To Bed or Not to Bed That is the Question

[user 20307]

Was wondering about glass bedding my in-line muzzleloader. What have been your experience on this? Does it make a big difference in accuracy? Is it difficult for the do it yourselfer? Would it be advantageous to bed a wood stock vs a composite one?

 

[Confederate rifleman]

I've glass bedded several inlines, all wood stocks. Its not difficult and I did it mostly to reinforce the recoil bearing surfaces and to correct some generous in letting.
I've wondered about a full length bed as opposed to floating the barrel. Most muzzleloader barrels are light for caliber, so some support might be beneficial. The old business card for shots trick can be used to give some contact or up pressure before making things permanent.
I like Acragel myself, but there are other compounds. Follow instructions carefully and use plenty of release agent!
Also look for lock points. Holes or notches should be filled with clay or beeswax so the bedding compound doesn't lock the metal to wood.
Never tried bedding Tupperware. Heard its tough to do as plastic doesn't like having stuff stuck to it.
Good fortune to you

 

[jims]

rifleman gave good information. I have done a number of wood stocks, only one composite. On the latter I made sure the surface was roughed up and some indentation holes for a bit of a mechanical lock also. All were helpful. There are some tutorials on various gunsites that can help.
Certainly release agent or clear shoe shoe wax is needed. Masking tape in places can help in clean up etc.

 

[user 20307]

I've heard of some using JB Weld, any experience or information on this?

 

[HC]

The original JB weld works great. Don’t use the 5 minute stuff.

 

[nocomike]

I have used JB Weld on three rifles; one laminate and two synthetic. It seems to have worked nicely though I have not used any of the other products to compare. One of the members on this site tutored me through the first bedding job and it was not very difficult, with his help. Careful attention is required, as mentioned above, and the odds of a successful job will go way up.
I never did any before and after accuracy comparisons, unfortunately. One job was primarily done out of curiosity as I had always wanted to learn how this was done and the other two jobs were done to reinforce the recoil bearing surfaces (as Confederate Rifleman mentioned) on couple White rifles. The way the stock and action fit together during reassembly, once bedded, is quite remarkable. The tight tolerances and lack of any "slop" in the fit is immediately noticeable.

 

[Dougs136Schwartz]

For what it’s worth I have spent a lot of time on this subject . I am always looking for the very best accuracy I can obtain Whether it’s hunting or target shooting. I have only done work to laminate stocks . With my Knights I have guns with bedding blocks ,pillar ,bedded with JB weld and free floated . Also guns with nothing done . A Knight rifle without anything done to the stock (laminate) will almost always hit at the end of the forearm. ( barrel contact to the forearm of the stock)

What I have found . It really does not affect accuracy as much as one would think. There are 2 advantages to free floating a barrel and bedding the action. One when you free float the barrel heat does not effect accuracy as much . If your barrel is not free floated as the barrel heats up your point of impact will change.

Second if your action has a bedding job ( I use JB weld to bed) you can take your barrel in and out of the stock with very little impact change.

Other than those 2 things my accuracy is the same . I can take a stock gun with a laminate stock and shoot just as good as a gun that has been bedded and floated as long as I take my time and not allow the barrel to get excessively hot .

The only thing I have not tried is a complete bed job. Bed the entire barrel channel. Sometimes I wonder with these lighter barrel profiles if that would help accuracy but then again I am afraid heat would Cause havoc .

 

[LarryBud]

My experience is very similar to this Doug136schwartz ). I can verify the AccuGlass will work fine in the synthetic stocks ( TC & Knights in my experience ). I think the greatest benefit is being able to break it completely apart for cleaning and know that it will go back exactly as before.

I am a free floater BTW.

 

[user 20307]

Thanks for all the info. My stock is an original wood stock off a disc extreme which I have modified a bit to fit on my knight disc elite. So it's not a great fit at the moment. Would like a more solid fit.
How is the ramrod bedded?

 

[tpcollins]

I’ve got a bedding tutorial buried somewhere in my laptop files and added 2 pillars in the stock on my MK85. I added a second mounting hole under the rear tang and went thru the back trigger screw to secure it.

The barrel free floats in front of the front mounting lug. I have numerous pics but struggle to upload them on here.

However, I bought a new TC Triumph that same year and never hunted with it.

 

[Dougs136Schwartz]

I have done my ram rod channel a couple of different ways . One way is to fill the channel with clay . Then I will pull the barrel and action out of the stock before my JB weld is completely cured . This allows me to cut the ramrod channel back out with a utility knife. Then I scrape the clay back out and possibly do a little sanding by hand .

The second way I learned from Bestill . I lay a arrow ( I can not remember the size) in the ramrod channel and bed over top . That works well but you have to have the correct size . Also have the arrow just as long as your bedding. If it’s to long you will have trouble with the arrow making contact with the bottom of your barrel .

I have thought a lot about putting a 2nd retaining screw . Much like tpcollins did through the rear trigger guard. I am just not sure I would gain anything . Knight kind of tried this with LRH . With only one retaining screw torquing the retaining screw is not as critical .

This is just my experience I’m positive others will be different .

 

[dbowling]

arrow size I believe was either 2419 or 2512, could be wrong but that's what I remember.

 

[user 20307]

Did you glue the arrow shaft to the lug before bedding? Or bed it all together? Seems like it would be tough to bed it all together.

 

[LarryBud]

I would fill the ramrod channel with clay, bed it and then dremel it out once cured. Pretty simple and effective.

 

[Dougs136Schwartz]

Larry That is also how I normally bed .

With a arrow I just lay the piece of arrow in the barrel channel and bed over the arrow.

 

[tpcollins]

I found the link that I followed when I bedded (actually it was more of a free-floating process) that I did on my MK85 awhile back as shown in my post 10. I did not use the same epoxy that the author used but just some black Devcon 2 part.

The pillars haven’t budged.

https://www.6mmbr.com/pillarbedding.html