bearcat74 Hi! What you are describing could be perfectly natural. You could be lifting the weight of the bbl. off the fore end when tightening the rear screw. Thats assuming the stock is below the action of course. However, after the "mushyness" the rear screw should come to an abrupt stop similar to the front screw. I'd suggest you shoot the rifle and see if groups shrink. If it shoots the same as before you haven't lost anything. Bedding doesn't always improve accuracy. If it shoots better, well ;D The 6mmbr video on "stress free" bedding mentioned above, done by Richard, is excellent. ----------- How do you secure the action to the stock after applying mud? Dale