Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Rifle bedding tips and tricks

Looks good to me..

That'll work

Nice job.
By the way, I use electrical tap as opposed to masking tape, but both work well.

Rather then a clay dam I use 20moa pipe wrapping tape in the barrel channel to form a crisp edge. Apply where I want bedding to end, coat with release agent and have never had an issue.

So many different ways to skin the cat. Use what works best for you. If it doesn't work perfect the first time, re-do it, try again. I've bedded over 100 rifles, so after you do a few, you start getting the hang of it. Experimentation is key. Remember release agent is your friend, but don't get any on where you want the bedding to stick. Everything should be dry fit, to make sure you are not pulling the action out of the stock too much with your tape job.

I also use electrical tape wrapped around the circumference of the barrel out toward the forend tip, to center the action in the stock. That also helps with getting the proper amount of freefloat. After that, use whatever tape you want. I've used good quality masking tape on the barrel and in the channel, then aluminum ducting tape over that, so you get a smooth finish, if you glass the whole barrel channel. Sometimes that is an option as well.

I also don't tape up the whole damn stock, like I see some guys doing. My smith taught me that trick. Just coat the stock with something like Johnson's paste wax, and you are good to go. The less taping the better, and quicker as well. Being efficient goes a long way with whatever you do in life. Some guys don't get that either...

All the tape and cleanup stuff is the last thing I worry about. Take your time and do good prep work. I've came out good on them and screwed a few up. Use a good release agent. If you think it could get glued, wax it. If you use JB weld, which I think is the best, let it set for an hour before application.

Best advice I can give, and I'm the guy who's glued one solid, use paste wax as release agent. Devcon, jb, not quick, will work like a champ. Wait til you glue on in and it won't pop lol. 🤪 just roll with it.

Anyone have a link to Northern Dave’s bedding post. Did some searching but didn’t find it.

Thanks.

Frank

Sticky?

At the top of this forum section?

Maybe?

Duh! Thanks.

I never do my own bedding jobs. I prefer to pay an expert then I know I'm getting a good job !

Nice Dingo!

Tape the barrel, per above. Pipe tape is nice and smooth.

I've never used paste wax - how is this removed, or is it?

Just tried the clay for fill--what a mess! Think I'll stick to my beeswax.

Nice job on these! I tried bedding under the chamber but didn't keep it straight across and you lose the accuracy and then some you were looking for in the first place, never though of a Dremel tool! Have tried a tape bank to keep the epoxy straight across but not so sure that worked all that well either. Might be it raised the barrel to high. I don't put in the rear tang screw to sit the barrel action in and tape at the fore end to hold the front of the barrel up a bit. Then nothing under the chamber. Put epoxy under and around the recoil lug with couple bits of tape on the front, bottom and sides to relieve any un-needed pressure there. Rifles lift out of the stock easily that way and all seem to shoot well. The rear tang area is pulled down screwing in the front action screw and tape at the front of the barrel keeps the barrel from pulling up on the rear tang. One time, before I started taping in front of the stock barrel channel I did full length bed a rifle in the barrel channel. Rifle shot very very well but for no reason I can think of did I ever try it again! And rifles shoot well enough the way I do it now I'm not about to change what works for me. I might add that to be sure the barrel is floating an the way I don't run a dollar bill under the barrel but do run three layers of typing paper and it must be free all the way. I think if running a dollar bill under from the stock is to keep the stock from bouncing off the stock, going a bit more isn't going to hurt anything. But also I never had a problem with just a dollar bill either.