Bedding the recoil lug on 700 22-250

[Crashnrondo]

I've read everything I could find on the subjuct but still have a question.  Do you open up the rercoil lug in the stock when you bed it or leave it as is?  I have a varmit barrel with laminate stock, the takdown screws tighten down withen a 1/2 turn after contact so I know the rest of the bedding is good, but the lug looks like it is only making contact on about half the surface.  So is it just a very thing film of acragllass or do I hog out the stock?  Also this gun shoots .5 to .75 MOA with factory rounds, usually just 1 or 2 hits are not touching, will bedding the lug clean this up or is it a matter of realoading which I'm just starting for this gun?Thanks for the help-Ron

[dave375hh]

Just bedding the recoil lug is not correct. What you want is to bed the front action ring and the backside of the recoil lug. When you do the bedding put 2 or 3 layers of masking tape on the front, sides, and bottom of the recoil lug. These areas should not contact the bedding, only the rear face and the frt action ring behind it and around the frt action screw. Go to a good hardware store and get a 4" 1/4 X 28 NF bolt cut the head off the bolt and you will have an inletting guide screw to use instead of the action screw. Make sure the action sits level before you mix the glass. In answer to your question, I like to have about 3/16 of glass behind the recoil lug. If I'm going to the trouble of glassing a stock I want to end up with a stable bed that I'll never have to worry about(and the glass is the cheap part). Leave a part of the frt action wood, say 1/4" behind the frt screw to maintain depth and when you set the action into the glass just use the rear screw enough to hold the action down to the rear mortise(the wood around the rear screw)  RELEASE AGENT! RELEASE AGENT! RELEASE AGENT!

   Making improvements from .5 to.75 envole much more than just a bedding job and get expensive and/or elusive. Hope this helps.

[gunnut69]

I would also advise bedding the barrel reinforce.  It helps support the front of the action a bit and stabilizes the barrel a bunch.  Use LOTS of release agent.  It's easier to take of excess release agent than a glued in barreled action.  A tiny bit of modeling clay the soft non hardening kind about 2 1/2-3 inches in front of the recoil lug cut will stop the bedding's flow down the barrel channel.  Just a tiny little roll....