I thought I would post this in this forum but if felt otherwise it can get moved.
Just over 1 year ago I purchased a Rem 700 SPS in 243 Win in a youth model. I chose the youth model as I wanted a small compact package for lugging around when chasing coyotes also something that would work well out of my treestands.
Before even firing it, I did what I always, do strip it down and clean the hell out of it. I reassembled and looked it over closely. Much to my dismay I noticed that the barrel did not sit very centered in the channel and it had the standard factory pressure point in the front.
To work I went. Firstly I free floated the barrel and removed enough tupperware plastic to center the barrel in the channel. Reassembled and was a bit happier. I knew I would not be totally happy until I bedded the tupperware stock.
I heard from countless people that the bedding more than likely would not adhere to the tupperware stock. I set out to prove them wrong.
I roughed up the stock with 100 grit paper and used the dremel in the recoil lug recess. I did drill a few holes but not very many where the action mates to the stock. When I was satisfied with the dry fit I degreased the stock with just your everyday household rubbing alcohol. Johnson furniture wax was used as a release agent, mixed the Marine Tex and bedded the stock to the action. While the Tex was still wet, I did the cleanup of the overrun with my usual method of wet toothpicks and rubbing alcohol. It is so much easier to get rid of the worst while it is still wet. I should mention that I did not install any pillars at all. I personally felt the plastic itself would be enogh and I did not want to put lots of money into a gun taht would be rebarreled after possibly only 1000 rounds.
I follow Guntechs policy of a stress free bedding job as being VERY IMPORTANT. I just set the action into the bedding, start the bolts and that is where I stop. I use the tape that is wrapped around the barrel to hold it centered and keep the tang area of the action down into the bedding. I may put a piece of masking tape around the stock and action to be on the safe side but that is it.
That basically is the process taht was used to bed kthe SPS stock.
Getting to the whole point of what I am trying to say is that yesterday I stripped the gun down after coyote hunting trips to make sure there was no rust starting where I could not reach with oil.
The bedding looks as day one, 1 year later and after about 500 rounds down the pipe. There is no hint of it wanting to flake or lift off. I did not try to see if there was any indication either. I cleaned the barreled action, reassembled, torqued the bolts down, and cleaned the bore as usual.
This afternoon I went to the range just to reconfirm my coyote load of 55gr Sierra Blitzkings and 49.5grs of H380. This load zings out of the 20" barrel somewhere around 3750 fps. The day I chrono'd the load it was about -20 Celcius. I just wanted to mention that the first shot hit EXACTLY where it was supposed to, 2" high and dead center. This was with a clean, cold bore. I put the other bullets back in the truck and packed the gun away.
If anyone feels that the plastic tupperware stock cannot be successful well I would say they are wrong. It may not be a McMillan, HS Precision, or Robertson but it will do the job as far as a hunting rifle goes.
Yes the forend of the stock has lots of flex but I feel if it is freefloated enough and bedded properly that flex is not going to cause grief. I had thought about opening the channel to Marine Tex a rod but with the results of today I am not going to bother.
Just wanted to share this info with you ellow CGN'rs.
Calvin
Just over 1 year ago I purchased a Rem 700 SPS in 243 Win in a youth model. I chose the youth model as I wanted a small compact package for lugging around when chasing coyotes also something that would work well out of my treestands.
Before even firing it, I did what I always, do strip it down and clean the hell out of it. I reassembled and looked it over closely. Much to my dismay I noticed that the barrel did not sit very centered in the channel and it had the standard factory pressure point in the front.
To work I went. Firstly I free floated the barrel and removed enough tupperware plastic to center the barrel in the channel. Reassembled and was a bit happier. I knew I would not be totally happy until I bedded the tupperware stock.
I heard from countless people that the bedding more than likely would not adhere to the tupperware stock. I set out to prove them wrong.
I roughed up the stock with 100 grit paper and used the dremel in the recoil lug recess. I did drill a few holes but not very many where the action mates to the stock. When I was satisfied with the dry fit I degreased the stock with just your everyday household rubbing alcohol. Johnson furniture wax was used as a release agent, mixed the Marine Tex and bedded the stock to the action. While the Tex was still wet, I did the cleanup of the overrun with my usual method of wet toothpicks and rubbing alcohol. It is so much easier to get rid of the worst while it is still wet. I should mention that I did not install any pillars at all. I personally felt the plastic itself would be enogh and I did not want to put lots of money into a gun taht would be rebarreled after possibly only 1000 rounds.
I follow Guntechs policy of a stress free bedding job as being VERY IMPORTANT. I just set the action into the bedding, start the bolts and that is where I stop. I use the tape that is wrapped around the barrel to hold it centered and keep the tang area of the action down into the bedding. I may put a piece of masking tape around the stock and action to be on the safe side but that is it.
That basically is the process taht was used to bed kthe SPS stock.
Getting to the whole point of what I am trying to say is that yesterday I stripped the gun down after coyote hunting trips to make sure there was no rust starting where I could not reach with oil.
The bedding looks as day one, 1 year later and after about 500 rounds down the pipe. There is no hint of it wanting to flake or lift off. I did not try to see if there was any indication either. I cleaned the barreled action, reassembled, torqued the bolts down, and cleaned the bore as usual.
This afternoon I went to the range just to reconfirm my coyote load of 55gr Sierra Blitzkings and 49.5grs of H380. This load zings out of the 20" barrel somewhere around 3750 fps. The day I chrono'd the load it was about -20 Celcius. I just wanted to mention that the first shot hit EXACTLY where it was supposed to, 2" high and dead center. This was with a clean, cold bore. I put the other bullets back in the truck and packed the gun away.
If anyone feels that the plastic tupperware stock cannot be successful well I would say they are wrong. It may not be a McMillan, HS Precision, or Robertson but it will do the job as far as a hunting rifle goes.
Yes the forend of the stock has lots of flex but I feel if it is freefloated enough and bedded properly that flex is not going to cause grief. I had thought about opening the channel to Marine Tex a rod but with the results of today I am not going to bother.
Just wanted to share this info with you ellow CGN'rs.
Calvin
