Bedding Advice on a New 6 PPC

[South Pender]

I'm not sure if this is the right forum for this, but when I looked at the 6 PPC forum, almost all the threads were about reloading. So here goes (and, mods, if this doesn't belong here feel free to nuke or move it):

I have a brand new, never-fired Sako heavy barrel single-shot 6 PPC that must have sat in the original owner's safe for 25 years. It's the one with the match trigger and the two holes in the trigger guard to adjust the trigger without taking the barreled action out of the stock. When I took it apart and checked the bedding, I noticed that it was just original wood action bedding, with the barrel free-floated up to the forend tip, at which point there was about 1/2" of contact. I looked at this contact, and it looked to be intentional--two raised points, one on each side.

My question is whether I should pillar-bed the action, and remove the forend barrel contact before taking it out to begin load development. Does anyone have experience with the Sako HB 6 PPCs as to the reason for this barrel contact? I'm not experienced in this area, but my impression has always been that you don't want any barrel contact with the stock.

One concern I have about fully free-floating the barrel is that, since it's a very heavy barrel screwed into a fairly small action (the A1 action), this might induce barrel droop. If this isn't likely to be a problem, am I best off just biting the bullet and having it pillar-bedded and the barrel freed up from any contact?

Thanks in advance for any advice on this....

 

[snert]

Go shoot it. If, after you try it with good custom bullets (start with Berger but try some Barts, Fowlers etc) and follow PPC loading rules and practices, and it does not shoot well, then consider bedding. You may find that it shoots well. Keep in mind this rifle is NOT competitive as a BR rifle, but should be darn accurate as is. It should be a PPC USA chamber so you likely will not have to turn necks.

BTW, many wood stock factory guns came with a "lump" and front barrel contact. Rem VS had them, as did others. Keep in mind the wood 40XB etc had no bedding.

If you chose to bed it, take it to a smith familiar with the Sako and wood stocks and let him have at it. But shoot it some first. You maybe happy with what you find.

 

[NickB1075]

I would deffinetly shoot it before doing anything. I had the same gun a few years ago and it was bone stock and an absolute hammer. I have always had good luck with Sako rifles. You may not need to do anything.

Nick

 

[Bart B.]

Get rid of those pads at the fire end tip. All they do is transfer the irregular external forces on the fore end to the barrel.

Barrels shoot most repeatable totally free floated; that's free of contact with the fore end from receiver forward.

All barrels droop from their tenon shoulder forward. They have mass and gravity is all over. Point the barrel straight up and it won't droop.

 

[Hal]

I would shoot it before you change a thing.

Anything you do to it will make it worth less as a collector.

Hal

 

[BoydAllen]

Shoot it before you do anything, and I would add that you should do a proper, if brief load workup, shooting from a good bench, using a good bag/rest setup, with at least a couple of wind flags in front of you, on a morning when the wind is not challenging. Before you do any live fire, spend some time doing dry fire, paying attention to the motion of your cross hairs on the target. Good luck, let us know how it goes.

 

[snert]

four to one for shooting as is. In good hands I bet it shoots great sans change.

Let us know...and whatever you do, follow the rest of Boyd's advice, otherwise all we know is the gun shot a bullet.