- Oct 30, 2004
- 24,502
- 3,693
Did you pull it apart yet?
I really need some help deciding on this...
- Thread starter Ridgerunner665
- Start date
Oldtrader3
Ammo Smith
- Nov 6, 2009
- 8,406
- 7
MidwayUSA has Custom Bedding Stud Assemblies for the Model 70 (part number 914553). They look as though they would work, at least on a rifle which has not been pillar bedded yet
- Thread starter
- #43
Ridgerunner665
Handloader
- Oct 28, 2008
- 2,516
- 300
A huge sigh of relief....
I popped it out...it took several whacks...but it came out.
I'm very happy with the result, much better than I expected for my first try to be honest...its looks great inside, very smooth with only 2 very small air pockets, I don't think those 2 little pockets will cause any problems...and some minor chipping at the front of the recoil lug (didn't get the tape to match perfectly...couldn't find anything exactly the same diameter as the barrel to make the cutout on the tape with)
I'll get it trimmed up, cleaned up and reassembled tomorrow...I'll try to post some better pics too, I took some after I popped it out but for some reason my phone wanted to take blurry pics....here is the best pic I could get for now...and that area across from the bolt slot is modeling clay stuck to it (also a little around the bolt slot too), not gaps in the bedding, that area will have to cleaned out anyway to allow clearance for the bolt release.
I popped it out...it took several whacks...but it came out.
I'm very happy with the result, much better than I expected for my first try to be honest...its looks great inside, very smooth with only 2 very small air pockets, I don't think those 2 little pockets will cause any problems...and some minor chipping at the front of the recoil lug (didn't get the tape to match perfectly...couldn't find anything exactly the same diameter as the barrel to make the cutout on the tape with)
I'll get it trimmed up, cleaned up and reassembled tomorrow...I'll try to post some better pics too, I took some after I popped it out but for some reason my phone wanted to take blurry pics....here is the best pic I could get for now...and that area across from the bolt slot is modeling clay stuck to it (also a little around the bolt slot too), not gaps in the bedding, that area will have to cleaned out anyway to allow clearance for the bolt release.
- Oct 30, 2004
- 24,502
- 3,693
Looks good man..... Good job!
- Thread starter
- #45
Ridgerunner665
Handloader
- Oct 28, 2008
- 2,516
- 300
FOTIS":1oibtkmp said:
Thanks!
I'm glad its over :lol:
That said, I did learn a few things...and I'm gonna do my wifes Rem 700 (270) sometime...probably next year.
- Thread starter
- #46
Ridgerunner665
Handloader
- Oct 28, 2008
- 2,516
- 300
Oldtrader3":1b2ygvgv said:
I didn't find those when I was looking...they do look like they'd work...wouldn't have helped me, but thanks for pointing them out, for future reference.
Oldtrader3
Ammo Smith
- Nov 6, 2009
- 8,406
- 7
Should be good to go. Trim and free areas with a knife to smooth it up and it will look nice.
- Thread starter
- #48
Ridgerunner665
Handloader
- Oct 28, 2008
- 2,516
- 300
I got it all put back together today...ready for the range tomorrow to see what I accomplished.
DrMike
Ballistician
- Nov 8, 2006
- 37,590
- 6,760
What? No pictures of the work as it progressed? No pictures of the finished product? You built us up, and now you're letting us down. :grin:
- Thread starter
- #50
Ridgerunner665
Handloader
- Oct 28, 2008
- 2,516
- 300
I'll post some later of the finished product...didn't have time to take any today...took most of the day to
to get it trimmed up, bottom metal fitted, scope remounted and leveled, ammo loaded and ready for tomorrow.
to get it trimmed up, bottom metal fitted, scope remounted and leveled, ammo loaded and ready for tomorrow.
- Thread starter
- #51
Ridgerunner665
Handloader
- Oct 28, 2008
- 2,516
- 300
Sorry for the delay...been busy getting this thing sorted out...here is the bedding.
Far from perfect, but it seems to be working though...this rifle will now shoot any ammo you feed it into lil tiny groups...and to the same point of aim, regardless of bullet weight.
I've shot reloads with 150 SST's, 165 AB's, 168 BT's, and 175 Berger VLD's...every single load hit 2.75" high at 100 yards (sighted in for 250)...I fired a 5 round group that measured barely 1 MOA, using 5 different bullets (one of each from above and 1 Remington factory 180 grain CoreLokt load).
My 168 grain BT load shoots .3"
The 150 SST's shoot .7"
The 165 AB's shoot .5"
The 175 Bergers shoot .3"
Factory ammo...
Winchester cheap stuff...165 grain shoots .7"
Remington cheap stuff...180n grain shoots .5"
Winchester PowerMax Bonded 180 grain shoots .4" (this is really good factory ammo, also shot well in this rifle before bedding)
Like I said...after bedding, it'll shoot anything you feed it...before bedding, it shot pretty bad with most factory ammo, and pretty good with some reloads...now it just plain shoots!
I went to the range I joined yesterday...and was making 600 yard head shots (steel heads, steel silhouettes shaped like an upper torso) even with that cheap factory ammo.
I was too busy shooting to take any pics...but I am a happy camper!
I'll try to take a nice pic of the finished rifle tomorrow :grin:
Far from perfect, but it seems to be working though...this rifle will now shoot any ammo you feed it into lil tiny groups...and to the same point of aim, regardless of bullet weight.
I've shot reloads with 150 SST's, 165 AB's, 168 BT's, and 175 Berger VLD's...every single load hit 2.75" high at 100 yards (sighted in for 250)...I fired a 5 round group that measured barely 1 MOA, using 5 different bullets (one of each from above and 1 Remington factory 180 grain CoreLokt load).
My 168 grain BT load shoots .3"
The 150 SST's shoot .7"
The 165 AB's shoot .5"
The 175 Bergers shoot .3"
Factory ammo...
Winchester cheap stuff...165 grain shoots .7"
Remington cheap stuff...180n grain shoots .5"
Winchester PowerMax Bonded 180 grain shoots .4" (this is really good factory ammo, also shot well in this rifle before bedding)
Like I said...after bedding, it'll shoot anything you feed it...before bedding, it shot pretty bad with most factory ammo, and pretty good with some reloads...now it just plain shoots!
I went to the range I joined yesterday...and was making 600 yard head shots (steel heads, steel silhouettes shaped like an upper torso) even with that cheap factory ammo.
I was too busy shooting to take any pics...but I am a happy camper!
I'll try to take a nice pic of the finished rifle tomorrow :grin:
- Thread starter
- #53
Ridgerunner665
Handloader
- Oct 28, 2008
- 2,516
- 300
OH...and I cut the bedding under the chamber back to 1"...thats all the straight taper the barrel has.
- Thread starter
- #54
Ridgerunner665
Handloader
- Oct 28, 2008
- 2,516
- 300
Nope...didn't glue it in...but it did kinda have me worried when I first tried to remove it...it took quite a beating to get it out of there.
DrMike
Ballistician
- Nov 8, 2006
- 37,590
- 6,760
It sounds about perfect. Good job, man.
Oldtrader3
Ammo Smith
- Nov 6, 2009
- 8,406
- 7
The fiberglass shrinks a little more over 24 hours and mkes it easier to get it out. The way it shoots is the bottom line.
6mm Remington
Ammo Smith
- Feb 27, 2006
- 5,280
- 719
I would say you must have done a few things right! Nice job on doing that. You should feel good about that!!
David
David
- Thread starter
- #58
Ridgerunner665
Handloader
- Oct 28, 2008
- 2,516
- 300
Thanks guys...I'm still just glad its done...I was so worried I'd screw it up!
I never figured on the McMillan needing so much work to get ready for bedding...I really like the stock but was a bit disappointed with the inletting. I had to do a lot of trimming to get the action down to the rear pillar, worried the whole time that the pillar would end up being too short...and it was, but only VERY, VERY slightly...Its darn near perfectly level in the stock, the bubble in the level is between the lines, just not exactly centered...its just a smidge low in the rear.
I also had to refit the bottom metal to get the floor plate out of a bind so it opens and closes right...I chose to grind on the bottom metal instead of the stock...wasn't sure which one was "out of whack", but considering the bottom metal appears to be an aluminum stamping and is much cheaper to replace...I blamed it.
I realize its probably impossible to inlet a stock to fit exactly right without using the actual rifle...but I never expected to have to do all that fitting...not that I mind, just didn't see it coming.
I've seen many people say McMillans come "ready to bed"...but this one would have been a train wreck if I had bedded it without doing all the fitting. It would have been off center and off the rear pillar...
The other folks who said "the end result in a bedding job depends on the prep work"...those guys saved me! I spent 2 whole days carefully measuring, dremeling, sanding, and checking the fit (center, cant, and level)...
EDIT: Getting the action down onto the rear pillar is why the tang area looks way it does in the pic...the action isn't sitting low in the stock, but I had to sand a lot there so there is some "extra" room there.
Ain't real pretty...but it shoots!!!...and I can live with that.
I never figured on the McMillan needing so much work to get ready for bedding...I really like the stock but was a bit disappointed with the inletting. I had to do a lot of trimming to get the action down to the rear pillar, worried the whole time that the pillar would end up being too short...and it was, but only VERY, VERY slightly...Its darn near perfectly level in the stock, the bubble in the level is between the lines, just not exactly centered...its just a smidge low in the rear.
I also had to refit the bottom metal to get the floor plate out of a bind so it opens and closes right...I chose to grind on the bottom metal instead of the stock...wasn't sure which one was "out of whack", but considering the bottom metal appears to be an aluminum stamping and is much cheaper to replace...I blamed it.
I realize its probably impossible to inlet a stock to fit exactly right without using the actual rifle...but I never expected to have to do all that fitting...not that I mind, just didn't see it coming.
I've seen many people say McMillans come "ready to bed"...but this one would have been a train wreck if I had bedded it without doing all the fitting. It would have been off center and off the rear pillar...
The other folks who said "the end result in a bedding job depends on the prep work"...those guys saved me! I spent 2 whole days carefully measuring, dremeling, sanding, and checking the fit (center, cant, and level)...
EDIT: Getting the action down onto the rear pillar is why the tang area looks way it does in the pic...the action isn't sitting low in the stock, but I had to sand a lot there so there is some "extra" room there.
Ain't real pretty...but it shoots!!!...and I can live with that.
Oldtrader3
Ammo Smith
- Nov 6, 2009
- 8,406
- 7
It is never easy to do a full inletting job on a stock. Sometimes you can get by with just a recoil lug bedding job but a full bedding job is always tricky and a lot of work. Yours came out pretty well for a first try and everybody has and uses their own tricks for doing the preparation. Congratulations.
