Glass bedding my 308 need help

Crazy.kayaker

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So just before my big trip up north my M88 in .308 win got all messed up cause the screw holding it down got loose and I re-tightened it but not to the same point as before and the accuracy went way south. So to prevent that problem from happening to me again I'm gonna glass the rifle and need some help on, what to use, where to get it and HOW (most importantly) to glass a 1 piece wood stocked lever action rifle. I'll get some pictures up of the inside of the stock shortly, but at this moment I'm more looking at the first two points what to use and where's the best place to get it.
 
I seriously doubt your re bedding will help much. Tighten the screws, clean the barrel and if it doesn't shoot well - have it inspected by a gunsmith.
 
Rifle wasn't ever bedded before so I'm not RE-bedding. It's always been just metal pulled down on wood.


Metal pulled down on wood is bedding... so it was bedded at the factory... wood to metal bedding... the most common way of doing it... so you will be re bedding it if you alter the present bedding...

Correct bedding is important and simply glass bedding a rifle is no guarantee you are fixing anything.... so many people think all they have to do is put some glass bedding material in and the rifle will shoot miraculous groups... :rolleyes:
 
Metal pulled down on wood is bedding... so it was bedded at the factory... wood to metal bedding... the most common way of doing it... so you will be re bedding it if you alter the present bedding...

Correct bedding is important and simply glass bedding a rifle is no guarantee you are fixing anything.... so many people think all they have to do is put some glass bedding material in and the rifle will shoot miraculous groups... :rolleyes:

I'm not quite like that I'm more in the I want to FIX my problem how about I give you a more DETAILED what happened to my M88.

I changed my scopes rings to low from medium took it out and fired a group of shots and they all went in to a nice under a quarter at 100 yards due to time I had to leave it at that for the day. Next day I went up and shot a 3 round group that was just over 5" at 100 yards. So I looked at the rifle and started to check the screws on the rings and I realized something was hinky when the entire ACTION moved on me. So I tightened it down and let fly another 3 round group only to find I was getting a 7" group the next 2 groups I tried after I loosened the screw a little each time (1/3 Turn) didn't nothing to my groups other then let the entire action and barrel start moving around again.

Rifle would shoot factory ammo in to 5 round groups under a nickel if I did my part and I turn the screw a little and now I have groups that look like a shot gun. So I'm one of the Glass the gun and think I'll get awesome groups...I'm in the Glass the gun and hope my gun gets HALF it's awesomeness back group. Something happened when it loosened up and I have no idea what. The Rifle was manufactured 1965 I'm pretty sure that at some point the unfinished barrel Groove has be altered by the weather. It also looks like someone took sand paper to it at some point in it's life. So I'd say the the Original Bedding your so worried about is LONG gone.
 
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The Win mod 88 will benefit from free floating the barrel in barrel channel in front of mounting bolt, "glassbedding" the recoil block for tight, no play fit and waterproofing the entire stock so the moisture doesn't stress the walnut stock during the humidity changes. Other than that MPI has syntetic stock and Boyds has laminate one for Win mod 88 I belive.
 
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Guntech's point is that a novice bedding job isnt likely to have any beneficial result, and you run the risk of making a mess of the rifle. Most people start with a beater bolt action to get the hang of it.
Additionally, an experienced person should be able to ascertain why the current bedding is sub-optimal, before addressing the fix. It could be as simple as rasping the barrel channel.
 
I would check your scope rings, perfect 3 shot group after you changed them then everything went sideways, excellent chance they loosened up when your action came loose. it would have dealt some serious jarring to them.
 
Guntech's point is that a novice bedding job isnt likely to have any beneficial result, and you run the risk of making a mess of the rifle. Most people start with a beater bolt action to get the hang of it.
Additionally, an experienced person should be able to ascertain why the current bedding is sub-optimal, before addressing the fix. It could be as simple as rasping the barrel channel.

Exactly. For many years, bedding the rifle meant improving the metal to wood fit, and adding pressure point(s) at the right place.
cosmic, remeber when we used to put some kind of a marker on the barrel, on the hard to get ones, so we could better see where the barrel was hitting the wood?
 
I would check your scope rings, perfect 3 shot group after you changed them then everything went sideways, excellent chance they loosened up when your action came loose. it would have dealt some serious jarring to them.

Do you really think I didn't think of that one before I started to ask questions and figured out glass bedding my rifle is probably the best option to fix and to prevent me from ever having this problem again.

As for everyone else who says I shouldn't do it myself and get it done by a professional how much does that cost as I'm working a MINIMUM wage job that hardly gives me enough hours to pay my bills, money for gas and a little extra for ammo. If it's more then $100-$150 bucks my .308 is gonna be a safe queen for the next 12 month unless the employment situation improves for me and after almost 7 months of looking I'm starting to give up being optimistic about that.
 
Absolutely no reason why you have to pay gunsmith to bed your rifle. If it is only tight screws keeping the action from moving, that should be taken care of and you can do it. You don't have to buy the expensive, proper material. Use epoxy glue.
Examin the wood where the action fits. The action recoil lug should fit evenly against the lug designed to hold it. Figure out where the epoxy should go. Clean the wood and of course, you must be very careful not to glue the action to the wood! Some use a grease or wax of some kind on the steel, but saran type plastic is surer, if you are careful not to get a hole in it. Be careful not to use an excess of epoxy.
Some of those groups you talked about earlier, like five shots nickel size, are, let me say, "weird." No run of the mill Winchester 88, especially one with a loose action, should shoot anywhere near that accurate.
When your action is tightened up with epoxy, try it. If it will shoot a 1½ inch group at 100 yards, that is great, and all, or even more, than should be expected of it. If a group walks, it is time to check the barrel bedding.
 
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