Bedding question on new M70 Featherweight

[tominboise]

I recently purchased a new Win M70 featherweight, 6.5 Swede.  I havent' shot it yet.  While looking it over, I discover that the barrel is free floated, except for one side of the channel, for about an inch, at the front end.  It is like the stock has a very slight warp sideways in it.  Anyway, I am worried that the rifle will string diagonally as the barrel heats and reacts against the force of the stock in that area.  I put a temporary .020" shim under the receiver behind the recoil lug, and now have a completely free-floated barrel (.010" shim wouldn't lift it clear).

The rifle is bedded (by Winchester) with a squirt of "hot glue" around the lug.  SHould I scrape the barrel channel out in the offending area, or should I scrape out all the hot glue and rebed, or should I just leave the shim in place?

[gunnut69]

I find the 'hot melt' bedding compound always gives problems..  I would rebed.  That said, you may want to clearance the barrel also..  I would remove the hot melt crappp and set the action up the be stress free then glassbed..  The set up process should include free floating the barrel or at least ensuring the barrel doesn't touch the wood anywhere except for the first couple of inches in front of the receiver ring...  then do the load developement...  Good luck with a fine rifle and a great caliber..

[BruceP]

When I got my featherweight with the McMillian fiberglass stock back in the 80's I had it rebedded and floated the barrel but it did not like to be free floated so I had to bed a presure point at the front of the stock. Also I dont know if this was just a problem with my gun or all the fiberglass stocks or what but the front action screw was to long and it protruded into the recess for the bolt lug. This allowed the screw to slightly touch the bolt lug and opened up groups. Once I found this and cut the screw down about two threads the gun shot better.
BruceP

[Mikey]

tominboise:  I would scrape all that stuff out of the stock, make certain nothing is impacting on the barrel at any spot, and bed the entire action to no farther down the barrel channel than the end of the chamber.  That should hold that Winnie nice and stable in the stock.

Please understand that with a lightweight rifle, which means the barrel is probably pretty whippy, that you will have to give the barrel a chance to cool off and rest between sighting shots to get representative groups.  rifle makers of those lightweight field pieces are fond of saying you only need a two shot groups to sight them in because if you need the third shot the animal is already gone.  What that means is that the lightweight barrels are good for 2 quick shots and then lose their group.  The way to maximize that shortcoming is to bed the action for maximum stability and accuracy.

Hope this helps.  Mikey.

[tominboise]

By bedding the entire action, I presume you mean along the receiver sides, and not just at the recoil lug and rear tang?  Advantages?  I have just finished up scraping the hot melt out, and am prepping for the bedding (clay in the mag well area, etc.).  I can't believe USRAC would send out something so poorly bedded.

Tom

[gunnut69]

On a rifle such as this I would only bed the flat behind the recoil lug and forward about 2-3 inches..  The action screws I prefer to pillar bed.  While pillars won't make the gun shoot smaller groups as a rule it does make things stay put a bit longer..  Bed the action first with the barrel free and try it..  If the groups don't measure up, you can always try a pressure point..  Pressure points on the barrel will make the rifle a bit more sensitive to moisture and/or pressure from the shooter on the forearm.  I really prefer a free floated barrel on a hunting rifle, helps the rifle's zero stay put...  Remember, when bedding a rifle there should be no stress on the action when the screws are tightened!!

[tominboise]

Has anyone used JB weld as a bedding compound?  Devcon Plastic steel epoxy?  Marintex?

Tom

[gunnut69]

Don't know about the Devcon but have used all the rest..  Most get too hard for my taste..  I use Acraglass gel, the original is used only to put a skim coat on sometimes.  The gel stays put and I sometimes use a bit of powdered aluminum but can't really say if it helps as I've not had any fail..  Good luck from the gunnut69

[tominboise]

Thanks for the info, it seems like the JB weld is pretty good stuff.  I am going to rebed the rifle tonight, using JB and wax as a release agent.  Sometime when I am less embarassed, remind me to tell you a funny story about bedding a rifle and making sure that the compound doesn't flow up through the front guard screw hole and into the action and back down the feed ramp....... :grin:

[gunnut69]

I'm sure anyone who's done a little bedding has horror stories!!  Good luck from the gunnut69

[THE MAJOR]

I've presently got a Model 70,Featherweight 6.5x5, and in the past have had the Featherweights in .257, 270 and 30/06.  My first was the .257. It would shoot 100 gr Hornadys in 1" @100 from the factory.  I thought It could do better with a free floated barrel, so did it.  Long story short, it went to 2". The .270, 30-06 and 6.5x55 I left alone, they have an upward pressure on the front of the stock against the barrel, and I leave em that way.  My 6.5x55 will shoot Hornady 140 grains into 3/4" at 100yds, plenty good enough for me!!  Shoot your rifle first before you change the bedding, you might like what you see!!