Bedding Savage Actions?

Do you guys normally bed the action in the plastic stocks?

I'm a new convert over from mauser actions! I say convert...but I still have 4 builds in the works.

Any way I leaned from a plastic stocked Weatherby that the for end needed to be stiffened because there was way too much flex in the fore end.

Any way the first thing I did when I bought my used...new to me Savage was bed the action and fill the fore end.

That pretty noraml or was I over reacting?

By the way...gun will for sure out shoot me!

A few guys here have experimented with stiffening the factory plastic stocks and had varying degrees of luck. The problem area is around the recoil lug. This is where the stock usually flexes. To remove all the flex, some sort of reinforcement is needed to tie the action area to the fore end. Unfortunately, there's not a lot of room to fit something around the recoil lug.

If you find that it still flexes too much, I'd recommend getting a new stock rather than trying to fix it. I picked up a factory laminate thumbhole stock from Numrich a few years ago for about $170 shipped. Boyd's stocks are a little cheaper, but they need pillars.

I would shoot it as is unless you intend to mount a bipod on the forearm. If you intend to use a bipod then replace the stock. There are a few brands to choose from, some synthetic with metal cores, some fiberglass and some wood laminates.

We on this stock it was wide open from the recoil lug forward. I filled the main channel with the metal fiber filled bondo. But left plenty of room for the barrel to reman fully floated. I then Accu-gel the recoil lug forward (plus i cut out some of the plastic to make room for the gel front and back of the lug) to about the end of the chamber. Plus put a thin coat over the bondo to seal it. I did also add a second sling stud for a bi-pod...which I've been shooting off of.

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Originally Posted by CaptnC

.... I then Accu-gel the recoil lug forward (plus i cut out some of the plastic to make room for the gel front and back of the lug) ....

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I think the recoil lug is supposed to be contact free on it's sides and front surface. Hope others comment.

Personally, I would only bed the factory plastic stock on an extreme budget. Just too much flex. A Boyds is not that much to upgrade. Pillar bed in one of those and you are good. Just did my buddy's Ruger American this way and groups were cut in half with the same factory ammo.

For hunting purposes, there is no need to stiffen the forend.

I understand why you want to do it. I did it on one... but stiffening the forend didn't make it shoot any better.

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Originally Posted by Zero333

For hunting purposes, there is no need to stiffen the forend.

I understand why you want to do it. I did it on one... but stiffening the forend didn't make it shoot any better.

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It does if you use a bipod.

I have 2 Boyds stocks... A prairie hunter on my 22-250 and I've not bedded anything on it. She will put 5 in a nickel from 100 yards. And I've hit ground squirrels @ 400 yards with it.

I have a Pro varmint on my 270 (soon to be a 260 rem) and I think I will only have to bed the action as it is shooting 1 MOA right now at 100.... but we will see, as I want this one to shoot the wings off a fly at 500 yards..... Not really expecting this, but you get my drift.... :laser:

Thanks for all the replies. I do have a bi-pod on it and the stock I have had tons of room to fill. Added some much needed weight IMO...I like a gun with some weight in it. Being a 300wsm I didon't want to get beat to death by it.

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Originally Posted by johned

I think the recoil lug is supposed to be contact free on it's sides and front surface. Hope others comment.

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Wow...that's surprised me. In the mauser world it a must...learn something new everyday.

The trouble with trying to stiffen the factory stocks is they flex at the recoil lug area. Not much you can do about it. Never known anyone to report having any luck trying to fix it. I tried myself a time or two. No help. But, as said earlier, if you are only looking for hunting accuracy, and don't put weight of gun on a bipod or the forearm, it doesn't flex all that much. When using factory stocks, I always rest the rifle on bags positioned under the action. Negates the issue.

Savage makes great shooting rifles with cheap, tupperware stocks that can be easily upgraded for $150-700. They are what they are.

As for BEDDING the actions into plastic factory stocks, I see no point. Flex in the fore end is not related to action bedding.

I normally bed all wood stocks.