barrel a good cleaning and switched to some Remington 165gr CoreLokt once the barrel cooled. The groups were very disappointing. I might try some handloads. the last group measured 2.25"

I will also mess around with the stock screw torque. I used 35" pounds on the front screw and 30" pounds on the rear screw.

Thanks for the tip on the tang. I'll relieve it and see if it helps.


http://i1205.photobucket.com/albums/bb423/tonyben3/DSCN2067.jpg

[oosickness]

looks like we are in similar boats.. and i floated my tang...

[olddav]

TonyBen,
Your bedding job looks alote better than mine, and I'm sure that once the tang is floated it will shoot quite well. My rifle did some strange things after bedding it but settled down after approx 20 rounds. I for one look forward to an update in the near future.

[TonyBen]

Thanks. I'll keep you all updated. I ran just shy of 20 rounds through the barrel during that trip, so maybe it just needs time to settle in. I relieved a little bedding from the sides and front of the recoil lug but maybe I didn't remove enough. I think I'm going to route out all that stuff so there is no question of contact where the recoil lug shouldn't be. I'll be floating the tang before my next trip too.

And just an FYI, I'm using an EGW scope base, Weaver steel rings and a Zeiss conquest 3-9x50. I lapped the rings using a kokopelli lapping kit for 100% alignment and contact on the tube. I'm confident that any problems are not scope related.

[Harriershot]

Tony, when I bed my rifles the only part of the lug I tape is the bottom. I do this so there is no oppurtunity for the gun to move in the stock, I know some other gunsmith's that do it this way as well. I also have the tang free floated. It is my belief that every part of the rifle should come together as one solid piece. My research suggests any unwanted or uncontrolled vibration caused by a loose component on the rifle will cause accuracy to suffer. My model 14 in .243 with a Zeiss on top will shoot sub half inch with factory ammo.

Charlie