Bedding query

[Si-Snipe]

Guys what are people's thoughts on bedding the barrel just in from of the action? Has anyone fully tested the differences. Can barrel heat during a shot of strings affect POI and accuracy if the barrel is bearing on the bedding? I've always bedded the 1" in front of the recoil lug to offer support. My current setup has approx 3" of barrel bedding on barrel.
So what is the most harmonically favourable route? None on the barrel or a small amount or greater support?
FYI 28" heavy profile barrel in this instance.

 

[msinc]

I have done it both ways and I have to admit.....apparently I cannot shoot good enough to tell any difference. Not running any wild child calibers or shooting any off the chain distances either. The longer I mess with this stuff the more I hear about what to do/not do and I have to wonder.....when I first started out everyone bedded the first inch or so of barrel. That was standard practice for 30 years. Then, all of a sudden....oh my god no!!!!! You cant do that the gun will blow up!!!! No bedding touching the barrel whatsoever or it will puke. I tried it, nothing changed. Then a few more years go by and it's "oh my god!!!!!" again, only this time no bedding under the bottom of the lug. Again, tried it, zero difference. Another year or so goes by and it's "Jesus god no!!!!! you cant have bedding under or in front of the lug!!!!!!
At this rate, in a few more years you wont be able to shoot if you have an empty tube of epoxy in your house, let alone touching the rifle. Maybe there is something to it, but it really seems more like a psych-ops thing that benchresters try to run on each other....show up at a shoot bragging about the "latest wave" in bedding so the rest of the guys will schidtt down both legs and loose. If they did, at least it accomplished something. Did I mention that I cant see any difference???

 

[Alex Wheeler]

I have tested it, I did not see a difference so I recommend not bedding the chamber of the barrel. No benefit, only possible issues.

 

[swd]

I'm with Alex on this one, this has been my thoughts for years. If it doesn't help don't do it. Also if you swap barrels and the new barrel is even a nano larger or not perfectly concentric then your bedding isn't right anymore.

 

[Intheshop]

Msinc,we buy epoxy by the gallon unit( 1 G of each part) for bows and engineered "stuff" in the mill/cabinet shop.

I know what you're saying,if one of my rigs gets a little close to the EA40 epoxy,seems it takes more foulers to get back in the X,haha.

 

[Si-Snipe]

Thank you for all the replies. I have removed the bedding in front of the recoil lug now. If it makes no difference to performance at least as mentioned barrel swaps will be easier.

Regards
Si

 

[nmkid]

I have done it both ways and I have to admit.....apparently I cannot shoot good enough to tell any difference. Not running any wild child calibers or shooting any off the chain distances either. The longer I mess with this stuff the more I hear about what to do/not do and I have to wonder.....when I first started out everyone bedded the first inch or so of barrel. That was standard practice for 30 years. Then, all of a sudden....oh my god no!!!!! You cant do that the gun will blow up!!!! No bedding touching the barrel whatsoever or it will puke. I tried it, nothing changed. Then a few more years go by and it's "oh my god!!!!!" again, only this time no bedding under the bottom of the lug. Again, tried it, zero difference. Another year or so goes by and it's "Jesus god no!!!!! you cant have bedding under or in front of the lug!!!!!!
At this rate, in a few more years you wont be able to shoot if you have an empty tube of epoxy in your house, let alone touching the rifle. Maybe there is something to it, but it really seems more like a psych-ops thing that benchresters try to run on each other....show up at a shoot bragging about the "latest wave" in bedding so the rest of the guys will schidtt down both legs and loose. If they did, at least it accomplished something. Did I mention that I cant see any difference???

In 1972, (if I remember correctly) I had my first aftermarket barrel on a .243. The smith bedded from the tip of the forearm to the tang!! Heaven forbid!! That rifle shot lights out for almost 10 years until it started throwing flyers. I even had the honor (?) of hitting a fly at 100 yards during an impromptu shoot at the range with said rifle. My how things have changed?!

 

[Alex Wheeler]

In 1972, (if I remember correctly) I had my first aftermarket barrel on a .243. The smith bedded from the tip of the forearm to the tang!! Heaven forbid!! That rifle shot lights out for almost 10 years until it started throwing flyers. I even had the honor (?) of hitting a fly at 100 yards during an impromptu shoot at the range with said rifle. My how things have changed?!

One mans lights out may be sub .5 moa another's may be .0s. Did it ever change poi day to day? Things have evolved for reasons and agg records are being broken almost every year. Things are headed in the right direction. At no point in history have rifles shot better than the current top level BR rifles.

 

[nmkid]

Did it ever change poi day to day?

I would have to ask all the coyotes, marmots, crows, jackrabbits, deer and rocks that felt the wrath of the killing machine. Might be that the area where I lived was high desert and not much humidity. But, honestly, that rifle went years without having to sight in.

 

[Intheshop]

Thinned down epoxy sprayed(or brushed/wiped) in the barrel inlet on wood stocks is hard to beat as a sealer.