Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Express Rifles and Big Bores Only How common do wood stocks crack M70 post 64 375 H&Hs?

I'm dropping in a SS 375 into similar period super express stock with the metal insert (from a 458) and need to know if stock splitting/cracking is a common occurrence. Thanks.

I would bed the action to the stock and free float the barrel then you would have no worries about splitting the stock. Normally stock splitting accurs when the action is not a tight fit in the stock. Splits in the tang area.

Putting a SS 375 in walnut? Love the idea, post some pics! Wish mine had an ebony foreend tip.


I got a screaming deal on mine awhile back though I have yet to do anything with it. However, I have a similar question - the crossbolt in mine is exposed. Should I wax the crossbolt (and pop the crossbolt loose when initially popping the action out, or do I just epoxy the crossbolt in there permanently? I assume it's not normal for the crossbolt to be exposed, as is the case with mine.

Mine looks like a twin to yours on the exterior, stock is the same color. Inside the stock, mine has a metal piece forward of the action lug that is glued in. I've been shooting it in the OEM Tupperware stock but plan on taking it hunting in the wood stock in May. My plan is to have a ebony tip added along with getting the stock hardware coated to match the barreled action in the future. My crossbolt is not exposed and has a metal piece glued in the rear of the lug protecting the wood in that area.

You need a small amount of space behind the tang for give; during recoil the sides of the stock bow out slightly along side the magazine cutout, so the tang moves back ever so slightly in relation to the stock. If allowance isn't made for it, that will contribute to splitting in the tang area.

You guys need to glass bed those. It will add strength, and help with accuracy. Bed the tang as well. Don't listen to the poster above me that said it needs clearance. Bed the recoil lug and the tang. Rugers need clearance behind the tang, not win model 70's..I also want to ad that your rifle looks great in that stock. Veddy nice..Do it a favor and glass bed it though..

... Bed the tang as well. Don't listen to the poster above me that said it needs clearance. Bed the recoil lug and the tang. Rugers need clearance behind the tang, not win model 70's..I also want to ad that your rifle looks great in that stock. Veddy nice..Do it a favor and glass bed it though.. [/quote]

No, don't bed the tang, you definately need a gap there. Contrary to advice, I bedded the tang on my CZ550 (375H&H) and guess what? - it split there. DHN has accuratley explained how it happens.

If you bed the action then I think that means your cross bolt will also automatically be epoxied in - there's not much room for bedding compound without making contact with the cross bolt.

Unless I'm mistaken, that's not a CZ550. WTF are you guys smoking here??

Yes I know, the Winchester would likely have better quality wood (either less flexing or less prone to splitting) than the CZ but I wouldn't risk splitting the tang. Easy to avoid.

As Karnis has also stated in posts regarding bedding model 70's:



Mauser, you are right about the CZ550. My 9.3x62mm has a skinny tang (unlike the Winchester model 70), and I treat it like I do my Ruger 77's and leave them unbedded at the tang. However, since we are talking Winchester model 70's. A properly bedded one, should look similar to this:




Here's a better pic of the area under the receiver. This was done before I did the barrel channel (which allows the barrel to be freefloated):


My 375 H&H also has dual crossbolts and received the same bedding treatment, sans the pillars...



It also shoots like this and I've yet to have the tang crack out on me after a couple hundred rounds down range:


[img]http://i1180.photobucket.com/albums/x401/chiefbsa/001_zps92f2c928.jpg[/img]

I have bedded dozens of stocks and many were Model 70's.
I use Devcon Steel, though I have also used the Aluminium version. I always bed the recoil mortise and the tang. Some rifles shoot better still when the bedding compound is removed from in front the recoil lug so the barrel is completely free floating. This is also the best method with Model 70's for switch barrels as the action is stable and the barrels can be changed upon whim.

Also have a .458 that is electro-less nickel plated except for the open sights which are blued and dropped into a .375 stock. They do look rather good.

7 minutes, what took you so long?

Damn, nothing gets by you guys . I had to run downstairs and check my CZ 550 American to see how I bedded it. It's been a long time since I did it, so it slipped my mind. I didn't want to give him false information. I did know for a fact that I bed my Ruger 77's (I've bedded a few of those VS. the CZ550) the way Mauser suggested. I've heard of too many split for reasons he stated. It's good advice with certain action types. I also wanted to show a newer Model 70 stock (that I bedded) because the shape of the tang is different on those rifles. They are squared off on the back as opposed to the pre 64 375 H&H I previously posted pics of:




Get those cross bolts covered and make the bedding look like this and you will be golden:

I didn't realise that Winchester tangs were like that. I never owner a Winchester - I'll have to rectify that one day.

I guess the tang area on a Winchester is large enough to prevent a pressure point splitting the stock.

Degrease the crossbolt and bed it right in there. You want the recoil lug to sit firmly against a surface so the recoil gets pushed out over a larger surface area. Right now, it looks like the recoil lug is just touching those two tiny surfaces on either side, just forward of the exposed part of the crossbolt.

Understand bedding is better but my original question was is it a common occurrence as in, has anyone seen a post 64 classic 375 that was not bedded with a cracked stock? I had read it was common with the pre-64 375s.

It's not as common with the posts because they have cross bolts. Winchester realized they were necessary even with the pre 64's and would install crossbolts for customers with 375's. The last year pre 64's had crossbolts as did the 458's..

Thanks. The only information I've been able to find was 458s cracking stocks.

The dual crossbolts and good bedding helps tremendously.

There are different ways to skin a cat, but I cannot imagine ever wanting the tang on one of my M70s bearing recoil.