bedding question...

[TNBillyEarl]

I picked up a carbon stock from Stocky's. Look at the recesses around the holes for the action screws. How should I go about bedding this? My initial thought is to bed just around the front recoil lug and around both recesses. If I choose to fill them in w/ compound I would need to cut pillars and drill out the holes I suppose. Does anyone have any experience or opinions they can share? Details: Tikka T3x 7mmRM in a https://www.stockysstocks.com/tikka-vg.html

Bill

 

[JD338]

I'd pillar bed the entire action. It would be solid when you torque down the action screws.

JD338

 

[Winshortmag]

Pillars are the best, however carbon stocks are very stable as far as expansion and contraction. Your initial idea of bedding around the recoil lug and just behind the recoil lug is a good place to start. You need to bed under the tang as well. What type of bedding compound are you going to use? Can you post a pic of the action?

 

[nhenry]

Those recesses are there because the action screws come through a proud part of the action. When I had a tikka I bedded the lug area and the tang and that was that. Was just as accurate as if I'd bedded the entire action. I also emphasize that you should pillar bed the action as well. Can't hurt.

 

[RL338]

I also emphasize that you should pillar bed the action as well.

This

 

[hunter24605]

Looks like there’s plenty of meat there to work with, I think I would drill it and pillar bed it.

 

[Vince]

Shoot it first and see if it needs to be bedded.
Just my $0.02 which is worth what you paid for it.

Vince

 

[nhenry]

Shoot it first and see if it needs to be bedded.
Just my $0.02 which is worth what you paid for it.

Vince

This^ isn't horrible advice either. Before I bedded my Tikka it shot pretty well. The bedding definitely helped with the occasional flyer, though.

 

[Vince]

This^ isn't horrible advice either. Before I bedded my Tikka it shot pretty well. The bedding definitely helped with the occasional flyer, though.

I had a Savage that consistently shot 0.2” three shot groups at 200 Yards with my hand loads out of the box. No way was I going to monkey around with bedding it.

Vince

 

[TNBillyEarl]

Update - Thank you for all the suggestions. I did drill and bed pillars (1st pic), before bedding the recoil lug and tang (2nd pic).

About the third pic... Prior to bedding, this T3x shot 160s and 175s lights out. Didn't matter the powder or bullet. Crazy. But of course I want to shoot 140s. All spring I have been trying 4 different powders trying to get a 140g AccuBond over 3200 ft/s and around 1" at 200. I shot well over 100 rounds at all charges and depths in my efforts and the best I could do was a bit under 1 MOA with each powder. Frustrating, aren't Tikkas supposed to be... After bedding last month I went back to my best load from the spring with H4831, RL-22, and H4350. This pic is from my 2nd confirmation effort with 65g of H4350 seated .135 off the lands. It was the only powder that improved markedly and I'm thrilled. All three groups were this tight.

I assumed incorrectly that bedding would make my rifle more accurate and improve all groups. But that so didn't happen. It has seemed to show more clearly what it likes and doesn't. Just another bit of datum for my grey cells.

Again, thanks for the encouragement. Now I have a 7 mag under 7 lbs that is more accurate than I can ever be. I might be back to a one-rifle guy.

B

 

[RL338]

Sure looks like your hard work payed off

 

[jimbires]

looks like it turned out well , and the target proves it . can't ask for much more than that .

 

[Vince]

Looks good.

 

[Darryle]

Since you are not happy with all of the results, do you think that you could have induced stress into the action?

 

[JD338]

Outstanding job, congratulations.
Just for grins, you should try one of your proven 160-175 gr loads to see what you get.

JD338

 

[TNBillyEarl]

Since you are not happy with all of the results, do you think that you could have induced stress into the action?

So this post set my mind spinning. Yesterday I pulled my rifle apart before tightening the screws ever so slowly by hand; I felt nothing touching or out of alignment. And tonight I borrowed my friend's dial indicator (what an amazing tool). I had a few thou of movement undoing the front action screw and none with the back screw. That indicator is so sensitive you could breath near the dial and it would register. My best guess as an amateur is that there isn't any stress on the action.

I also went and shot 3 of my 160g AB to see how they grouped tonight (after reading JD338's post above). They were .55MOA at 200 which is on the small end of the groups I shot when developing the 160's. Nothing to grin at, but neither should one complain. I'm not the most consistent of shooters so I really need more groups to truly confirm.

Again, this has been a learning process and I appreciate all the feedback. If anything, this keeps me from thinking, "I wonder if bedding this stock will improve my accuracy?"

B