Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Savage 340 Bedding(?)

I have two Savage 340s. One is in 223 REM. The other is 30-30. Both have been back-of-the-rack projects over the years, but retirement has me reaching for things to do. I have brought the 223 REM into service as a coyote gun. The 30-30 has recently started fitting #1 granddaughter, and I plan on having her use it this coming deer season.

I had the 30-30 apart last week and a couple of questions came to mind.

1) What's up with the barrel band?

2) Has anyone tried bedding one of these puppies? If so, to what effect?


Both of these rifles seem to get the job done. Accuracy is workable, but not spectacular, but then I would not expect it. They work just fine for how they were intended.

I'm just wondering at this point.

This might help Leroy's Ramblings. He's tinkered with the rifles quite a bit, and probably has given them more attention than needed. Like adding a rear action screw.

There is only one hole d&t in the receiver to attach the barreled action to the stock. The barrel band is the only other attachment point. Adding a rear action screw and dumping the barrel band might improve the rifle's accuracy potential by free floating the barrel, but is it worth the cost or effort?

I've never bedded a Savage 340 series rifle, but it can't hurt. If I was going to do it, I would bed the action and the first few inches of the barrel and hope that that would provide sufficient support to allow for the removal of the barrel band to free float the barrel.

That was just what I was looking for. Thanks.

My guess is that this project would be more effort than it is worth. The two rifles work well as is.

If you are like me and don't have much to do, then go for it. I enjoy projects like that myself and I always learn something each time. I don't know if the bedding will do much good but it will be fun to see. I have owned several 340's and all of them shot well. I just can't see how you could make one of these super accurate because of the split bridge and the way you have to mount the scope. In fact, I think I still have a couple of scope mounts laying around for one. I could not find one of them of course if someone offered me $10 K ea. The .223 was a later caliber and if they used thet same barrel as a the .222, the twist is probably too slow. I had that problem with a Remington 600 that had been rechambered to .223. It would shoot short bullets like 40 to 50 grainers into a very small group. The longer bullets, even some 55 grainers would shoot a pattern. The long bullets like everyone uses now would keyhole. I really love those little rifles. Fun shooters and cheap. (Maybe not Cheap Anymore) This rifle in .30-30 makes an ideal youth deer hunting rig. Good luck with your projects.

i have a 340 in 30-30, two things i have noticed, the lighter the bullets i shoot the better it grouped, i think if there is a flaw in that gun it is the "contraption" of a scope mount, granted not high recoil rifles but.... I think your chasing your tail on the bedding part, as i went lower in bullet weight the better it turned out, i would look at less than 150 grains, and they worked on several deer so less than 150 in a 30-30 is still plenty of whack.

First question is how do they shoot now? If it's acceptable, then don't try to fix something that isn't broke.

I was pleased with the accuracy off the 340 got two of my grandsons shooting 340's both shooting two inch groups with 150 gr 30-30's