Jack Stanley
03-09-2011, 01:31 PM
I got the Stevens two hundred back from my gun plumber the other day . I decided not to try and bed the stock myself and I guess it's a good thing I didn't .
As it turned out whenever I put my hand in front of the forward action bolt the stock would flex enough to put pressure on the back of the action . What was done is the bedding compound was started about three inches in front of the barrel nut and continued back to the tang . The bedding doesn't touch the barrel or the nut but begins contact at the action . What would have been the least fun to do was alongside the magazine box so that it can still be removed .
I would have probably used Brownells steel-bed and called it good but the experience of the guy that has done thousands of rifles decided otherwise . I had heard of Marine-Tex before but I didn't know there were several different types . The one chosen was the white because it was a little more "flowable" than the others and came in handy along the sides of the stock . He said that stiffening this stock wasn't a whole lot different than the old GI M14 stocks .
I got it out on the range and spent some time getting zero with a different scope than what I started with . Once the scope was zeroed I used different hand placement on the front and the group didn't react greatly . At least , not near as much as it was so I think it's safe to say that the work was worth the effort .
Now comes the time to fool with bullets and loads but at least I believe the rifle can be included in the varmint blasters tool box now . Before work was done the rifle seemed to favor 2400 powder over the few different ones I tried so I think I'll start there . It would be nice to have things ready for the chucks when they start waking up from their long winters nap .
Jack
As it turned out whenever I put my hand in front of the forward action bolt the stock would flex enough to put pressure on the back of the action . What was done is the bedding compound was started about three inches in front of the barrel nut and continued back to the tang . The bedding doesn't touch the barrel or the nut but begins contact at the action . What would have been the least fun to do was alongside the magazine box so that it can still be removed .
I would have probably used Brownells steel-bed and called it good but the experience of the guy that has done thousands of rifles decided otherwise . I had heard of Marine-Tex before but I didn't know there were several different types . The one chosen was the white because it was a little more "flowable" than the others and came in handy along the sides of the stock . He said that stiffening this stock wasn't a whole lot different than the old GI M14 stocks .
I got it out on the range and spent some time getting zero with a different scope than what I started with . Once the scope was zeroed I used different hand placement on the front and the group didn't react greatly . At least , not near as much as it was so I think it's safe to say that the work was worth the effort .
Now comes the time to fool with bullets and loads but at least I believe the rifle can be included in the varmint blasters tool box now . Before work was done the rifle seemed to favor 2400 powder over the few different ones I tried so I think I'll start there . It would be nice to have things ready for the chucks when they start waking up from their long winters nap .
Jack