Bedding and balance

[HolyMeekrob]

I've been discussing with some people the idea of precise bedding and rifle balance. I'm trying to discern the finer details of these concepts and I have a sacrificial stock on which I'd like to practice.
So for the bedding assuming I follow the steps as laid out in http://www.6mmbr.com/pillarbedding.html this article, is there anything I should know that might be implied in the idea of 'precision' bedding?
I also have heard people talking about the balance of a rifle being important to avoid vertical. How exactly are the two related?

 

[BoydAllen]

What sort of shooting, rifle, and stock? the reason that I ask is that the whole balance thing depends on the stock design and how the rifle is to be shot.

 

[HolyMeekrob]

The sacrificial stock is a spare remington varmint laminate would primarily be used with a bipod.
For the project I have in mind I've been thinking about a palma-style setup.

 

[BoydAllen]

Balance is an issue that that comes up when shooting free recoil, on the bench, with a front rest and rear sand bag. It sounds to me like this will not apply to your situation. Most rifles are not stocked and balanced to shoot free recoil. This does not prevent their owners from making the mistake of trying to shoot them that way.

 

[HolyMeekrob]

That's what I thought. Whatever caliber I end up choosing I doubt it will be one that can be shot free recoil.
So, there are no hidden secrets to bedding? Just don't be sloppy and botch it? I recall watching a video on bedding and it seems the smith wanted there to be a notable layer of glass between the action and the stock (No points of wood/receiver contact), yet in looking into pillar bedding people talk about shimming which sounds as though the objective is to screw the action down tightly to the pillars and let the epoxy fill any gaps.

 

[BoydAllen]

Here are a few bedding tips.
Just because it looks nice, when you pull it apart doesn't mean it is a good bedding job. Bedding should be checked with a magnetic base and a dial indicator. Don't forget to have clearance around you action screws. George Kelbly once told me that back when pillar bedding was new, that they soon discovered that it was better to have at least a skim coat of bedding material between the tops of the pillars and the action. Don't have anything acting as a secondary recoil lug. I usually bed from the front of the recoil to the tang, but tape the middle of the action, from the front of the magazine cutout to the back of the trigger, to provide some clearance, in case the wood moves a little. I haven't done a bedding job in a while, but I try to keep up on the subject. One source of tools and other materials that I find interesting is erniethegunsmith.com I suggest that you might learn something useful by careful examination of the information available on that site. Good luck. Take your time. Think it through before you do it.

 

[HolyMeekrob]

Thanks for the tips! I'll do my best to do it well.