Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Gunsmithing Fixing cracked stock recoil lug area on Ruger M77 MKII 338 Win mag

I was shooting my 338 today and noticed accuracy wasn't as good as usual. This is one of the only rifles I haven't glass bedded: Now I regret not doing it sooner. Upon inspection after tearing it down today, I found a crack through the recoil lug area. Are you guys getting tired of seeing JB weld used for a bedding compound? I think it will work very well for this situation. Check out the pictures and tell me what you think. I'll post some of the finished product after it has cured. BSA.

A little mad at myself for not bedding it sooner!! It's a nice stock.


Roughed up the wood where the JB is going

Gouged the cracked area so the JB will fill the voids.

Used some clay this time to build a dam to house the JB.

Here it is curing right now, wish me luck on this one guys. I'll post pictures of the finished product. Take care, BSA.

I hear you. I wouldn't dream of shooting a wood stocked rifle without first bedding it and maybe relieving a little bit around the dang.

I remember when muledeer had his RSI in 338 Federal built, I asked if he bedded it. He said no and that he never had a rifle bedded and never saw a reason for it. I said 'ok'. Of course it went to pieces not long after.

If any rifle needed to be bedded it's a Ruger.

Hi Scott, I am kicking myself in the arse for not bedding this thing after I bought it. I was shooting into 1/2 inch with it and didn't see a need for bedding it. Hope this helps someone else out before their ruger stock cracks.

Not at directed at you, but I always laugh at the folks that say 'If it's shooting good don't mess with it'. Fear comes from ignorance, and so many seem to think it's some form of voodoo if a rifle is shooting well and you should sacrifice a goat to please the gods before doing something to it.


Never seen a bedding job done correctly make it worse, and it will help solve the above problem.

That looks like my Miller Dial Arc. Nice machines!

Actually it is the predecessor to the dial arc. Doesn't look like it is 36 years old does it. Like you said, they are nice machines. It's a 250 twin, made in 1974 and it runs like a dream.

Here are some pics of the finished product. Hope this helps someone else out that has the same problem down the road. Better yet, just glass bed the dang thing before you start having problems. Just my .02, BSA.

You can see where I left some high spots in the wood so the barreled action set in there at the perfect depth.

Good, can't see any gray JB when the action is in.

One of the nicer looking ruger stocks I've had, so I didn't want to scrap it. I think the JB will hold up very well. Take care, BSA.

bsa,

Thanks for the photo tutorial. Probably time to bed my .375 Ruger African....jim

No Problem Jim, I'm hoping others see this before they have a problem. I know the angled screw on these have to be set around 90 inch lbs (which is pretty tight). If the factory inleting isn't real good, that is almost enough to get a crack started on these. Being a heavy recoiling rifle adds to the stress on the recoil lug area and tang area. BSA.

Looks good.

Any thought of using the aluminum pillars ?


Where did you get the 90 inch pounds? Sounds about 40 more than I use.


Allen

Thanks hemiallen, Ruger factory techs swear by 90 inch pounds. I was thinking pillars, if the JB doesn't hold up (I'm thinking the JB will do the trick though).

Just got back from a very quick range session before it got dark. Here's the group it shot (the smallest I shot with the rifle before was .400", 3 shot). The other day I fired off some groups and was disgusted with the 1 3/4 inch groups I got with a weird horizontal string. When I got home, I tore it apart and found the crack behind the recoil lug. Whole reason behind bedding it. Take a look at how it is shooting now. My first 3 shots were pretty good so I decided to see if I could get the last one into the same cluster and botched it up

The action must be liking the fit like a glove feel of the new bedding.


I don't believe in a 4 shot group, but this is all I had left from last weekends range session. Just enough to test out the new bedding job before elk season (starts on the 6th of this month).BSA.

Certainly minute of elk heart, good hunting!...jim

Thanks Jim, I need all the luck I can get. Nice to know I can count on my rifle now though. In case some of you were wondering, I left the factory pressure on the forend tip because this rifle shot very well this way. Most rugers are known for this phenomenon. I've got one ruger 77 (300 win mag) that is an odd ball, it likes to be full bedded and freefloated. It shoots tiny groups with the right handload. Thanks for peoples kind words and once again hope it helps someone who finds themselves in the same boat I was in. Take care, BSA.

Thanks on the 90 inch #'s, more than I would do on a wood only stock.

Looks like she is good to go.


Allen

I hear you allen. I'm thinking torquing it that high is what cracked it in the first place. I took the action out of the stock and checked the JB and I don't think it is going anywhere. I JB'd around the whole crack, so it should hold pretty good. I'm pretty happy it's shooting like it's old self. Take care, BSA.