Originally Posted by
Ron Duval
I have never heard of anyone practicing. It is really a straight forward process that is easier to do than to explain. One thing that I like to do with rifles that have action screws that are attached 90 degrees (straight down) from the action is to get bolts with the appropriate screw threads from the local hardware store, cut the heads of the bolts off, and insert them into the action before bedding. This makes life easy for the bedding process because you can insert the action into the stock with the bolts already attached and simply put weight on top of the action to keep it in place until the bedding sets up. If you can do this, you will get a stress free bedding job and will not have to dig a small ball of epoxy out of the hole in the action when you are finished. If you don't do this, you have to run the action screw up through the epoxy to pull the action down into the stock until the bedding sets up (what a pain). This will not work on a Ruger with it's angled action screw, but it will work beautifully on your Remingtons.
Actally, it will work on a Ruger. I've done lots of them that way. As far as tape on the barrel, I have used black plastic electrical tape for years. I usually put 3-4 layers of tape on the barrel. And don't forget to cut clearance in the stock at the sides, bottom and the front of the recoil lug as well. You need the extra clearance because you need to tape off the sides, bottom and front of the recoil lug. When you remove the barreled action from the bedded stock, the back of the recoil lug is the only part of it you want in contact with the stock. Personally, I perfer to use stockmaker's screws available from Brownell's and probably Midway as well. It saves a lot of wear and tear on the actual action screws and they are one heck of a lot easier to remove after the bedding has hardened. They also help pull the barreled action firmly in place, and push the excess bedding compound up and out of the way. Don't forget to tape off the entire stock to back past the pistol grip with masking tape, and coat it with paste wax. It's amazing where the compound can run to. Tape everything you don't want the compound in and on, because once it sets, it's gonna be hard to get it off or out of. Remember to coat your trigger guard/floorplate assy. with release agent well also. It's also much easier to do this job with the trigger assy. removed, which isn't that big of a deal.