Winchester 70 bedding

[Toptom]

I have a model 70 push feed I rebarreled with a bartlein carbon fiber barrel and since the diameter didn’t agree with the sporter stock I ordered a McMillan. It showed up today looks good but definitely would like a tighter fit. My question is with the rear tang with the metal peice integrated in that the trigger attaches to should it have clearance or be a tight fit also. I have done Remington and savage I have but never attempted any of my 70s. My only thought is if that back end of that hanger is to tight if I would have problems on recoil or even end up with a crack.

 

[Will Henry]

I am a firm believer that the only rear surface which should contact the bedding is the rear of the recoil lug. A couple layers of masking tape should do. WH

 

[Toptom]

I am a firm believer that the only rear surface which should contact the bedding is the rear of the recoil lug. A couple layers of masking tape should do. WH

So you would tape this area so it isn’t tight on the back of the action. I have been debating to even not just spot bed the recoil lug and flat behind lug to make it sit nice and snug but then rear screw wouldn’t be bedded that way.

 

[INTJ]

I don't bed my M-70s any differently than all those icky Rem 700s I bedded many years ago. The minimum is to bed just the area around the recoil lug. Next is to be the recoil lug area and then the tang. The full meal deal is to bed the action rails as well. All these methods work.

 

[Toptom]

I don't bed my M-70s any differently than all those icky Rem 700s I bedded many years ago. The minimum is to bed just the area around the recoil lug. Next is to be the recoil lug area and then the tang. The full meal deal is to bed the action rails as well. All these methods work.

When you bed the tang do you keep any clearance around that trigger hanger (i don’t know if that’s technical term) so it doesn’t have rearward pressure or do you keep it tight to the bedding.

 

[BoydAllen]

Many years ago, I bedded a model 70 for a friend. It was a deer hunting rifle, a .243, and the goal was just to have sub moa accuracy, so having been able to do that with skim bedding for several rifles, that is what I did. It was my first and only model 70 bedding experience and I ran into a couple of things worth mentioning. First of all I removed the trigger and bolt stop assemblies for the bedding and then discovered that when I reassembled them to the action that there was interference with the bedding where the bolt stop spring hooks under the "rail" that the trigger mounts to. A little clearance cut solved that problem. After that I made a trip to the range and my groups told me that the bedding was still not right. Remembering something about clearance at the back of a vertical tang face, I took some material from the bedding where it fit tightly to the rear facing vertical at the back of the aforementioned rail. That solved the problem. Testing gave a 3/4" group with a guesstimate load. Problem solved, The rifle was an inexpensive youth model with a skinny barrel. I probably should mention that right at the start I floated the barrel. My old standard for that was/is about the thickness of a matchbook cover on the sides and at least twice that below that edge. That was a long time ago, and I would never skim bed a wood stock these days, but for the purpose that it was done, it worked.

 

[Toptom]

Many years ago, I bedded a model 70 for a friend. It was a deer hunting rifle, a .243, and the goal was just to have sub moa accuracy, so having been able to do that with skim bedding for several rifles, that is what I did. It was my first and only model 70 bedding experience and I ran into a couple of things worth mentioning. First of all I removed the trigger and bolt stop assemblies for the bedding and then discovered that when I reassembled them to the action that there was interference with the bedding where the bolt stop spring hooks under the "rail" that the trigger mounts to. A little clearance cut solved that problem. After that I made a trip to the range and my groups told me that the bedding was still not right. Remembering something about clearance at the back of a vertical tang face, I took some material from the bedding where it fit tightly to the rear facing vertical at the back of the aforementioned rail. That solved the problem. Testing gave a 3/4" group with a guesstimate load. Problem solved, The rifle was an inexpensive youth model with a skinny barrel. I probably should mention that right at the start I floated the barrel. My old standard for that was/is about the thickness of a matchbook cover on the sides and at least twice that below that edge. That was a long time ago, and I would never skim bed a wood stock these days, but for the purpose that it was done, it worked.

That was very good info I’m still debating weather to tape the back off for clearance or just deliver material sound the lug and flat behind it and bed that area only to snug it up. I think it’d be better to bed front and back.

 

[Will Henry]

I think you should bed the tang but provide clearance at the rear. Do this either with tape or cut away the bedding at that point. I you prefer, you can tape the sides an rear of the hanger portion of the tang (as good a terminology as any). This lets you cover the holes for the pins and the tang is located laterally by the curve of the tang (and the screw, of course). I also tape the front, sides, and bottom of the recoil lug.
I currently shoot three model 70 target rifles. One is bedded in a machined block, one is bedded in glass at all three screw locations and the third is bedded at the lug and tang only. So, I have no consistent technique and all work fine! WH

 

[INTJ]

When you bed the tang do you keep any clearance around that trigger hanger (i don’t know if that’s technical term) so it doesn’t have rearward pressure or do you keep it tight to the bedding.

I usually bed it tight. If I was bedding a wooden stock I might leave a little clearance