Bedded 243

Chad.

Bedding doesn't have to be pretty to work 100%. It's always nice to get a perfect job but it's not necessary. The important part is that you get the recoil lug bedded with clearance on the barrel side and relieve the corners in the lug pocket.. The bolts should not touch the pillars and if they do you can drill them a little bigger or use a small round file to relieve them.. The pillars should be cut a few thousandths long so you can't compress the stock when everything is tightened down.. I always bed the complete action but that's not necessary to get a fully functional bedding job. Always mix more mud than you think you need and use it all.. Try not to get any air pockets in the mud while putting it in place.. If you get an air bubble it won't hurt nothing,, just don't look the greatest when you have it dis-assembled.. Also alway make a few escape paths for the mixed mud to go when you set the barreled action in place. With out these passage ways it makes a hydraulic effect and sometimes fools you into thinking you have the action in the right place until you pop it out and say "ugh"

Thanks for the info guys, this was my second time bedding and first time with a factory composite (synthetic) stock. I like the stock and been thinking about using a dremmel to bring it all back down and try again. One problem I had was I had allot of voids to fill which took allot of bedding. I have nothing touching the barrel all the way back to recoil lug. I used electrical tape wrapped around the barrel near the end of the forearm to hold the barrel up and centered on the stock. Now the barrel is really floating in the stock. I tried to have an inch holding barrel by the recoil lug up but I must have needed more bedding to fill voids. The recoil lug and action are bedded just doesn't look pretty cause I had some bedding up high on the action area flake off and again didn't get enough bedding to do most of it.

So some positive though, one my first bedding job I had rough edges because I used cotton swabs with W-D40 to clean up the edges. Well it made for some weird edges and doesn't look pretty either. However the bedding is serving it's purpose and my rifle is accurate. (My McRem)

I'll probably drill out the pillars and see if they are really needed if I feel the pillars are causing accuracy issues. As of right now I need to shoot the rifle see where it will perform.

My 243 is a Remington SPS Varmint with a heavy 26" barrel and a 1-9 1/8" twist. I'm hoping for .5moa with 87 Vmax and 95 bullets and if I'm really lucky 105 Amax.

Thanks again guys for the suggestions next time I'll be sure to try them.