Bedding a Sako 85 Action in a Wood Stock

[South Pender]

Has anyone here bedded a Sako 85 action in a wood stock? The reason I ask is that, with the 85's strange recoil lug arrangement (a metal plate that lies flat in the stock), I don't see how the usual pillar- or glass-bedding techniques could be applied. It would be easy to install a pillar at the rear screw location, but what treatment would you apply with the front action screw?

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Maybe you could post a pic. If its like i remember just glue the recoil lug to the action and make the front pillar come almost all the way to the action

 

[South Pender]

Maybe you could post a pic. If its like i remember just glue the recoil lug to the action and make the front pillar come almost all the way to the action

Dusty, here are a couple of pics I found:

It's the one on the left that is used in the Sako 85. You can see that it has a vertical piece on the bottom that drops into a slot cut into the stock just behind the two Philips-head screws. The receiver has a nub on the bottom that drops into the larger opening in the metal recoil-lug strip--where the front action screw comes up. It's clear that the contact between the action (via the nub) and the recoil-lug strip is pretty minimal.

This whole recoil-lug setup looks very Rube Goldbergian to me and a far cry from the simple integral lug found on the earlier Sako actions--in the L- and A-series.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

They made that to assure you of minimal contact for sure. Id do away with the screwed on piece and pillar that action screw hole and bed it around that nub on the action. If you have the ability id cut a square key type lug in under the barrel threads or under the bolt lug recess (whichever is easier and away from the screw) like bat uses on their bolt on lugs, but its not that necessary with the nub thats on the action already. You could also add on a tikka 595/695 type lug easier than anything else. Its just some angle aluminum