Bedding a 700 - Part I

[QuietShootr]

I've been having trouble getting my new XCR Tactical to shoot as well as I think it should. Fixing problems like this is like eating an elephant....one bite at a time. I talked to a very experienced rifle builder yesterday who advised me that stocks like the B&C or HS Precision with the aluminum bedding blocks actually need to be skim bedded in order to keep the action from shifting in the stock. When I disassembled the gun and checked the contact surfaces on the bedding block, I discovered that the front of the action was only contacting the block in two 1mm strips running longitudinally.

My 'smith was not at all surprised to hear this, and predicted that a skim bed job would help tighten things up a lot. He opined that he might be able to get to it in August.

I'm not very patient. There are plenty of good tutorials on how to do this, so I figured why the hell not.

First, I had to find MarineTex locally, which wound up requiring a 60 mile round trip drive. Then, I got modeling clay, WD40, a utility knife, some q-tips, some beeswax to use as a release agent, some 80 grit sandpaper, and miscellaneous small tools and so on.

The layout:


Next, I disassembled the rifle and started the process of wrapping the barrel with masking tape to create a standoff to hold the action up off of the bedding block during the curing process.



Checking to see if it's level in the ejection port.


The block before scuffing it up with the sandpaper:


Sanded and added a few shallow dimples with a drill just to give the MarineTex something else to bite into.


Waxed the action and taped the recoil lug and barrel:


More to follow...

[carbinero]

Glad to see your post, and I also encourage others to go for it. I would suggest switching from modelling clay to silly putty, as it's easier for removal. I also used MarineTex, which is also great for improving the grip areas of the stock, when you have extra left over. The other "pro" recommended epoxy is Devcon 10110. Although everyone says you should remove the trigger, I just taped mine up, and it bedded fine. For fore- and butt-stock filler epoxy, I recommend the 2 part slow cure epoxy which comes cheap from good hobby shops. Thanks again for posting!

[ICANHITHIMMAN]

It will help alot I have my HS precsion stock skim bedded. After you do the action might as well to the scope base to.

[markm]

Tag this for results....

[QuietShootr]

Originally Posted by ICANHITHIMMAN

It will help alot I have my HS precsion stock skim bedded. After you do the action might as well to the scope base to.

Got a procedure for that? I got the large box of MarineTex so I'm looking for shit to epoxy :-D

[QuietShootr]

Continued..

Packing clay into holes and such




More tape....


Check fit one last time


Mixing the Marinetex (nota bene: when they say this stuff is noxious, they really aren't kidding. I happened to be looking at just the right angle when I opened the jar of hardener - it was emitting vapor that looked like what you get from a beaker of HCl.


Done.




Not pictured was the hour of cleanup afterward, with wd-40 on q-tips and rags getting all the seepage out of places it shouldn't have been.

I waxed the receiver heavily with the beeswax, but I bet it's still going to be a bitch to get out. Does anyone have a suggestion for that? I was thinking of just rapping the barrel with a rubber dead-blow to break it loose.

So, now we wait.

[ICANHITHIMMAN]

Originally Posted by QuietShootr

Got a procedure for that? I got the large box of MarineTex so I'm looking for shit to epoxy :-D

Here is how it was explained to me on another fourm. They are using JB weld but you can adapt the procudure for the marine tex easy enough. The guide will just give you the finer points.

This is the way I do it and the way that it was done by Speedy at SG&Y as we have both found that lock tite fails way too often =

First use steel 000 steel wool and acetone and rough the contact area of the receiver and then do the same to the contact area of the base.

Use a cotton ball with acetone to clean any residual off of the receiver contact area and the base or bases. Set aside the base and be careful not to touch the clean areas. Use a little paste wax on the tip of a toothpick to apply into the threaded areas on the receiver. Apply a very thin layer to the screw threads and to the bottom half of the screw head. Set screws on a clean shop towel -- you get the idea.

Now use JB Weld because it can be heated and removed easier should you want to remove this later on. Mix it and use just a little die if you have it to more closely match the color of the bases and receiver. After mixing on you little piece of cardboard or index card set aside for a few minutes.

Get your propane torch and heat the contact area of the receiver and the contact area of the bases just enough to bring out any moisture that may be present on the surface. When the bases and receiver have cooled back to less than 100 degrees (this will not take long because you did not heat them up that much) using the toothpick that you used to mix the JB put a small amount on the receiver mating surface and on the base mating surface. Don't worry about it oozing now carefully place the bases lining up the screw holes as closely as possible and gingerly set the base on the receiver---immediately place the screws in the holes and get all of them started a few turns.

Now that the screws are started give a turn to one and move to the next screw. Repeat process until they are all snug then tighten each one to its final tension. This is important-----DO NOT OVER TIGHTEN. We do not want all of the epoxy to be completely squeezed out.

Now leave the rifle in the vise and let sit for 5 minutes or so (I use rubber inserts so that the barrel can be clamped in) and get your capful of WD 40, cotton balls and Q-tips. First use dry q tips to remove most of the excess then take a cotton ball and dip a small portion in the WD 40 and very gingerly wipe down the areas you just removed the excess JB. You will notice that it comes of very easy but make sure not to press to hard on the edges where the base and receiver meet we don’t want to disturb that line.

Use the q tip or the tip of a toothpick with WD 40 on it to clean out any of the epoxy that migrated through the top of the screw holes an also into the openings of any of the screws.

Now look at the underside of the bases where any excess JB could have migrated into the opening of the receiver or just on top of the receiver for example. Note where a one piece base is used it likes to hide underneath. For this area use the q tip with some WD 40 applied to remove.

Now go off and have lunch about an hour and use the q tips soaked with WD 40 to smooth (gently) the lines where the base and receiver meet. If you have done everything correctly it should look like one piece of metal!!!

In 24 hours or 6 using a light to position over the bases to heat them you are ready to mount your scope.


A final note here make sure to pre fit everything because it will really suck if you find out a base screw is too long and the rifle will not operate!!! __________________

[ICANHITHIMMAN]

Did you put the action screws back in or wrap the action with surgical tubing?

[QuietShootr]

I put the screws back in but did not tension them, and did not use tubing. There's a school of thought that says just to let the action float on the tape standoffs on the barrel. I just made sure the metal in the ejection port was level with the stock cut so I knew that the action wasn't canted fore or aft.

[ICANHITHIMMAN]

Originally Posted by QuietShootr

I put the screws back in but did not tension them, and did not use tubing. There's a school of thought that says just to let the action float on the tape standoffs on the barrel. I just made sure the metal in the ejection port was level with the stock cut so I knew that the action wasn't canted fore or aft.

Ya that makes sence cant wait to hear if it helps your groups out.

[40Arpent]

Originally Posted by QuietShootr

Not pictured was the hour of cleanup afterward, with wd-40 on q-tips and rags getting all the seepage out of places it shouldn't have been.

Is there a reason for not masking the top edges of the stock where the marinetex oozed out, to simplify the clean-up?

Thanks for posting this process! DIY inspiration for sure!

[cheaptrick]

An excellent job of showing how it's done!

I also did a Remington 700 with a HS stock skim job. Didn't do anything more in the accuracy dept. but I was glad I did it for the experience.

Again, thank you and good shooting.

[bornhunter04]

This is great! Thanks for posting. Question though, some of the times i've seen this done, guys put modeling clay in the mag well. Did you get much seepage in that area or was it not an issue?

[QuietShootr]

Originally Posted by TXSUT

Is there a reason for not masking the top edges of the stock where the marinetex oozed out, to simplify the clean-up?

Thanks for posting this process! DIY inspiration for sure!

Yup...didn't think of it. It worked out okay, I got 95% of it cleaned off before it set - and once this gun shoots the way I want it to it's getting painted anyway, so it really doesn't matter.

[QuietShootr]

Originally Posted by bornhunter04

This is great! Thanks for posting. Question though, some of the times i've seen this done, guys put modeling clay in the mag well. Did you get much seepage in that area or was it not an issue?

There was quite a bit of seepage in there, but I got busy and cleaned it out before it set. I'm not sure that clay would have helped that much. I'd rather be able to see it and get it out while it's still soft.

[ICANHITHIMMAN]

Originally Posted by QuietShootr

Yup...didn't think of it. It worked out okay, I got 95% of it cleaned off before it set - and once this gun shoots the way I want it to it's getting painted anyway, so it really doesn't matter.

Oh this might be an issue, it should have been painted before you bedded it. Unless you dont intend to remove it from the stock for painting?

[bornhunter04]

Originally Posted by QuietShootr

There was quite a bit of seepage in there, but I got busy and cleaned it out before it set. I'm not sure that clay would have helped that much. I'd rather be able to see it and get it out while it's still soft.

Okay, i gotcha at least it's a none issue, then.

[tdb59]

If getting the action to release from the bedding is tough- AFTER FULL CURE- a little time in the freezer, or a little time with the metal exposed to the sun can help.

[QuietShootr]

Update:

I got it popped loose successfully - the area of greatest adhesion appeared to be the recoil lug. I got out the dremel and cleaned it up (Fun facts:1) putting the trigger back together is a pain in the ass the first time you do it. 2) if you bedded the action with the trigger removed, you will have to do some relieving with the dremel to make room for the bolt stop lever. This is a pain in the ass. 3) Cleanup and final fitting took a couple of hours.).

I also bedded the scope base as outlined above, reassembled, and torqued both front and rear to 60 in/lbs.

So, how does it shoot?

I saw an improvement. Quantifying it is tougher, but I'm seeing some tighter averages, for sure. In fact, I actually put three rounds into one oblong hole at 200 yards, then proceeded to blow the next two all over the target (i.e. 1.5" out, or whatever.) This is the case with handloads and factory FGMM rounds.

It isn't my shooting. For control purposes, I fired my friend's full custom Surgeon 6BR at the same time and printed several more dime-size groups at 200. (BTW: to the jackoff from Missouri at SH who says I can't shoot:

So. I am wondering if the new scope might be a problem, because it seems like I was getting better groups with the original NF I had on the gun. Fortunately, I still have that scope. I'm thinking the next thing to try is to mount a known good scope and see what it does.

Suggestions are welcome.

[ICANHITHIMMAN]

glad it came out well. Fuck SH a bunch of ass clowns if you want real long range advice go to LRH.com. How does your crown look?