I use Brownells Acra-glas Gel for all my bedding jobs. I use the release agent that comes with the kit and if I run out, I use paste wax. I use paste wax to plug holes and crannys where i don't want epoxy.
Besides putting agent on the obvious places, I find it's a good idea to cover the entire action and magazine with release agent - the epoxy has a way of squeezing into the damndest places.
If I'm bedding a finished stock, I wax the stock prior to bedding. That way if any epoxy gets on the outside of the stock, it will come off with a fingernail.
It's generally not a good idea to use the guard screws to pull the action into the wet bedding. If the inletting has high points in it, the action could end up twisted or stressed and accuracy could suffer. Use something that provides even clamping pressure.
When bedding rifles that have blind front guard screw holes(Mauser, P-14, M1917, etc), make sure that the hole is plugged with wax or a guide screw(see below) before the action is lowered into the epoxy. If epoxy gets in the blind hole, it is a total bit_h to get out. Trust me.
On rifles with open front guard screw holes(Remington, Savage), plugging the hole is still a good idea but if epoxy gets forced up the hole it will be inside the action and if the inner areas are coated with release agent, the epoxy is easy to remove.
Here's a shot of a rifle during bedding with my 'clamp' that provides even pressure on the action. The inletting screws are also visible.
The link below shows the inletting screws on Brownells site.
http://www.brownells.com/aspx/NS/store/ProductDetail.aspx?p=6644&title=INLETTING%20GUIDE%20SCREWS