Help - Bedding Job - is it ok

[6BRinNZ]

Just received the bedded stock and a action. For one reason and another the bedding job wasn't completed against this specific Panda F-class action but I was told it will be fine as Kelbly hold their tolerances so tight.

The action is a very snug fit into the bedding job and all of the action screws screw up fine. BUT it does look to me as though there is some pressure on the LEFT HAND EDGE of the recoil lug and I can see a faint shine in the same place on the action...am I concerned about something trivial or is there the possibility that the bedding job is putting a small amount of stress in that recoil lug area.

I have included photos of the left and right areas and indicated with arrows to show the difference between the two sides.

If it is agreed that there is too much pressure on the left side - what should I do about it?

Hopefully the photos are clear enough to show what I mean.

TIA

 

[riflewoman]

How does it shoot?

 

[6BRinNZ]

Don't know - hoping to find out if its a smart idea to bother or not. This is for a Nats level FTR rig.

 

[BigBlueandGoldie]

I'm confused, did you buy the stock/action second hand or did it come straight from Kelbly? Is it possible those spots are witness marks from removing the action from the bedding?

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Gotta bed it with the exact action. Each polisher can change those edges so tolerances are up to a guy on a buffing wheel. I dont think youll ever see it on your ftr target so go shoot it and have fun

 

[BoydAllen]

Looking at the pictures, it seems that the contact that you described is in areas that do not have to fit. You can carefully remove material so that the only part of the lug that touches is its rear surface. Contact on its bottom, front and sides is not needed and may in fact be detrimental in some situations. When betting Remingtons for instance, it is common to mask off the front sides and bottom of the lug. In the past, I have sharpened an inexpensive screw driver to make a narrow scraper so that I could create some clearance. Just be careful, and take your time.

 

[Alex Wheeler]

I have seen worse shoot very well, but Id re-bed.

 

[watercam]

I would as well. Especially for a National Match. When in doubt, shoot it. More practice is never a bad thing.

 

[6BRinNZ]

Thanks all. I covered the back of the recoil lug with a sharpie and I can see that it is ever so faintly touching there...which sounds like that is desired.
Are there risks with getting the bedding redone?
I'm asking as the general consensus is it should be fine and it could well be worth trying. So I'm trying to weigh up if getting a rebed job could introduce its own issues.

 

[Jesswil61]

If it shoots I would just leave well enough alone, if it is not shooting well then have at it! I have seen some really bad bedded rifles shoot like a house of fire, the then some of the best not so much. What ever works in my opinion.

 

[Alex Wheeler]

When it comes to competition, any doubts in your head will make their way to the target. You need 100% confidence with your equiptment. Have it redone. They are no consequences.

 

[jsthntn247]

Your spending thousands of dollars in components, time in load development, and travel. 250$ to re-bed it and not have that on your mind is a no brainer to me.

 

[6BRinNZ]

Thanks all. Zfast and jstn - your sentiment is the basis for my post but not being a gunsmith I didn't know if I should just put it out of my mind or not. Its taken approx 18months to receive the stock so I wanted to make sure I was parting with it again for a rebed on a technical rather than an ocd basis

 

[Shrek]

There's almost no such thing as ocd in competitive shooting. Rebed it or you will always wonder if that flyer was because of the bedding.

 

[6BRinNZ]

Thought I would post an update. I decided to not get the bedding redone. Went through 100 yard load dev and took it out to 1000. Mild conditions with heavy mirage - the smallest ring is the F-class x ring and the next is the 10 ring. This is shot FTR with a bipod and SEB rear bag. NZ does 10 shots for record.
Not a world class target but probably at the max of my abilities. More fine tuning to do but I think I have made the right decision to not re-bed.
Would you guys agree or would shot 10 have you worried (all else being equal).

 

[Ggmac]

Shoot it !

 

[Cold Bore]

Mild conditions with heavy mirage...but probably at the max of my abilities.

You stated that you believe the target is about the best that you, as the driver, can do.

You are still holding the 10 ring.

Would you guys agree or would shot 10 have you worried (all else being equal).

You are going to base your decision on one shot?

Did you miss a wind call?

Did the heavy mirage beat you?

Did you start to get nervous, thinking "Don't blow this!", by the last shot?

Were you fatiguing behind the gun, mentally?

You need to go shoot ten groups like this before thinking about analyzing it. If you throw a flyer every time, yeah, rebed it. If not, well..... that shot #10 is on you.

 

[6BRinNZ]

You are going to base your decision on one shot?

Did you miss a wind call?

Did the heavy mirage beat you?

Did you start to get nervous, thinking "Don't blow this!", by the last shot?

Were you fatiguing behind the gun, mentally?

You need to go shoot ten groups like this before thinking about analyzing it. If you throw a flyer every time, yeah, rebed it. If not, well..... that shot #10 is on you.

You are going to base your decision on one shot?
No its what I call a check point - am I still on track. Its easy to focus on the good bits of a group. Those that have more experience interpreting 1k groups might have different opinions to mine, especially in light of the original post.

Did you miss a wind call?
Windage is good

Did the heavy mirage beat you?
Maybe - can never entirely rule conditions out - however the mirage was very readable.

Did you start to get nervous, thinking "Don't blow this!", by the last shot?
No - its fatal to count - I had no idea of score - there are only two things in my mind - has the wind changed - execute a great shot

Were you fatiguing behind the gun, mentally?
Nah - 10 shots for record isn't a problem

A shot out of the group is a shot out of the group - I'll always ask the question (why) - interestingly if I had centered the group it would have gone over the top and dropped a point.

 

[ebb]

I was told to check bedding to clamp the rifle down and put a dial indicator on the action , then loosen the action screws one at a time. If the indicator shows the action move as one or the other screw is loosened then the bedding is not stress free. It needs to be stress free!

 

[6BRinNZ]

I was told to check bedding to clamp the rifle down and put a dial indicator on the action , then loosen the action screws one at a time. If the indicator shows the action move as one or the other screw is loosened then the bedding is not stress free. It needs to be stress free!

Good tip - thanks.