Maybe a stupid bedding question, but......

[jspartin]

I've spent plenty of time reading up on all of the little tricks you guys are doing to get more out of these handi rifles. One that I paid particular attention too was the bedding of the forend. I am new to tricking out my guns. Never really shot anything more powerful than my Marlin 882SS .22 mag. But now, being the happy owner of a new .223 bull barrel, I'm interest is peaked in what I might be able to do to get more out of the gun once it is broke in and I get a chance to test it with some good ammo. So, my question about bedding is this: (I know this might sound stupid, but bear with me) could a person use poster putty instead of RTV to float the forend? Poster putty comes in sticks and can be kneaded into any shape and practically any thickness yet it has a light tack and wouldn't stick permanently to any part of the gun. But it has enough tack that it would stay in place under very light pressure. The main reason I'm curious about it is because it is something that could be applied in the field. No drying time required. It is already the consistency of dried RTV. Plus it could be moved, added to, subtracted from or completely removed in a matter of seconds once the forend was taken off.


Just curious if you guys think it would work or not. Thanks for any input.


Shawn

[gcrank1]

It will spread out from the forearm pressure and recoil impulse, Im afraid. Any substance that wont set up wont remain consistent. You would do well to use thin cardstock (paper matchbook covers always worked well) to stick in the bottom of the forearm. You can experiment with any position by 1" increments and vary the forearm screw tension to your hearts content. It could take years and hundreds, if not thousands of rounds to define the best spot and tension.
Have fun!

[bilmac]

If I know what poster putty is it would never set up. Like the Crank says, it will keep flattening over time until it is worthless.

[8uck5nort]

The bedding compound must cure and be as hard, preferrably much harder, than the surrounding material your stock is made from. There are some epoxy putties that can do what  you are talking about that sets up rock hard. However getting them to anchor in the material will have to taken into consideration, but is do-able. I use epoxy puttys as fillers if there is a large void to fill and coat them in a more liquid like epoxy (JB Weld) to get it to flow into the anchor holes or bond well with a roughed/prepped  surface.

[jspartin]

Thanks guys. I see what you're saying now. The fact that it would stay soft would change the tension between the barrel and the forend constantly so there would not be any consistency. Makes sense. Like I said earlier, I'm new to a lot of these tricks and I just like to have a firm understanding of the how and why things work. So asking the odd question every now and then helps me to understand that just a little better.


Thanks again.


Shawn

[gcrank1]

Yer gonna do real well here!

[jspartin]

Thanks, gcrank1! I've literally searched through dozens of forums doing research on different calibers and makes and models. This is by far the most informative and friendly site that I have come across yet. So much information on here that it's almost easy to get lost in it all. But, being the type that loves to take things apart to see what makes them tick, this forum is a Godsend!


Shawn

[Spanky]

No such thing as a stupid question here Shawn.   That's one of the best things about GBO... no matter the question someone here WILL be able to give you an answer.
As for your 223... they're generally pretty good shooters right out of the box so don't be surprised if you don't have to do anything to it. I've had a pile of 223 Handi's and they've all been good shooters. My last 223 was super accurate even with junky surplus ammo. If you plan on reloading and deer hunting with it I'd suggest 60gr. Nosler Partitions. I've killed quite a few deer with a 223 and other 22 centerfires. With proper bullets and shot placement 22's are VERY capable of taking medium sized game.
Good luck with your new baby and let us know how it shoots.
 
 
 
Spanky

[jspartin]

Thanks Spanky! Won't be doing any type of hunting with it unless a yote or groundhog comes on the property. I live in NW Ohio, no rifles allowed during deer season. I'm heading out here in a few to try to find some decent ammo. I picked up a few boxes at Wally World the day I got the gun, TulAmmo. Shoots fine at 20 yds, can't hit the paper at 50yds with it though. Got some of the JB polishing compound on its way, going to polish the barrel good and try to zero the scope again later this week with some better ammo. I'll use the steel case TulAmmo to blow up some milk jugs at close range once I've got it sighted in. I've got the Ultramax with the 60gr Nosler partitions on my list of ammo that I want to try. Along with the Winchester 45gr, American Eagle 50gr, and Remington UMC 45 gr. Figured at least after all of these, I'll have some brass for when I want to get into reloading! Never hand loaded anything but some 12 gauge when I was a kid (almost 30 years ago), so I will need to get my hands on some books and start reading up on it.

[gcrank1]

Win White Box has worked well for many of the chaps.

[Slowhanddd]

Welcome to the madness.If questions were dumb,most of us on here wouldn't be any more.LOL.Winny white box shoot great for me too.Dave

[jspartin]

Having trouble finding the WWBs around here. Even the gun shop I went to today didn't have them. Only found one 40 rnd box of Winchester Varmints in 45 gr, but they wanted almost $40. Found some American Eagles FMJ 55 gr , Remington JHP 45gr, and Ultramax HP 52gr. Figure I'll give these a try once I lap the barrel. I'll keep my eyes out for the WWBs.