Eric Cortina bolt shroud

[Ironworker]

I have a Bergara B-14 rifle in 300 WIN Mag it easily surpasses the Bergara MOA guarantee with tuned handloads. Would installing an EC Bolt shroud be trying to fix a problem that doesn't exist?

 

[Bronsin]

More than likely it would fix problems that you don't know that you have.

 

[BoydAllen]

Have you done any work on the rifle, or is it in stock condition?

 

[Ironworker]

Have you done any work on the rifle, or is it in stock condition?

I installed a Primary Trigger tech, also scrapped away the over spray at the action screws.

 

[BoydAllen]

I installed a Primary Trigger tech, also scrapped away the over spray at the action screws.

What stock does yours have?

 

[Ironworker]

What stock does yours have?

Factory stock.

 

[BoydAllen]

Factory stock.

I looked up the model and evidently it comes with several different stocks. What I was getting at was has anything been done with regard to the bedding? IMO there is an order of importance when trying to improve the accuracy of a factory rifle. You have addressed an important one with an aftermarket trigger. The whole shroud thing may not make any difference in your accuracy. That sort of thing is more like high level benchrest or possibly F Class competition stuff, and even those I would want to have a definitive diagnosis of an observable problem before spending the money. To evaluate at that level you need to have an excellent bench, and rest setup as well as a set of wind flags and good test conditions. To me a big magnum of moderate weight reads out as a hunting rifle, for big game. For that sort of rifle, I still want a good trigger and correct bedding, but I would not chase the more esoteric stuff that is more in the realm of accuracy competition.

 

[Tod Hendricks]

If you have the tools it’s pretty easy to test if you have a potential problem before purchasing a new shroud

If your the curious type, I recommend buying the tools as it’s very educational to strip your bolt and dissect it for function.

 

[Ironworker]

I looked up the model and evidently it comes with several different stocks. What I was getting at was has anything been done with regard to the bedding? IMO there is an order of importance when trying to improve the accuracy of a factory rifle. You have addressed an important one with an aftermarket trigger. The whole shroud thing may not make any difference in your accuracy. That sort of thing is more like high level benchrest or possibly F Class competition stuff, and even those I would want to have a definitive diagnosis of an observable problem before spending the money. To evaluate at that level you need to have an excellent bench, and rest setup as well as a set of wind flags and good test conditions. To me a big magnum of moderate weight reads out as a hunting rifle, for big game. For that sort of rifle, I still want a good trigger and correct bedding, but I would not chase the more esoteric stuff that is more in the realm of accuracy competition.

Your reply was very helpful. I think I will bed it. But as it sits now it is an impressive shooter.

 

[Hoekight]

More than likely it would fix problems that you don't know that you have.

This right here!!!

When I started shooting in competitive I bought a couple of them for my rifles. They absolutely improved my accuracy. Since then I’ve done enough research and gained enough knowledge to check them and correct the problems myself. Fire control is more important than most everything people worries about.

 

[SpencerC87]

If you have the tools it’s pretty easy to test if you have a potential problem before purchasing a new shroud

If your the curious type, I recommend buying the tools as it’s very educational to strip your bolt and dissect it for function.

Just a small addition to this. I've been making my own shrouds recently for custom and factory actions and would just like to say to do this test so the cocking piece actually falls into the fired position and not just back to it's seat. Especially for factory actions, and firing pins too, they can be slightly bent or have some small burrs on them, or the front of the pin isn't fully supported through it's travel through the bolt head will also cause drag that isn't necessarily from the shroud.

 

[BoydAllen]

Just a small addition to this. I've been making my own shrouds recently for custom and factory actions and would just like to say to do this test so the cocking piece actually falls into the fired position and not just back to it's seat. Especially for factory actions, and firing pins too, they can be slightly bent or have some small burrs on them, or the front of the pin isn't fully supported through it's travel through the bolt head will also cause drag that isn't necessarily from the shroud.

I seem to remember a Boyer test. You assemble the bolt without the firing pin spring, grasp it by its body and apply side pressure with the thumb, pointing it straight up and then down, repeated with thumb pressure on the top, bottom, and both sides. The firing pin/cocking piece should fall freely both ways, all the way around. Years ago, curious about my early Viper that has the pin supported at the tip and in the shroud, I colored up everything in front of the shroud whole spring, flange and in front. I reassembled the bolt and after my next range excursion, took it apart to see if anything ahd rubbed. except for the tip, nothing had. I had also done the Boyer test.