bedding a ruger MkII

[AtlLaw]

I posted this question over in the Ruger forum and didn't get any responses.  Soooo

I've got an early Ruger M-77 MkII in .257 Bob that I'm trying to get around to glass bedding the action.  Normally on my Remchesters I just float the barrel and glass the recoil lug.  Are there any things unique to the Ruger that I should do / look out for?

[Hairtrigger]

I have had better accuracy results with a pressure point at the front of the fore arm on most all of my Rugers with the light barrel.

[Jim See]

Richard, I have accurized a few MK-II, This is what I do to them; Trigger lightening to 2 lbs. Epoxy and /or pillar bed, with the barrel free-floated. Cut a new crown concentric with the bore. Lap rings and remount scopes. Those guns that I then develop a hand load for have shot 3 shot groups in the .2-.5 with the factory barrel. I have not messed with the plastic stocks, these have all been wood stocked guns. I think free-floating along with scope ring lapping eliminates point of impact shifts. Ruger makes a good ring mount system, but rarely do the two rings line up properly. I will always float a barrel in a wood stock to eliminate shifts due to pressure point changes. I think the hand load is key to finding good accuracy with the MK-II.

As far as you question about glass bedding the action, if not using pillars, I wrap the barrel near the forearm tip with tape, to hold it centered in the barrel channel I opened up. I dremmel into the wood, some locking grooves and holes under the tang, and action flat around the lug. I use enough epoxy to get a solid bed under the action, and under and around the tang. I do not want the epoxy to squeeze up the sides of the front of the action more than a 1/8- 1/4 inch or so, if it squeezes all around the action sides it is difficult to separate the action from the stock. Other than that similar as a remmy, just a touch of grease on the bolt threads so they don't glue in.

[gunnut69]

I usually float the barrel before bedding. Then I bed the rear of the barrel. This will stabilize the barreled action in it's inlet as the bedding is poured around the angled front recoil lug. This allows the front of the action to be held down by surgical tubing in the bedding process, The front screw hole is plugged with modeling clay to keep the AcraGlass gel in place. The front hole is then drilled a clearance fit and the action will not be sprung when tightened in it's inlet.

[AtlLaw]

I have had better accuracy results with a pressure point at the front of the fore arm on most all of my Rugers with the light barrel.

You know, I don't remember, and my notes don't indicate wether or not I tried that when I was working up loads for that rifle.  I'll shoot it some more to reestablish my accuracy base and give the tip pressure a try.  Thanks!

[AtlLaw]

This is what I do to them; Trigger lightening to 2 lbs.

Check, I prefer 3 lbs and all my rifles are in that area via new trigger or trigger job.  The Ruger is just on the shy side of 3 lbs.

Epoxy and /or pillar bed, with the barrel free-floated.

Agreed.  But I've never been a big fan of pillar bedding.  Old fashioned I guess.  Normally I just glass the first 1.5 inches of barrel (not always), the recoil lug and receiver ring area.  Always improved accuracy and is easily done.

Cut a new crown concentric with the bore.

As a matter of practice I always pay close attention to the condition of the crown.  Your point is well taken.

Lap rings and remount scopes.

Hummm. I lapped a few sets of rings but only considered it a scope security factor.  I may have another accuracy variable to experiment with! 

Those guns that I then develop a hand load for have shot 3 shot groups in the .2-.5 with the factory barrel. I have not messed with the plastic stocks, these have all been wood stocked guns. I think free-floating along with scope ring lapping eliminates point of impact shifts. Ruger makes a good ring mount system, but rarely do the two rings line up properly. I will always float a barrel in a wood stock to eliminate shifts due to pressure point changes.

I think you and I are pretty much on the same page here.

I think the hand load is key to finding good accuracy with the MK-II.

True dat!  But my best load (115 gr. Nosler Partition seated real far out @ 2750 as I remember)  was still only about a 1.5 inch load.  But even that was light years ahead of anything else I tried.  I think I said my normal practice with Remchesters (actually all bolt guns) is to see how it shoots "out of the box," work up the most accurate load I can, then bed the rifle as stated above.  So far I have not had a rifle that hasn't benefited from bedding, some dramatically!

As far as you question about glass bedding the action, if not using pillars, I wrap the barrel near the forearm tip with tape, to hold it centered in the barrel channel I opened up. I dremmel into the wood, some locking grooves and holes under the tang, and action flat around the lug. I use enough epoxy to get a solid bed under the action, and under and around the tang. I do not want the epoxy to squeeze up the sides of the front of the action more than a 1/8- 1/4 inch or so, if it squeezes all around the action sides it is difficult to separate the action from the stock. Other than that similar as a remmy, just a touch of grease on the bolt threads so they don't glue in.

Sounds like what I do.  Thanks!

[AtlLaw]

I usually float the barrel before bedding. Then I bed the rear of the barrel. This will stabilize the barreled action in it's inlet as the bedding is poured around the angled front recoil lug. This allows the front of the action to be held down by surgical tubing in the bedding process, The front screw hole is plugged with modeling clay to keep the AcraGlass gel in place. The front hole is then drilled a clearance fit and the action will not be sprung when tightened in it's inlet.

So you do a two step process?  Is that just for the Ruger because of the angled front screw or is that what you do for all actions?

[Jim See]

Richard, good luck with your project. I've never worked over a .257 Roberts, at one time I read they were a little finicky. I should mention the Rugers I get to shoot the best are usually sub 30 cal.
If I can get a belted mag under 1" I'm pretty happy. Might have something to due with the recoil and Rugers hard little pad.

[gunnut69]

Just with the ruger to compensate for the angled lug.. There's no way to properly hold the stock and barreled action in its correct position with no guide in the front lug. I've seen the front lug guide screw replaced with a hand screw after the bedding was pored but there's a lot of problems with tear down.. Bedding the barrel shank first locks the barreled action into it's correct place before the recoil lug is glassed. This assumes of course the action isn't flexing before we start. The barrel has to be free before the glass bedding or it's almost impossible to pore the front ring/recoil lug abutment on nearly any rifle. I prefer acraglass gel so far but have tried a new material that works very well. It's done very well in the tests so far. Pillar bedding the M77 is almost impossible. The front lug anyway. The action has 3 screws and as always the middle screw can wreck accuray if over tightened. The front screw tightest, the back just tight and the middle screw just so it's secure. I have replaced the middle screw with a wood screw and a block in several rifles with no performance issues but never in the M77. I much prefer the old model over the MKII for it's adjustable trigger and better quality(excepting a few bad barrels).

[AtlLaw]

good stuff there Gunnut!  I appreciate the info!