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A couple of rookie questions...
I've just bought my son (12 year old) his first rifle for a cow elk hunt this year; it's a Remington Model 7 7mm-08 XCR.
My questions: Is the original factory stock worth bedding? Do I need to pillar bed it and/or bed the entire action? Is this something I can do on my own if I get a hold of the right book?
Many thanks in advance,
Jason
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Campfire Outfitter
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I'd go shoot it first. If it shoots leave it alone. There are lots of bedding instructions around. I believe there are detailed instructions on the Hunting Rifles Forum with pictures. Bedding is easy albeit worrysome the first time.
�Nothing is so permanent as a temporary government program." -- Milton Friedman
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Campfire Regular
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Like kend said, shoot it first. While shooting, try not only off the bench but also off shooting sticks and with a hasty sling and see how it affects accuracy. The problem with most factory synthetic stocks (injection molded plastic) is the forend flexes a lot and can interfere with the barrel. Prep for bedding a factory synthetic stock takes more time than for wood and attention to detail is real important. Bedding compound doesn't like to stick to injection molded plastic, so you have to provide mechanical interlocking features in the plastic by drilling a whole lot of small holes at different angles to keep it from popping out, and 60 grit sandpaper, and clean with solvent to get all oils off. Getting the forend to not flex can be a royal PITA; glassing in carbon arrow shafts, sections of old fiberglass fishing rods, or a hardwood or aluminum block can work.
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Campfire Tracker
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I have bedded a few and found them to shoot better, I did not stiffen the forearm in most of them. Just remember you do not want to glue the action to the stock and it all seems easy from there.
NRA Life Member
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Thanks for the tips gentlemen.
I can see where aftermarket stocks might be the way to go.
Jason
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Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
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The injection molded 7 stock is not one of their better efforts... But it is a very good action in a well chosen chambering and should work fine.
Mark Begich, Joaquin Jackson, and Heller resistance... Three huge reasons to worry about the NRA.
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
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I've asked this before or just thrown this idea out and never have had any response. I know from experience that epoxy does not stick to injection molded plastics very well.
So, what about using Krylon Fusion as a primer before bedding?
I haven't had an opportunity to try it yet to see if it would work.
Any thoughts on this idea?
fish head
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Fish head, I have bedded quite a few of the injection molded stocks and have never had a problem with bonding to the stock and I don't drill holes in several directions. Remove enough material to insure an adequate thickness of bedding. Clean out all the sanding residue. Wipe the area to be bedded with a good solvent, I use acetone, and don't touch that area with anything but bedding material. To stiffen the fore end I bed a small aluminum rod the length of the fore end. Adds very little weight and really stiffens.Rick.
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Joined: Mar 2006
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Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
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I know injection molded stocks can be bedded wihtout any practical problems even if the epoxy does not bond to the plastic. Once the action is in and screwed down the epoxy is not going to shift. As long as you're not poking or picking at the epoxy, it sticks well enough. It's easy to peel epoxy off of plastic it doesn't bond to, so don't pick at, then no problems.
My thoughts are, first, I think (don't know 100%) that a component of Krylon Fusion is cyanocylate. It seems like it would bond to the plastic very well. Whether or not Krylon Fusion is the right stuff, I don't know. My thoughts are that instead of drilling holes to lock the epoxy in place it could be primed with (.........) that bonds with the plastic and then the epoxy would bond to it. I know roughing up the suface aids in adhesion but, the epoxy still doesn't absolutely bond to it.
It just depends on how picky you want to be with having the epoxy bonded or not. Probably doesn't make any real world difference one way or the other. It just seems like this would be an easy way to prep the areas of the stock that will be epoxied.
fish head
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I wish it were as easy to get off as you imply, wouldn't have to worry about overruns. I have removed enough bedding from Injectioned moulded stocks to use that stock for a different action that I am sure it is bonded to the stock. I am in the lug arae with various cutters and sanding drum on a Dremel and nothing breaks loose. Do the bedding job correctly and it will not chip off or come loose.Rick.
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Rick,
Quick question...when you say you add an aluminum rod; Are you just creating a channel with a dremel tool and laying it in there like a piece of rebar in concrete? If so, do you anchor it in there somehow?
Thanks,
Jason
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The older Rem tupperware stocks were open in the fore arm area and I would sand the bottom, clean it with acetone and bed the rod directly to the stock. Never had one come loose. Some of the newer stocks I have seen have cross members for fore end support, Guess I would have to cut a channel in them to get the rod to the inside bottom of the stock.Rick.
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