Bedding question?

I already have a target Savage 12F in 6mm br and now want to build another. I already have a barrel in 6.5x284 and have just ordered another target action. Now what I'm thinking about is making a stock from scratch - I'm thinking of machining a bedding block out of solid lump of Aluminum, just a big Vee block really and then bolting that to something solid. (this does not need to look pretty, it will be shot in F class)

So - my question is: I have read several reports about these actions distorting when heat treated so would I be better bolting the action straight into the Vee block even if this leads to the action being true but under stress or am I better to bed in resin and let the action find its own position and work from there.

Any ideas would be appreciated

1066

I personally have bever shot a v-block bedded action. I would recommend that if you do go with the milled out aluminum that you do not heat treat it. It will definately distort. maybe only not sure how much. maybe only .002 of an inch in straightnes maybe totally warped. Hard to say. I would also talk to the heat treater and see if he can give you any type of tolerance that he can hold. I would say if he can guarantee straightness of plus or minus say .010 then go for it. I would personally go with resin. Much simpler in my opinion. It is what I know and am comfortable with. Ultimately it is what you feel is best for you and your demands.

Here's what little I know. Bedding is supposed to assure the action is firm, that si, does not alter shot to shot. To best do this, it should be bedded with as much contact as possible from about 1/2" in fron of the barrel nut (if used) to the rear action screw, no tail. Therefore, I have been informed that Devcon is the way to go so the action makes it own bed.

If I was gonna use a V block, I would get the action surface trued to assure best results without creating a stress in the action, imparting movement due to the action attempting to relieve that stress.

Worth all you paid for it.

Larry
Tinkerer

If I was going to go through that trouble I think I would go with a barrel block instead of an action block. A free floated action would be about as stress free as it gets.

I think thats F-Class legal:

http://www.6mmbr.com/gunweek075.html

I'm not an expert but here's my thoughts. If you use your action bolts to suck a warped action into a V block your introducing stress (bend). Each time your action bolts loosen or are removed your releaving that strees (bending back). That bending and bending back is transfered thru your scope bases and rings and into your scope. The higher the rings the more stress it would put on the scope.

Thanks for the input guys - I'm quite taken by the barrel block idea and agree with Vermonter that any stress in the action should be avoided if possible - I'll let you know how it works out in the end

1066

If you go with the barrel block idea I would recommend as large a piece as possible to maximize heat dissipation, as the barrel heats up it will "grow" in length and diameter. Also I would think you will need to put your scope on the top piece of the barrel block because the action will also move as the barrel heats up. I have seen bench rifles with this set up and it seems to work but the things are massive.

It should be an interesting project, just as an aside, most aluminum is heat treated before machining and the stresses that cause warping are much more prevalent in extrusion than they are in billet.

Bob