"Tim", you missed a step that has made the wood blocks work for me every time. Drill into the oak block, beside the recoil

lug, & install a 1/4" x 20 socket head cap screw against the recoil lug. This prevents the action from turning. Put your nut

wrench on, put a 1/2" drive, 18" long breaker bar on it, & a 3' long pipe on it. Start out by taking short, "bouncing" pulls on

the pipe. You don't want to upset your work bench! - this gives you the potiental for 300 or more ft. lbs. of torque! Of the last

3 "new barrel" removles I have done, this worked every time. If it doesn't work, apply a little heat with a propane tourch &

try again. If that doesn't work, cut the nut off with a Dremel Tool. Someday, I "may" foot the money for an action wrench, but

I doubt it, because these methods have always worked for me. "Never" try to hold the barrel on a new take down: the barrel is

a smaller diameter & it is tapered. Good Luck :) ... Jim