my new Tikka rifle has a fiber piece that sticks on the stock , the reason for bedding the rifle is it will make it more solid in the rifle that won`t get soft and wear out like the fiber piece on it now over a few years. as far as shooting this rifle before i glass bed it , it won`t happen i know from many past new rifles all rifles are better off glass bedded so why waste my time taking the rifle apart a bunch of times. even rifles with aluminum bedding blocks shoot better with some glass bedding on top of the aluminum block. besides with my bad shoulders the 30-06 cartridge is not that fun to shoot that much anymore at my age of 70 recoil sucks , so once this Tikka shoots under an inch maybe less with my handloads at 100 yards i am done.
I'll be the odd man out and not bust your balls for wanting to glass bed your new rifle. I'd do the same thing, if it had what you are referring to as "sticky fiber" in between the stock and action. Doesn't seem right to me. I'd remove it and likely glass bed it, as well. I know from experience that if you don't, they loosen up over time. Those guys that don't, are fine to not do it to their rifles, but I know mine won't loosen up over time and lose precision/accuracy. To each their own.
I'll be odd with you.
The T3 SS Swede got bedded before it got shot.
The barrel channel got opened to eliminate contact too.
I understand why you might not.
But the argument doesn't hold water.
If you shoot it as new, and it shoots well?
Do you bed it? Or not?
If not, you are in the same boat as the guy who bedded first and liked how his shot.
