Can I bed my own rifle?

[Dirty Dan Dawkins]

Got a High Wall in 45-70. I read a little on this bedding thing. What will it do for me and how would I go about doing it? I have an Uberti if it makes a difference. No, this doesn't mean it's open season on me for not getting a custom made High Wall. I like it, shot a pards quite a bit before buying and mine suits me just fine. 

[Delmonico]

As I've said before any "putting down" of anyone because they didn't buy a "custom" rifle will be deleted with out warning or explination.

As for bedding, yes, bedding works as good one a 2 piece stocked gun as it does a bolt gun.  As of now I have done a Pedersoli Sharps, a Savage 99 and a original Low-Wall with a Springfield Armoury barrel in 22 Hornet.  They all shot better by far than before this was done.   Have you ever bedded any rifle?  I will be glad to add some pointers if needed.

[Dirty Dan Dawkins]

Del, I was just pokin at some of the fellers. I didn't mean a thing  and don't take it seriously.
Never bedded one before. I seen it a few times here and there and maybe I haven't crossed the right thread. Not too sure as to what it is by definition. Let me guess, does it stabilize the barrell? Might need to do it on my ought-six ( Winchester model 670- a 70 action).

[Advertising]

[Delmonico]

I thought you were pokin' fun but with some problems on this forum in the past I wanted it to be made clear, again.

What bedding does and bedding is not something new, is to make the barrel vibrate evenly each and every time, when the muzzle has the same vibration pattern each time the bullet tends to go closer to the same place.  Before our modern easy cheat stuff, barrels were bedded evenly by blacking the metat and fining out where it was loose and where it rubbed.  The wood was then scraped on the high spots till it touched the barrel evenly.  There are several ways to bed a barrel, one is to bed the wood to fully touch, this seems to work best with 2 piece stocks.  Also 2 piece stocks tend to shoot better if the wood to reciver fit has been relived to not really touch enough to put on pressure.

Often bolt guns have the reciver and amybe 2-3 inches of the barrel bedded and the rest of the barrel allowed to float, this most often works best.  Sometimes a littel up pressure at the end of the foreare works best and once in a while a full barrel bed works best.  You bolt gun might be a good place to start, get a bedding kit and read the instrutions well and hollor when you have questions. 

[MLR]

Does bedding on a halfstock rifle really help accuracy? I can understand how it helps
accuracy in a fullstock rifle but on the halfstock im a bit confused. Shiloh offers forearm
bedding of their rifles but its only to protect the rifle from moisture they say.
It does seem that bedding would strengthen the rifle a bit.
Also go to Brownells they have kits for bedding rifles.

   Michael

[Delmonico]

A proper barrel to wood fit will help any rifle no mater how many pieces the stock is made of.  With a 2 piece it is important to make sure the forend puts no pressure on the reciver. 

Most of the problem comes from the fact that the news stand gun rags seldom if ever run a story on how it helps like they do bolt guns. 

As I meantioned already it has helped all three of mine that I have did, my 94 Big Bore in 375 is the next project and will be a bit more complicated since it also involves a tube mag and barrel bands.  Had the chance several years ago to work with a 94 in 30-30 a late friend had gave the treatment to, stock bedding and refitting the barrel bands, it shot far better than one would expect one to shoot.

[Will Blastem]

A proper barrel to wood fit will help any rifle no mater how many pieces the stock is made of.  With a 2 piece it is important to make sure the forend puts no pressure on the reciver. 

Most of the problem comes from the fact that the news stand gun rags seldom if ever run a story on how it helps like they do bolt guns. 

As I meantioned already it has helped all three of mine that I have did, my 94 Big Bore in 375 is the next project and will be a bit more complicated since it also involves a tube mag and barrel bands.  Had the chance several years ago to work with a 94 in 30-30 a late friend had gave the treatment to, stock bedding and refitting the barrel bands, it shot far better than one would expect one to shoot.

Delmonico...I'm hooked. I have a Ruger 10/22 I'd like to use to learn to "bed"...What do you recommend to help me get started?
Thanks in advance,

[Delmonico]

Will, have you bedded any rifle before? 

[Will Blastem]

Will, have you bedded any rifle before? 

No, but I do a lot of work with composites( galss, carbon fiber, kevlar, etc.) building giant scale Rc aircraft. I'm pretty handy( build golf clubs, fishing rods & lures,woodworking) and a fast learner

[Delmonico]

Buy a bedding kit and read the instrutions, if yer local gun shop don't have on Brownells will, let me look at a picture of a tear down of one and hollare when yer ready.

[Will Blastem]

Buy a bedding kit and read the instrutions, if yer local gun shop don't have on Brownells will, let me look at a picture of a tear down of one and hollare when yer ready.

Thanks, Delmonico...I started to order a bedding kit but I noticed, from the ingredients that I have everything in the kit already in my shop...resin, microbaloons, dye, mixing sticks and containers and I even have modeling clay in case a dam is necessary...Is there a good set of instructions that you might recommend(which I DON"T have ) that I can download form the web?

[Delmonico]

Thanks, Delmonico...I started to order a bedding kit but I noticed, from the ingredients that I have everything in the kit already in my shop...resin, microbaloons, dye, mixing sticks and containers and I even have modeling clay in case a dam is necessary...Is there a good set of instructions that you might recommend(which I DON"T have ) that I can download form the web?

I'll do some searching later, do you have a good release agent?  You'll need that of course to get it back out, unless you want to take a page from some of the Bench Rest guys and glue er in permanant.

[Will Blastem]

I'll do some searching later, do you have a good release agent?  You'll need that of course to get it back out, unless you want to take a page from some of the Bench Rest guys and glue er in permanant.

Yes, I have several types of release agents.