Bedding the recoil lug

[mousegunner]

I just read the following when looking up bedding pillars. This seems to go against other instructions that say to tape the front, sides and bottom of the recoil lug (or maybe I misread the instructions).

"Even though we placed a layer of tape on the bottom of the recoil lug, I used a narrow chisel to scrape this entire bottom surface to be certain that there are no obstructions that prevent the recoil lug from fully entering this mortise. I leave all four sides of the recoil lug tightly bedded (no tape).
Remember that with a round receiver, the largest surface available to resist rotation is the side of this lug."

Is the rotation of a round (Remington) action during firing even an issue that requires the lug to have contact on the four sides as mentioned above?

 

[FeMan]

I never tape the sides of the lugs for the very reason stated; to ensure the action doesn't rotate in the bedding. I use one piece of tape on the front of the lug to make sure the action isn't a total bear to take out once bedded.

 

[Preacher]

I NEVER tape anything but the bottom of the lug if i'm using a .250 tapered lug...
If it's going to flop around in the wood, why even bother to do it at all..........
No banging the butt on the ground to seat it either...

 

[Kings X]

I just read the following when looking up bedding pillars. This seems to go against other instructions that say to tape the front, sides and bottom of the recoil lug (or maybe I misread the instructions).

"Even though we placed a layer of tape on the bottom of the recoil lug, I used a narrow chisel to scrape this entire bottom surface to be certain that there are no obstructions that prevent the recoil lug from fully entering this mortise. I leave all four sides of the recoil lug tightly bedded (no tape).
Remember that with a round receiver, the largest surface available to resist rotation is the side of this lug."

Is the rotation of a round (Remington) action during firing even an issue that requires the lug to have contact on the four sides as mentioned above?

I go with the first sentence. IF it does rotate - I want it to rotate the same way every time.

 

[mousegunner]

I have bedded a 40X and Rem 700 and both shot sub MOA with the tape in the front, bottom and sides of the lug and now I'm curious if there's difference down range between the 2 methods. I would have thought that the action would not rotate if the action screws were nice and tight and you had good receiver contact on the bedding pillars. I guess I'll give it a try on the next rifle project I have in the works.

 

[dmoran]

For a switch barrel gun (which I consider all mine to be) I do not want any relief to the sides of the lug, so that there is no side load and rotational aspects to worry about. Underneath is the only place I want relief myself.
With a square lug, then I can see some reasoning, with limitations.
But with a tapered lug (sides), there advantage over square lugs is the actions ability to slip out of the bedding with ease already, why anyone would relief the sides of a tapered lug is beyond me....
And I know some that do and have yet to understand there reasoning, and don't think I ever will....

My 2-Cents
Donovan

 

[tonyb]

For a switch barrel gun (which I consider all mine to be) I do not want any relief to the sides of the lug, so that there is no side load and rotational aspects to worry about. Underneath is the only place I want relief myself.
With a square lug, then I can see some reasoning, with limitations.
But with a tapered lug (sides), there advantage over square lugs is the actions ability to slip out of the bedding with ease already, why anyone would relief the sides of a tapered lug is beyond me....
And I know some that do and have yet to understand there reasoning, and don't think I ever will....

My 2-Cents
Donovan

+1