Anybody here use the Miles Gilbert Bedrock bedding system?

[429421Cowboy]

I am looking to bed the recoil lug on my Rem 700 SPS (Synthetic) 7mm rem mag and i was wondering if this is a good kit to use? I would probabaly only bed the recoil lug and part of the barrel channel just to learn and to say i did as this is my project gun and i enjoy tinkering. Any helpful hints? Anything i should know before i start?

[Nobade]

Epoxy will not bond to thermoplastics like your stock. You can undercut it with chisels and try too get a mechanical lock, but it generally won't do much for you trying to bed one of those stocks. If you get a wood Remington takeoff or a Boyd's stock you can properly bed it and have a better rifle for the time you are going to spend working on it.

[405]

Agreed, if it is the standard Remington/Winchester molded synthetic, that type of plastic doesn't bond well with epoxy. When I've done those, to get a "mechanical lock", I use a small ball tip cutter on a rotary and really fray the surface then plunge the ball tip into the plastic in a random pattern and wiggle it a little. That forms pockets in the material for the mechanical lock. Original types (not the no-run gels) of bedding compound seem to work better because the epoxy has to flow/creep into every hole and scratch to help the bond.

Oh almost forgot about the Miles Gilbert? Yes I've tried it and still have some. It's OK. It seems a little springy and soft even after fully setting up for my tastes but it will work. I'm using what's left over now for non-compression type uses. It is fairly easy to use with the simple 2 equal part formula. Actually I still like the original Acraglas or good ole JB Weld for most bedding jobs, even though Acraglas is not as easy to mix and use.

[Cap'n Morgan]

Check out Terminal ballistic System http://www.ballisticstudies.com

Not only does the site has some very informative studies on various calibers and bullets and their effect on game (the guy has personally shot some 8000 critters in NZ) but he also sells a rifle bedding kits as well as "Synthetic Stock Stabilizer Kit" of his own design. I'm in the process of bedding/stabilizing my SAKO synthetic stock right now and so far the stuff works just as promised.

[S.R.Custom]

Epoxy will not bond to thermoplastics like your stock. You can undercut it with chisels and try too get a mechanical lock, but it generally won't do much for you trying to bed one of those stocks. If you get a wood Remington takeoff or a Boyd's stock you can properly bed it and have a better rifle for the time you are going to spend working on it.

That, and the thermoplastic stocks are downright squishy through the wrist... Clamp your rifle by the butt stock, and then watch how much you can wiggle everything back and forth with your little finger. And imagine that happening every time you pull the trigger. The more recoil you have, the worse it gets. Bedding does nothing to stop that.

The best stock for an affordably priced sporter rifle is a laminated wood unit.

[405]

429421Cowboy,
Well I don't know if all that is a majority opinion and it may not be what you wanted to hear but if serious about putting that barreled action in a stable platform then a different stock may be in order. Beginning with the least expensive acceptable stock just look around for a wood Remington takeoff, then for brand new the laminated, then for the least expensive of the really good synthetics the HS Precision. If tempted by less expensive so called custom synthetics such as the B&C Medalist (although the Medalist seems way over priced)- they are flimsy plastic with an aluminum skeleton only in the receiver portion. Some folks want really light weight guns, some want cheap guns and some want strong, accurate guns.

[429421Cowboy]

Bedding=$25-30 New stock=$150-200 Me= broke cowboy about to start college. Figured this would be a good place to start and learn, i have no desire to throw money i don't have at a rifle that i've already put over a grand into and will hit where i want out to 500 yards and still shoot well enough to 800 to keep me interested! I was just wondering if this would be a good kit to learn from and if i could pull it off to give myself the satisfaction of working on my own hunting rifle rather than buying an out of the box "Long Range" or "Tacticool" "Sniper" rifle. I had read of a gentleman using it on his SPS and wasn't worried but now the question has been raised in my mind about bonding to synthetic.

[redneckdan]

If you want to do an affordable bedding job; use a hardware store epoxy and fill it with aluminum powder. You can get fine mesh aluminum on ebay fairly reasonable. The filler adds strength and stiffness to the bedding. Do the mechanical lock idea that others have mentioned in this thread.

[RemSoles]

I have used that bedding kit for several rifles, and as far as I know it seems to work well. Bedded a Ruger synthetic stock and it most definitely improved the accuracy of the rifle. I also bedded a Remington synthetic, I can't say if accuracy was improved much though but the rifle still shot really great groups so I know it didn't hurt any. As the others have said just do the mechanical lock thing and you'll be fine. Also I would add to make really good and sure that you use enough release agent or you will have a one piece rifle! :)

[flounderman]

if you have never done a bedding job before, most important thing is release agent. screws, action, everything that will come in contact with the epoxy. drill little holes where you want the epoxy to adhere to the stock. a lot of them. I would do the area from the chamber area of the barrel, back to the end of the action. don't overtighten the action screws, protect the trigger assembly or remove it. relieve behind the tang a slight amount after epoxy has cured. I also like to scrape a little from the area of the bottom of the recoil lug. I have never done a synthetic stock and don't know what you will gain. if it fits tight to start with you are going to have a thin epoxy layer that might not hold. I would see how the stock fits to start with, coating the barrel and receiver with lamp black or prussian blue and tightening the screws moderately to see where the stock is contacting the barrel and action. you can float the barrel, or check by sliding a dollar bill under the barrel to see if it is floating or making contact. some guns benefit from pressure bedding the forend. I usually float mine from a couple inches ahead of the receiver. I work with wood and use regular fiber glass and chop up some glass mat for filler. you can tinker with the bedding and loads and get some improvement, but the barrel is the important part of the equation. you can't do better than the barrel is capable of. if the barrel is already floating, you can try pressure bedding the forend by building it up with layers of tape to see if it improves anything.