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Old July 11, 2016, 09:13 PM   #1
TreestandHermit
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Receiver or stock shift after glass bedding?

Hey looking for some feedback as to what might have happened. I have a Marlin XL7 .270. A few months ago I bought a Boyd's thumbole laminated hardwood stock. I installed the stock, and glass bedded it to the receiver. The original synthetic stock had a contact pad built into it that contacted the barrel just shy of the end of the stock, so I attempted to duplicate this feature by bedding a small patch of glass in the same general location on the new wood stock. When completed, the bedding job looked good and everything fit well. Into the gun cabinet it went.

A few months later, I pulled the gun back out. The small contact patch at the end of the stock is no longer making contact with the barrel, something moved. The only thing I changed after bedding the stock to the receiver was the scope mount. I changed from the one piece mount that comes with the rifle to a two piece Leupold mount and rings.

Did taking the one piece mount off allow the receiver to "relax" and change the fit to the stock? Is that possible? Or did the stock somehow change shape while in storage? I keep it stored in a temperature and humidity controlled environment, neither of which is supposed to affect the laminated stocks ayway.

Any ideas? This was my first such project. Not sure what happened.
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Old July 11, 2016, 09:45 PM   #2
FrankenMauser
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Perhaps the epoxy in the laminate stock is still curing (and shrinking)?
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Old July 11, 2016, 09:46 PM   #3
Snyper
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See if tightening/retorquing the action screws won't solve the "problem"

Most rifles tend to shoot better with the barrels floated anyway
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Old July 12, 2016, 07:39 AM   #4
Mobuck
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"The small contact patch at the end of the stock is no longer making contact with the barrel, something moved. "

Even though laminated stocks are less prone to wandering than solid wood, they are not immune. The only way to ensure the forend doesn't wander is to bed a steel bar in the forend. This why many stocks are "free floated". Zero contact with the barrel answers the problem of inconsistent contact.
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Old July 12, 2016, 09:06 AM   #5
243winxb
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The pad needed 9 lbs up pressure on the barrel when installed. It wood is not sealed, it moves. I would free float all of the barrel fron lug to muzzle end.
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Old July 12, 2016, 10:09 AM   #6
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What bedding did you use? What toque setting on the action screws? Is the barrel free floating except for the forward pressure point at the end of the stock? I've bedded with Devcon liquid steel, once it cured & torqued the action screws it stayed rock solid. Have you bedded other actions or is this the first. Hopefully you didn't set the action screws back to the proper setting. Have you fired the rifle since you bedded it.
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Old July 12, 2016, 12:45 PM   #7
TreestandHermit
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I used Miles Gilbert Bedrock Bedding Kit.
I torqued the action screws by hand.
The barrel is free floated except for the forward pressure point.
This was my first try at this. When I reassembled the rifle everything fit as planned.
I have not fired the rifle since bedding it.
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Old July 12, 2016, 03:56 PM   #8
cw308
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Sounds like the action screws just loosened up. Check into the Wheeler torque wrench , if I'm not mistaken 45" lbs on laminated stocks & 65" on fiberglass stocks, with a little blue on the action screws an your good to go. Better then tightening by feel. I also remember reading about using leather under the front portion as a pressure point for barrel heavy rifles, never tried it though. Glad your bedding worked out. My first one, worried it would be my luck it would stay glued forever, also worked out fine. Good luck with your rifle. Be Safe out there.
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Old July 12, 2016, 04:39 PM   #9
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Wood is an organic living breathing material. As temperature, humidity and altitude change wood will expand and contract. It always has and always will. Glass bedding, pillars, etc. will help reduce the effects, but there is no way to stop it.
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Old July 12, 2016, 06:02 PM   #10
Snyper
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Quote:
I also remember reading about using leather under the front portion as a pressure point for barrel heavy rifles, never tried it though.
I certainly wouldn't want leather in constant contact with metal.
It will hold moisture and the salts used in tanning are corrosive.
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Old July 12, 2016, 06:50 PM   #11
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Snyper, l believe it was a small piece of leather 1/2" square placed under barrel 1" back from the end of the stock, to remove vibration & stress on long heavy barrels. Never tried it but like I said, read an article on leather bedding.
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Old July 12, 2016, 08:43 PM   #12
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"chrome tanned" leather if full of corrosive salts
I made a knife sheath from a chunk of random leather(not vegetable tanned) which rusted the knife blade beyond use in about 3 months.
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Old July 13, 2016, 12:31 AM   #13
FrankenMauser
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Shoot it.

Then decide whether or not the (potential) stock shift is an issue.

I have several Marlin XL7s, an XS7, and sold another XL7.
Some do better free-floated. Some don't. (Each rifle is an island unto itself - Marlin X7, or not.)

You just have to test to find out.
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Old July 14, 2016, 05:02 AM   #14
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Either the wood changed with moisture, or you didn't relieve the bedding under and forward of the recoil plate.

You're supposed to use two to three layers of masking tape under the plate and at least two layers on the muzzle side of it. Then, be sure to get all the tape out of the groove. If you didn't do this, you may have caused either bedding or tape to get under the recoil plate after re-assembly, causing the barrel to be higher than it should be.

BTW: I find that free-floated barrels usually shoot more consistently than those bedded in a wood stock and having a pressure pad. Wood changes with humidity, even if you can't see the change. Bedded barrel vibrations can be altered with sling pressure, or front rest differences as well.

Whatever you find, please let us know.

Last edited by Picher; July 14, 2016 at 09:07 PM.
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Old July 14, 2016, 08:01 AM   #15
Sure Shot Mc Gee
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Shoot the rifle and see if its groupings improved or not? or consider calling Boyd's first and pose such questions to them. Humidity plays a role so does the moisture content left in the wood at the time of its removal from its drying klin. Honestly. Lots of different things could cause such wood behavior even a miss step of measurement in the mixing of the bedding compounds. Link. Is my choice of product and /or professional help for such bedding process's. (Although you always have that option of bedding removal i.e. >try again)

http://www.scorehi.com/
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