Barrel bedding shift?

[30xs]

I have a Stevens 223 that shot really well in the plastic stock that it originally came in, 1/4" at 100. It shot great so I ordered a Boyds' ross thumbhole stock for it. Finished the stock out and bedded the action area with Devcon and 1/2" pillars. Tried some 65 grain bullets and the results were lacking. Shot some of the 55's and it seemed inconsistant. That was a couple of months ago. Went to the range last week and the thing was shooting a pattern, not a group, about 1 1/2-2". Checked that the screws were tight everywhere nothing. I brought it home and was checking the action for movement and found the front of the action would lift when I loosened the screw, not good. I did rebed the action and tested it at the range the other day, and it would print the shots touching, it might have done better but I was cold and was just trying to see if rebedding took care of the problem, which it did seem to do. My question is what would cause the bedding to shift? Like I said two months ago it was about 1/4-1/2" then something changed. I bedded the action using black tape as my clamping devise to avoid stressing the action, I dunno?

 

[katokoch]

This may sound like way too simple of a question to find the solution, but when you loosened the front screw and were able to lift the front of the action, were the other screws tight too?

 

[30xs]

Yes, the other screws were tight. The bedding stops at the rear pillar and the tang is free floating. I was just curious as to what would cause a shift? It shot good after the descent after the first bedding job, then poorly a couple months later. The new bedding is shooting 1/2" or less now, just wondering if it could shift again. The stock is laminated wood, which should be stable, dunno

 

[katokoch]

What did you use as a release agent?

 

[30xs]

I used the release agent that comes with acra-glas, both times.

 

[Travelor]

Did you bed the tang portion of the action?

If so, this is your problem. Savages DO NOT LIKE to have the action tangs bedded. Relieve this portion of your bedding job and every thing should be OK.

George

 

[30xs]

The tang is/was free floated in both bedding jobs. I was just curious as to whether there may have been a moisture content issue with the stock, but a laminate shouldn't be able to retain moisture during the manufacturing process, should it?