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V-Block vs. Bedding

fullersson

B&B Gunworks bbgunworks.com
What do you all think about the V-Blocks. I haven't had any experience with them myself, but a couple of buddies use them and think they're just as accurate without all the fuss of bedding. I'm not talking about just good shooting I'm wondering how they work for great shooting. I'm also wondering what torque routine is everyone using.
 
They work great and it is usually 65 inch pounds on the remingtons and savage's.
 
In a V-Block design fit, what keeps the action from rotating in the V-Block? I have a HS Precision stock with an aluminum bedding block (not V-Block style), which I have skim bedded. I now wonder what really prevents rotation, and makes sure the action/barrel indexes back to the same spot when you remove and replace it.
 
The issue with bedding blocks is fit. Factory actions are generally slightly warped in heat treatment. Another issue is what accuracy is sufficient for your purposes. If the rifle shoots well enough without bedding, fine. If not, you might need to bed it, and/or there may be other issues unrelated to bedding. As to what keeps the action from rotating...friction. To my knowledge, no competition Benchrest shooter uses an unbedded bedding block or V block. In group, most use glue in bedding, in Hunter BR, pillar bedding.
 
Absolutely agree with Boyd that factory actions cannot be depended upon to be a true cylinder. There are two ways that most factory receivers end up being less than truely cylindrical: As Boyd mentioned, heat treating basically warping the receiver; final cleaning/finishing of the action which with some receivers entails basically a large belt sander.

I've seen both. Years back I watched a very well known smith perparing a short action for sleeving. He was turning the receiver taking the least amount of metal to true the receiver into a true cylinder. He got it about 80% and at that point figured that he didn't want to take any more off and so bored the sleeve to match. He stated that it wasn't unusual to see this sort if variance in most factory actions.

If the factory action is bad enough, it will never properly fit into any sort of a block, be it cylindrical or V. If fully torqued it will be stressed and distorted. This is one reason why so many factory rifles respond to a proper bedding job, the action isn't stressed by being torqued into the stock.

Which is one reason I've quite building my rifles on factory actions, I'd rather start off where most factory actions are lucky to end up after blueprinting.
 
I have 3 remington vs's with the hs precision stock and I torque them to 65 inch pounds as stated abouve.Now bearing this in mind,none have been altered in any way yet.I dont keep taking them in and out of the stock for whatever reason.I agree that remington does belt sand the scale before bluing.They take off a minimal amount and some worse than others. However I have had them in and out to check the contact with the v-block(aluminum bedding block) by using hi-spot bluing and checking to make sure that I have at least 50% contact.That being said they all had better than 50% contact so I retorqued in 2 steps,first at 35 inch pounds and then 65.I start the torque at the front action screw,go to back ,front ,back.That is my scientific approach to such a simple process.Many people listen to everything their gunsmith says about distortion and while it is true some of the time,I have 3 remmys made in different years that all shoot real well.My .308 being the 2nd most accurate only to the .223 version and then the 22-250 being almost a tie with the .308.I am talking .3 or better sometimes if I dont screw up. I bedded one for a friend at his request and while it helped only slightly,it probably wasnt necessary. As crowning the brand new vssf in my little shop did the trick in the end. So with all this said,listen to your gunsmiths as it is their job to always find problems they can correct for you to improve your factory rifle.Most guys are honest and many are not.Remember the more they accurize the more you are sure to spend lots of money with unscrupulous smiths.I am building a new VS from parts right now and when I am done ,I will let you skeptics know what I had to do to make it work,accuracy wise.I will document what I did and what order.I can tell you this :It will have a hart barrel,stock shaort action trigger(only lapped) ,hs precision stock,timney trigger,tac handle for comfort only and a bushed firing pin,bushnell 4200 scope,and my homemade muzzle brake,0 moa mount and burris zee rings.That is it and recut the face of the reciever.That is it.Most I will do myself.I have bo training as a gunsmith and actually alot of guys call themselves gunsmiths because they think they know everything,however it is no slur to the guys who are real smiths and know their crafts well.There are too many to list.You guys know who they are.I am just a lowly machinist who wants to try his hand at it to see how hard it really is to make it work.If I fail,I will tell you all that I suck.
 
You may want to look at the modern V-Block designs by Whidden Gunworks and the bedding block system by KMW. Very different. Whidden uses a V-block but with some tricks (longitudinal ridges) to allow for the "less than perfect" actions. KMW has a round bedding block to fit Surgeon, Stiller, and Remington actions. KMW's trick is that his block actually has an interference fit and opens up a few thousandths as the action is dropped in. Terry Cross of KMW says they have been able to swap barrel actions in and out of different stocks (with same type block) with no loss of accuracy.

KMW Integrated mounting block (IMB)

SA%20IMB%20TOP.jpg
 

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