Today, I thought I'd make the rear barrel plate for my gatlingun. Simple round disk with
an array of 10 threaded holes, a central hole for a hex bushing and a dowel pin hole at 12
o'clock.

Easiest way to do this looks like I bolt the round plate to a chunk of flat stock and hold
the flat stock in my mill vise. I look around and find a 3/8 NC cap screw. Okay, I'll
use that with a washer to hold the plate down. Grab the tap stand, what is a 1/8 NPT tap
doing in the 3/8 NF hole?

Okay, I'll look for another bolt. Didn't find another bolt but I did find some 1/2 NC
threaded rod. Sweet. Back to the tap stand, there is a 5/8 NC tap in the hole for the
1/2 NC tap. I have a feeling this isn't going to be my day.

Rummage around some more, I find what I think is a 1/2-20 bolt, that would be good enough.
Check the tap stand, hey, I got a 1/2 NF tap! Check bolt to tap to see if pitch is same.
Match.

Drill and tap hole. Bolt falls into hole. ???? Look at tap stand and see there is such a
thing as a 7/16-20 fastener and by Jove I have a tap for it. I put tapped hole on other
side of plate.

Now we are cooking but I'm worrying that with a washer to bridge the 9/16" hole in my
plate, I might not have enough thread engagement since the bolt I have is rather short.
One more trip to the junk box I found the 7/16-20 bolt in and I find a FHSC in 7/16-20.
That works really well, the head centers my plate rather well over the center of the
tapped hole.

Indicate the barrel plate to find center, calculate x-y's of the 10 threaded holes and
plug away with spot drilling, drilling, chamfering and then tapping.

Unfortunately, on hole #10 I let the tap I was using go in too deep while power tapping
with the Bridgeport and the quill hit the quill stop and started to lift once side of the
flat stock I was using causing a crooked hole.

Good thing I bought extra stock. I'm going to need it.

Wes

On Sat, 10 Apr 2010 16:27:57 -0400, Wes wrote:

Today, I thought I'd make the rear barrel plate for my gatlingun. Simple round disk with
an array of 10 threaded holes, a central hole for a hex bushing and a dowel pin hole at 12
o'clock.

Easiest way to do this looks like I bolt the round plate to a chunk of flat stock and hold
the flat stock in my mill vise. I look around and find a 3/8 NC cap screw. Okay, I'll
use that with a washer to hold the plate down. Grab the tap stand, what is a 1/8 NPT tap
doing in the 3/8 NF hole?

Okay, I'll look for another bolt. Didn't find another bolt but I did find some 1/2 NC
threaded rod. Sweet. Back to the tap stand, there is a 5/8 NC tap in the hole for the
1/2 NC tap. I have a feeling this isn't going to be my day.

Rummage around some more, I find what I think is a 1/2-20 bolt, that would be good enough.
Check the tap stand, hey, I got a 1/2 NF tap! Check bolt to tap to see if pitch is same.
Match.

Drill and tap hole. Bolt falls into hole. ???? Look at tap stand and see there is such a
thing as a 7/16-20 fastener and by Jove I have a tap for it. I put tapped hole on other
side of plate.

Now we are cooking but I'm worrying that with a washer to bridge the 9/16" hole in my
plate, I might not have enough thread engagement since the bolt I have is rather short.
One more trip to the junk box I found the 7/16-20 bolt in and I find a FHSC in 7/16-20.
That works really well, the head centers my plate rather well over the center of the
tapped hole.

Indicate the barrel plate to find center, calculate x-y's of the 10 threaded holes and
plug away with spot drilling, drilling, chamfering and then tapping.

Unfortunately, on hole #10 I let the tap I was using go in too deep while power tapping
with the Bridgeport and the quill hit the quill stop and started to lift once side of the
flat stock I was using causing a crooked hole.

Good thing I bought extra stock. I'm going to need it.

Wes

Bummer, that eau chitte moment after some investment in labor.

I am attempting to do stress-free pillar bedding of a rifle. I've
never done it before so I'm going *very* slowly. I think I'm ready
for final goo (epoxy) but I won't do that until I've slept on it. I'd
really prefer not to have this be an oopsie. It's not an expensive
rifle but I'd still like to get it right.

Traditional goo has been acraglass, but I'm using Devcon 10110. Fitch
and I call it d22 because 10110 in binary is 22 in decimal.
(b10110=d22) It's very dense steel-filled epoxy used and advocated by
a guy who beds a lot of competition benchrest rifles.

I'm hoping to get below half-MOA (minute of arc) accuracy, i.e.
groups shot from 100 yards with max center-to-center distance of under
half an inch from this rifle. The rifle is a Savage "package rifle",
an inexpensive "consumer" off-the-rack rifle in .243. It's a sporter,
not a benchrest rifle, but it's been a shooter as found so I really
hope with some pucker that I improve it rather than screwing it up.

http://www.savagearms.com/firearms/models/

Yikes! I don't know if they're getting MSRP for these, but I paid
about half that for mine about 3 years ago, brand new, at the General
Store in Osakis MN.
http://tinyurl.com/yckr3g8

The scope was a cheap Simmons, long since replaced. Not knocking the
Savage package rifle concept, it's an excellent value. The rifle as
found with the Simmons 3-9x scope had more than sufficient accuracy
for 90% of deerhunters shooting from a tree stand. Most deer in MN
are taken at ranges of well under 100 yards.

More when (if) I can get it apart after the goo cures, get it
reassembled correctly, get the scope re-mounted and re-zeroed and see
how it shoots. It shot about 1 MOA before with 70 gn bullets, didn't
do as well with 100 gn because the rifling isn't quite steep enough to
be optimal for 100 gn. I don't care, 70 gn is ample for target and
varmints. I'd use a heavier caliber if I hunted deer.

If this turns out well then my next project will be my .22-250.

Don Foreman wrote in
:

On Sat, 10 Apr 2010 16:27:57 -0400, Wes wrote:

Today, I thought I'd make the rear barrel plate for my gatlingun.
Simple round disk with an array of 10 threaded holes, a central hole
for a hex bushing and a dowel pin hole at 12 o'clock.

Easiest way to do this looks like I bolt the round plate to a chunk of
flat stock and hold the flat stock in my mill vise. I look around and
find a 3/8 NC cap screw. Okay, I'll use that with a washer to hold
the plate down. Grab the tap stand, what is a 1/8 NPT tap doing in
the 3/8 NF hole?

Okay, I'll look for another bolt. Didn't find another bolt but I did
find some 1/2 NC threaded rod. Sweet. Back to the tap stand, there
is a 5/8 NC tap in the hole for the 1/2 NC tap. I have a feeling this
isn't going to be my day.

Rummage around some more, I find what I think is a 1/2-20 bolt, that
would be good enough. Check the tap stand, hey, I got a 1/2 NF tap!
Check bolt to tap to see if pitch is same. Match.

Drill and tap hole. Bolt falls into hole. ???? Look at tap stand and
see there is such a thing as a 7/16-20 fastener and by Jove I have a
tap for it. I put tapped hole on other side of plate.

Now we are cooking but I'm worrying that with a washer to bridge the
9/16" hole in my plate, I might not have enough thread engagement
since the bolt I have is rather short. One more trip to the junk box I
found the 7/16-20 bolt in and I find a FHSC in 7/16-20. That works
really well, the head centers my plate rather well over the center of
the tapped hole.

Indicate the barrel plate to find center, calculate x-y's of the 10
threaded holes and plug away with spot drilling, drilling, chamfering
and then tapping.

Unfortunately, on hole #10 I let the tap I was using go in too deep
while power tapping with the Bridgeport and the quill hit the quill
stop and started to lift once side of the flat stock I was using
causing a crooked hole.

Good thing I bought extra stock. I'm going to need it.

Wes

Bummer, that eau chitte moment after some investment in labor.

I am attempting to do stress-free pillar bedding of a rifle. I've
never done it before so I'm going *very* slowly. I think I'm ready
for final goo (epoxy) but I won't do that until I've slept on it. I'd
really prefer not to have this be an oopsie. It's not an expensive
rifle but I'd still like to get it right.

Traditional goo has been acraglass, but I'm using Devcon 10110. Fitch
and I call it d22 because 10110 in binary is 22 in decimal.
(b10110=d22) It's very dense steel-filled epoxy used and advocated by
a guy who beds a lot of competition benchrest rifles.

I'm hoping to get below half-MOA (minute of arc) accuracy, i.e.
groups shot from 100 yards with max center-to-center distance of under
half an inch from this rifle. The rifle is a Savage "package rifle",
an inexpensive "consumer" off-the-rack rifle in .243. It's a sporter,
not a benchrest rifle, but it's been a shooter as found so I really
hope with some pucker that I improve it rather than screwing it up.

http://www.savagearms.com/firearms/models/

Yikes! I don't know if they're getting MSRP for these, but I paid
about half that for mine about 3 years ago, brand new, at the General
Store in Osakis MN.
http://tinyurl.com/yckr3g8

The scope was a cheap Simmons, long since replaced. Not knocking the
Savage package rifle concept, it's an excellent value. The rifle as
found with the Simmons 3-9x scope had more than sufficient accuracy
for 90% of deerhunters shooting from a tree stand. Most deer in MN
are taken at ranges of well under 100 yards.

More when (if) I can get it apart after the goo cures, get it
reassembled correctly, get the scope re-mounted and re-zeroed and see
how it shoots. It shot about 1 MOA before with 70 gn bullets, didn't
do as well with 100 gn because the rifling isn't quite steep enough to
be optimal for 100 gn. I don't care, 70 gn is ample for target and
varmints. I'd use a heavier caliber if I hunted deer.

If this turns out well then my next project will be my .22-250.



Be advised that many Savage rifles are most accurate when the barrel is
free-floated.

My (now "ancient" @ 30 years old) 110DL .30/06 was lucky to get 1.5 MOA
from the box but, having floated the barrel, it'll provide me with 1-hole
5-round 100-yd groups if I'm doing my part of the work.

Earlier I'd had a 110MDL in .264 Win. Mag. that had given similar
results. (It was stolen from my apartment. 8-{ )

Be sure that the action, itself, is snug but be prepared to sand out the
barrel channel. (A sheet of carbon paper makes both a good marker AND a
good gauge.)

On Sun, 11 Apr 2010 00:17:11 -0500, Don Foreman
wrote:

On Sat, 10 Apr 2010 16:27:57 -0400, Wes wrote:

Today, I thought I'd make the rear barrel plate for my gatlingun. Simple round disk with
an array of 10 threaded holes, a central hole for a hex bushing and a dowel pin hole at 12
o'clock.

Easiest way to do this looks like I bolt the round plate to a chunk of flat stock and hold
the flat stock in my mill vise. I look around and find a 3/8 NC cap screw. Okay, I'll
use that with a washer to hold the plate down. Grab the tap stand, what is a 1/8 NPT tap
doing in the 3/8 NF hole?

Okay, I'll look for another bolt. Didn't find another bolt but I did find some 1/2 NC
threaded rod. Sweet. Back to the tap stand, there is a 5/8 NC tap in the hole for the
1/2 NC tap. I have a feeling this isn't going to be my day.

Rummage around some more, I find what I think is a 1/2-20 bolt, that would be good enough.
Check the tap stand, hey, I got a 1/2 NF tap! Check bolt to tap to see if pitch is same.
Match.

Drill and tap hole. Bolt falls into hole. ???? Look at tap stand and see there is such a
thing as a 7/16-20 fastener and by Jove I have a tap for it. I put tapped hole on other
side of plate.

Now we are cooking but I'm worrying that with a washer to bridge the 9/16" hole in my
plate, I might not have enough thread engagement since the bolt I have is rather short.
One more trip to the junk box I found the 7/16-20 bolt in and I find a FHSC in 7/16-20.
That works really well, the head centers my plate rather well over the center of the
tapped hole.

Indicate the barrel plate to find center, calculate x-y's of the 10 threaded holes and
plug away with spot drilling, drilling, chamfering and then tapping.

Unfortunately, on hole #10 I let the tap I was using go in too deep while power tapping
with the Bridgeport and the quill hit the quill stop and started to lift once side of the
flat stock I was using causing a crooked hole.

Good thing I bought extra stock. I'm going to need it.

Wes

Bummer, that eau chitte moment after some investment in labor.

I am attempting to do stress-free pillar bedding of a rifle. I've
never done it before so I'm going *very* slowly. I think I'm ready
for final goo (epoxy) but I won't do that until I've slept on it. I'd
really prefer not to have this be an oopsie. It's not an expensive
rifle but I'd still like to get it right.

Traditional goo has been acraglass, but I'm using Devcon 10110. Fitch
and I call it d22 because 10110 in binary is 22 in decimal.
(b10110=d22) It's very dense steel-filled epoxy used and advocated by
a guy who beds a lot of competition benchrest rifles.

I'm hoping to get below half-MOA (minute of arc) accuracy, i.e.
groups shot from 100 yards with max center-to-center distance of under
half an inch from this rifle. The rifle is a Savage "package rifle",
an inexpensive "consumer" off-the-rack rifle in .243. It's a sporter,
not a benchrest rifle, but it's been a shooter as found so I really
hope with some pucker that I improve it rather than screwing it up.

http://www.savagearms.com/firearms/models/

Yikes! I don't know if they're getting MSRP for these, but I paid
about half that for mine about 3 years ago, brand new, at the General
Store in Osakis MN.
http://tinyurl.com/yckr3g8

The scope was a cheap Simmons, long since replaced. Not knocking the
Savage package rifle concept, it's an excellent value. The rifle as
found with the Simmons 3-9x scope had more than sufficient accuracy
for 90% of deerhunters shooting from a tree stand. Most deer in MN
are taken at ranges of well under 100 yards.

More when (if) I can get it apart after the goo cures, get it
reassembled correctly, get the scope re-mounted and re-zeroed and see
how it shoots. It shot about 1 MOA before with 70 gn bullets, didn't
do as well with 100 gn because the rifling isn't quite steep enough to
be optimal for 100 gn. I don't care, 70 gn is ample for target and
varmints. I'd use a heavier caliber if I hunted deer.

If this turns out well then my next project will be my .22-250.

What did you use for your pillar? Monorail or seperate pillar posts?

I generally machine a monrail and bed that. Takes out stock issues (if
any). I generally use 4130 as stock for the monorail. Seems pretty
stable G. It adds maybe a pound to the total weight, if that much.

Gunner


"First Law of Leftist Debate
The more you present a leftist with factual evidence
that is counter to his preconceived world view and the
more difficult it becomes for him to refute it without
losing face the chance of him calling you a racist, bigot,
homophobe approaches infinity.

This is despite the thread you are in having not mentioned
race or sexual preference in any way that is relevant to
the subject." Grey Ghost

Don Foreman wrote:

On Sat, 10 Apr 2010 16:27:57 -0400, Wes wrote:


[snip]

Unfortunately, on hole #10 I let the tap I was using go in too deep while power tapping
with the Bridgeport and the quill hit the quill stop and started to lift once side of the
flat stock I was using causing a crooked hole.

Good thing I bought extra stock. I'm going to need it.

Wes

Bummer, that eau chitte moment after some investment in labor.

Oh well, I looked at the print for the front barrel plate, it has 1/2" holes for the
barrel and no threads. I can salvage some of my work by driling though the tapped holes
and thinning the plate.



I am attempting to do stress-free pillar bedding of a rifle. I've
never done it before so I'm going *very* slowly. I think I'm ready
for final goo (epoxy) but I won't do that until I've slept on it. I'd
really prefer not to have this be an oopsie. It's not an expensive
rifle but I'd still like to get it right.

What are you using as a release agent? I have used PAM the cooking spray.

Traditional goo has been acraglass, but I'm using Devcon 10110. Fitch
and I call it d22 because 10110 in binary is 22 in decimal.
(b10110=d22) It's very dense steel-filled epoxy used and advocated by
a guy who beds a lot of competition benchrest rifles.

I reworked my Garand's stock with steel reinforced epoxy I bought at a boat shop. I'm
sure you have seen a Garand, the action is held into the stock by the trigger group which
compresses the wood. I was a bit nervous about the action comming back out after the
epoxy set. Pam worked.


I'm hoping to get below half-MOA (minute of arc) accuracy, i.e.
groups shot from 100 yards with max center-to-center distance of under
half an inch from this rifle. The rifle is a Savage "package rifle",
an inexpensive "consumer" off-the-rack rifle in .243. It's a sporter,
not a benchrest rifle, but it's been a shooter as found so I really
hope with some pucker that I improve it rather than screwing it up.

http://www.savagearms.com/firearms/models/

Savage makes good rifles. Almost bought one 10 years ago, .338 win mag, stainless heavy
barrel with a laminated stock. Unfortuantly, I was at a gun show with my uncles brother
in law that had a ffl. He of course piped up he could get me a better deal on it. Well
he couldn't, it must have been a special run since it wasn't in the catalog.


Yikes! I don't know if they're getting MSRP for these, but I paid
about half that for mine about 3 years ago, brand new, at the General
Store in Osakis MN.
http://tinyurl.com/yckr3g8

I was listening to Gresham's Guntalk and one of the guests was pointing out that the only
area where firearms sales is a bit soft since the election is the better grade of
shotguns.



The scope was a cheap Simmons, long since replaced. Not knocking the
Savage package rifle concept, it's an excellent value. The rifle as
found with the Simmons 3-9x scope had more than sufficient accuracy
for 90% of deerhunters shooting from a tree stand. Most deer in MN
are taken at ranges of well under 100 yards.

More when (if) I can get it apart after the goo cures, get it
reassembled correctly, get the scope re-mounted and re-zeroed and see
how it shoots. It shot about 1 MOA before with 70 gn bullets, didn't
do as well with 100 gn because the rifling isn't quite steep enough to
be optimal for 100 gn. I don't care, 70 gn is ample for target and
varmints. I'd use a heavier caliber if I hunted deer.

Keep us posted on your progress.

If this turns out well then my next project will be my .22-250.



Wes

On Sun, 11 Apr 2010 00:17:11 -0500, Don Foreman
wrote:

On Sat, 10 Apr 2010 16:27:57 -0400, Wes wrote:

Today, I thought I'd make the rear barrel plate for my gatlingun. Simple round disk with
an array of 10 threaded holes, a central hole for a hex bushing and a dowel pin hole at 12
o'clock.

Easiest way to do this looks like I bolt the round plate to a chunk of flat stock and hold
the flat stock in my mill vise. I look around and find a 3/8 NC cap screw. Okay, I'll
use that with a washer to hold the plate down. Grab the tap stand, what is a 1/8 NPT tap
doing in the 3/8 NF hole?

Okay, I'll look for another bolt. Didn't find another bolt but I did find some 1/2 NC
threaded rod. Sweet. Back to the tap stand, there is a 5/8 NC tap in the hole for the
1/2 NC tap. I have a feeling this isn't going to be my day.

Rummage around some more, I find what I think is a 1/2-20 bolt, that would be good enough.
Check the tap stand, hey, I got a 1/2 NF tap! Check bolt to tap to see if pitch is same.
Match.

Drill and tap hole. Bolt falls into hole. ???? Look at tap stand and see there is such a
thing as a 7/16-20 fastener and by Jove I have a tap for it. I put tapped hole on other
side of plate.

Now we are cooking but I'm worrying that with a washer to bridge the 9/16" hole in my
plate, I might not have enough thread engagement since the bolt I have is rather short.
One more trip to the junk box I found the 7/16-20 bolt in and I find a FHSC in 7/16-20.
That works really well, the head centers my plate rather well over the center of the
tapped hole.

Indicate the barrel plate to find center, calculate x-y's of the 10 threaded holes and
plug away with spot drilling, drilling, chamfering and then tapping.

Unfortunately, on hole #10 I let the tap I was using go in too deep while power tapping
with the Bridgeport and the quill hit the quill stop and started to lift once side of the
flat stock I was using causing a crooked hole.

Good thing I bought extra stock. I'm going to need it.

Wes

Bummer, that eau chitte moment after some investment in labor.

I am attempting to do stress-free pillar bedding of a rifle. I've
never done it before so I'm going *very* slowly. I think I'm ready
for final goo (epoxy) but I won't do that until I've slept on it. I'd
really prefer not to have this be an oopsie. It's not an expensive
rifle but I'd still like to get it right.

Traditional goo has been acraglass, but I'm using Devcon 10110. Fitch
and I call it d22 because 10110 in binary is 22 in decimal.
(b10110=d22) It's very dense steel-filled epoxy used and advocated by
a guy who beds a lot of competition benchrest rifles.

I'm hoping to get below half-MOA (minute of arc) accuracy, i.e.
groups shot from 100 yards with max center-to-center distance of under
half an inch from this rifle. The rifle is a Savage "package rifle",
an inexpensive "consumer" off-the-rack rifle in .243. It's a sporter,
not a benchrest rifle, but it's been a shooter as found so I really
hope with some pucker that I improve it rather than screwing it up.

http://www.savagearms.com/firearms/models/

Yikes! I don't know if they're getting MSRP for these, but I paid
about half that for mine about 3 years ago, brand new, at the General
Store in Osakis MN.
http://tinyurl.com/yckr3g8

The scope was a cheap Simmons, long since replaced. Not knocking the
Savage package rifle concept, it's an excellent value. The rifle as
found with the Simmons 3-9x scope had more than sufficient accuracy
for 90% of deerhunters shooting from a tree stand. Most deer in MN
are taken at ranges of well under 100 yards.

More when (if) I can get it apart after the goo cures, get it
reassembled correctly, get the scope re-mounted and re-zeroed and see
how it shoots. It shot about 1 MOA before with 70 gn bullets, didn't
do as well with 100 gn because the rifling isn't quite steep enough to
be optimal for 100 gn. I don't care, 70 gn is ample for target and
varmints. I'd use a heavier caliber if I hunted deer.

If this turns out well then my next project will be my .22-250.


Use plenty of mold release. It is a truly awful feeling the next
morning when you go to unscrew the action screws, after the epoxy
has set up, only to find that they don't move.....

Cheers,

John D. Slocomb
(jdslocombatgmail)

On 11 Apr 2010 05:43:16 GMT, "RAM³"
wrote:

Don Foreman wrote in
:

On Sat, 10 Apr 2010 16:27:57 -0400, Wes wrote:

Today, I thought I'd make the rear barrel plate for my gatlingun.
Simple round disk with an array of 10 threaded holes, a central hole
for a hex bushing and a dowel pin hole at 12 o'clock.

Easiest way to do this looks like I bolt the round plate to a chunk of
flat stock and hold the flat stock in my mill vise. I look around and
find a 3/8 NC cap screw. Okay, I'll use that with a washer to hold
the plate down. Grab the tap stand, what is a 1/8 NPT tap doing in
the 3/8 NF hole?

Okay, I'll look for another bolt. Didn't find another bolt but I did
find some 1/2 NC threaded rod. Sweet. Back to the tap stand, there
is a 5/8 NC tap in the hole for the 1/2 NC tap. I have a feeling this
isn't going to be my day.

Rummage around some more, I find what I think is a 1/2-20 bolt, that
would be good enough. Check the tap stand, hey, I got a 1/2 NF tap!
Check bolt to tap to see if pitch is same. Match.

Drill and tap hole. Bolt falls into hole. ???? Look at tap stand and
see there is such a thing as a 7/16-20 fastener and by Jove I have a
tap for it. I put tapped hole on other side of plate.

Now we are cooking but I'm worrying that with a washer to bridge the
9/16" hole in my plate, I might not have enough thread engagement
since the bolt I have is rather short. One more trip to the junk box I
found the 7/16-20 bolt in and I find a FHSC in 7/16-20. That works
really well, the head centers my plate rather well over the center of
the tapped hole.

Indicate the barrel plate to find center, calculate x-y's of the 10
threaded holes and plug away with spot drilling, drilling, chamfering
and then tapping.

Unfortunately, on hole #10 I let the tap I was using go in too deep
while power tapping with the Bridgeport and the quill hit the quill
stop and started to lift once side of the flat stock I was using
causing a crooked hole.

Good thing I bought extra stock. I'm going to need it.

Wes

Bummer, that eau chitte moment after some investment in labor.

I am attempting to do stress-free pillar bedding of a rifle. I've
never done it before so I'm going *very* slowly. I think I'm ready
for final goo (epoxy) but I won't do that until I've slept on it. I'd
really prefer not to have this be an oopsie. It's not an expensive
rifle but I'd still like to get it right.

Traditional goo has been acraglass, but I'm using Devcon 10110. Fitch
and I call it d22 because 10110 in binary is 22 in decimal.
(b10110=d22) It's very dense steel-filled epoxy used and advocated by
a guy who beds a lot of competition benchrest rifles.

I'm hoping to get below half-MOA (minute of arc) accuracy, i.e.
groups shot from 100 yards with max center-to-center distance of under
half an inch from this rifle. The rifle is a Savage "package rifle",
an inexpensive "consumer" off-the-rack rifle in .243. It's a sporter,
not a benchrest rifle, but it's been a shooter as found so I really
hope with some pucker that I improve it rather than screwing it up.

http://www.savagearms.com/firearms/models/

Yikes! I don't know if they're getting MSRP for these, but I paid
about half that for mine about 3 years ago, brand new, at the General
Store in Osakis MN.
http://tinyurl.com/yckr3g8

The scope was a cheap Simmons, long since replaced. Not knocking the
Savage package rifle concept, it's an excellent value. The rifle as
found with the Simmons 3-9x scope had more than sufficient accuracy
for 90% of deerhunters shooting from a tree stand. Most deer in MN
are taken at ranges of well under 100 yards.

More when (if) I can get it apart after the goo cures, get it
reassembled correctly, get the scope re-mounted and re-zeroed and see
how it shoots. It shot about 1 MOA before with 70 gn bullets, didn't
do as well with 100 gn because the rifling isn't quite steep enough to
be optimal for 100 gn. I don't care, 70 gn is ample for target and
varmints. I'd use a heavier caliber if I hunted deer.

If this turns out well then my next project will be my .22-250.



Be advised that many Savage rifles are most accurate when the barrel is
free-floated.

My (now "ancient" @ 30 years old) 110DL .30/06 was lucky to get 1.5 MOA
from the box but, having floated the barrel, it'll provide me with 1-hole
5-round 100-yd groups if I'm doing my part of the work.

Earlier I'd had a 110MDL in .264 Win. Mag. that had given similar
results. (It was stolen from my apartment. 8-{ )

Be sure that the action, itself, is snug but be prepared to sand out the
barrel channel. (A sheet of carbon paper makes both a good marker AND a
good gauge.)

I was careful to do that. No part of the barrel now touches the stock.

On Sun, 11 Apr 2010 04:37:04 -0700, Gunner Asch
wrote:

On Sun, 11 Apr 2010 00:17:11 -0500, Don Foreman
wrote:

On Sat, 10 Apr 2010 16:27:57 -0400, Wes wrote:

Today, I thought I'd make the rear barrel plate for my gatlingun. Simple round disk with
an array of 10 threaded holes, a central hole for a hex bushing and a dowel pin hole at 12
o'clock.

Easiest way to do this looks like I bolt the round plate to a chunk of flat stock and hold
the flat stock in my mill vise. I look around and find a 3/8 NC cap screw. Okay, I'll
use that with a washer to hold the plate down. Grab the tap stand, what is a 1/8 NPT tap
doing in the 3/8 NF hole?

Okay, I'll look for another bolt. Didn't find another bolt but I did find some 1/2 NC
threaded rod. Sweet. Back to the tap stand, there is a 5/8 NC tap in the hole for the
1/2 NC tap. I have a feeling this isn't going to be my day.

Rummage around some more, I find what I think is a 1/2-20 bolt, that would be good enough.
Check the tap stand, hey, I got a 1/2 NF tap! Check bolt to tap to see if pitch is same.
Match.

Drill and tap hole. Bolt falls into hole. ???? Look at tap stand and see there is such a
thing as a 7/16-20 fastener and by Jove I have a tap for it. I put tapped hole on other
side of plate.

Now we are cooking but I'm worrying that with a washer to bridge the 9/16" hole in my
plate, I might not have enough thread engagement since the bolt I have is rather short.
One more trip to the junk box I found the 7/16-20 bolt in and I find a FHSC in 7/16-20.
That works really well, the head centers my plate rather well over the center of the
tapped hole.

Indicate the barrel plate to find center, calculate x-y's of the 10 threaded holes and
plug away with spot drilling, drilling, chamfering and then tapping.

Unfortunately, on hole #10 I let the tap I was using go in too deep while power tapping
with the Bridgeport and the quill hit the quill stop and started to lift once side of the
flat stock I was using causing a crooked hole.

Good thing I bought extra stock. I'm going to need it.

Wes

Bummer, that eau chitte moment after some investment in labor.

I am attempting to do stress-free pillar bedding of a rifle. I've
never done it before so I'm going *very* slowly. I think I'm ready
for final goo (epoxy) but I won't do that until I've slept on it. I'd
really prefer not to have this be an oopsie. It's not an expensive
rifle but I'd still like to get it right.

Traditional goo has been acraglass, but I'm using Devcon 10110. Fitch
and I call it d22 because 10110 in binary is 22 in decimal.
(b10110=d22) It's very dense steel-filled epoxy used and advocated by
a guy who beds a lot of competition benchrest rifles.

I'm hoping to get below half-MOA (minute of arc) accuracy, i.e.
groups shot from 100 yards with max center-to-center distance of under
half an inch from this rifle. The rifle is a Savage "package rifle",
an inexpensive "consumer" off-the-rack rifle in .243. It's a sporter,
not a benchrest rifle, but it's been a shooter as found so I really
hope with some pucker that I improve it rather than screwing it up.

http://www.savagearms.com/firearms/models/

Yikes! I don't know if they're getting MSRP for these, but I paid
about half that for mine about 3 years ago, brand new, at the General
Store in Osakis MN.
http://tinyurl.com/yckr3g8

The scope was a cheap Simmons, long since replaced. Not knocking the
Savage package rifle concept, it's an excellent value. The rifle as
found with the Simmons 3-9x scope had more than sufficient accuracy
for 90% of deerhunters shooting from a tree stand. Most deer in MN
are taken at ranges of well under 100 yards.

More when (if) I can get it apart after the goo cures, get it
reassembled correctly, get the scope re-mounted and re-zeroed and see
how it shoots. It shot about 1 MOA before with 70 gn bullets, didn't
do as well with 100 gn because the rifling isn't quite steep enough to
be optimal for 100 gn. I don't care, 70 gn is ample for target and
varmints. I'd use a heavier caliber if I hunted deer.

If this turns out well then my next project will be my .22-250.

What did you use for your pillar? Monorail or seperate pillar posts?

I generally machine a monrail and bed that. Takes out stock issues (if
any). I generally use 4130 as stock for the monorail. Seems pretty
stable G. It adds maybe a pound to the total weight, if that much.

Gunner

Separate pillar posts epoxied into the stock.

On Sun, 11 Apr 2010 08:36:57 -0400, Wes wrote:


I am attempting to do stress-free pillar bedding of a rifle. I've
never done it before so I'm going *very* slowly. I think I'm ready
for final goo (epoxy) but I won't do that until I've slept on it. I'd
really prefer not to have this be an oopsie. It's not an expensive
rifle but I'd still like to get it right.

What are you using as a release agent? I have used PAM the cooking spray.

Synlube 1000, per Darrell Hollander's DVD on pillar-bedding rifles.

Traditional goo has been acraglass, but I'm using Devcon 10110. Fitch
and I call it d22 because 10110 in binary is 22 in decimal.
(b10110=d22) It's very dense steel-filled epoxy used and advocated by
a guy who beds a lot of competition benchrest rifles.

I reworked my Garand's stock with steel reinforced epoxy I bought at a boat shop. I'm
sure you have seen a Garand, the action is held into the stock by the trigger group which
compresses the wood.

I spent some quality time with the M1 Garand and the very similar M-14
many years ago.

Don Foreman wrote in
:


I was careful to do that. No part of the barrel now touches the stock.

With even the slightest hint of good luck you'll end up with a real "tack
driver". Grin

On Sun, 11 Apr 2010 11:56:52 -0500, Don Foreman
wrote:

On Sun, 11 Apr 2010 04:37:04 -0700, Gunner Asch
wrote:

On Sun, 11 Apr 2010 00:17:11 -0500, Don Foreman
wrote:

On Sat, 10 Apr 2010 16:27:57 -0400, Wes wrote:

Today, I thought I'd make the rear barrel plate for my gatlingun. Simple round disk with
an array of 10 threaded holes, a central hole for a hex bushing and a dowel pin hole at 12
o'clock.

Easiest way to do this looks like I bolt the round plate to a chunk of flat stock and hold
the flat stock in my mill vise. I look around and find a 3/8 NC cap screw. Okay, I'll
use that with a washer to hold the plate down. Grab the tap stand, what is a 1/8 NPT tap
doing in the 3/8 NF hole?

Okay, I'll look for another bolt. Didn't find another bolt but I did find some 1/2 NC
threaded rod. Sweet. Back to the tap stand, there is a 5/8 NC tap in the hole for the
1/2 NC tap. I have a feeling this isn't going to be my day.

Rummage around some more, I find what I think is a 1/2-20 bolt, that would be good enough.
Check the tap stand, hey, I got a 1/2 NF tap! Check bolt to tap to see if pitch is same.
Match.

Drill and tap hole. Bolt falls into hole. ???? Look at tap stand and see there is such a
thing as a 7/16-20 fastener and by Jove I have a tap for it. I put tapped hole on other
side of plate.

Now we are cooking but I'm worrying that with a washer to bridge the 9/16" hole in my
plate, I might not have enough thread engagement since the bolt I have is rather short.
One more trip to the junk box I found the 7/16-20 bolt in and I find a FHSC in 7/16-20.
That works really well, the head centers my plate rather well over the center of the
tapped hole.

Indicate the barrel plate to find center, calculate x-y's of the 10 threaded holes and
plug away with spot drilling, drilling, chamfering and then tapping.

Unfortunately, on hole #10 I let the tap I was using go in too deep while power tapping
with the Bridgeport and the quill hit the quill stop and started to lift once side of the
flat stock I was using causing a crooked hole.

Good thing I bought extra stock. I'm going to need it.

Wes

Bummer, that eau chitte moment after some investment in labor.

I am attempting to do stress-free pillar bedding of a rifle. I've
never done it before so I'm going *very* slowly. I think I'm ready
for final goo (epoxy) but I won't do that until I've slept on it. I'd
really prefer not to have this be an oopsie. It's not an expensive
rifle but I'd still like to get it right.

Traditional goo has been acraglass, but I'm using Devcon 10110. Fitch
and I call it d22 because 10110 in binary is 22 in decimal.
(b10110=d22) It's very dense steel-filled epoxy used and advocated by
a guy who beds a lot of competition benchrest rifles.

I'm hoping to get below half-MOA (minute of arc) accuracy, i.e.
groups shot from 100 yards with max center-to-center distance of under
half an inch from this rifle. The rifle is a Savage "package rifle",
an inexpensive "consumer" off-the-rack rifle in .243. It's a sporter,
not a benchrest rifle, but it's been a shooter as found so I really
hope with some pucker that I improve it rather than screwing it up.

http://www.savagearms.com/firearms/models/

Yikes! I don't know if they're getting MSRP for these, but I paid
about half that for mine about 3 years ago, brand new, at the General
Store in Osakis MN.
http://tinyurl.com/yckr3g8

The scope was a cheap Simmons, long since replaced. Not knocking the
Savage package rifle concept, it's an excellent value. The rifle as
found with the Simmons 3-9x scope had more than sufficient accuracy
for 90% of deerhunters shooting from a tree stand. Most deer in MN
are taken at ranges of well under 100 yards.

More when (if) I can get it apart after the goo cures, get it
reassembled correctly, get the scope re-mounted and re-zeroed and see
how it shoots. It shot about 1 MOA before with 70 gn bullets, didn't
do as well with 100 gn because the rifling isn't quite steep enough to
be optimal for 100 gn. I don't care, 70 gn is ample for target and
varmints. I'd use a heavier caliber if I hunted deer.

If this turns out well then my next project will be my .22-250.

What did you use for your pillar? Monorail or seperate pillar posts?

I generally machine a monrail and bed that. Takes out stock issues (if
any). I generally use 4130 as stock for the monorail. Seems pretty
stable G. It adds maybe a pound to the total weight, if that much.

Gunner

Separate pillar posts epoxied into the stock.


How did you level them?

Gunner


"First Law of Leftist Debate
The more you present a leftist with factual evidence
that is counter to his preconceived world view and the
more difficult it becomes for him to refute it without
losing face the chance of him calling you a racist, bigot,
homophobe approaches infinity.

This is despite the thread you are in having not mentioned
race or sexual preference in any way that is relevant to
the subject." Grey Ghost

Don Foreman wrote:
On Sat, 10 Apr 2010 16:27:57 -0400, Wes wrote:

Today, I thought I'd make the rear barrel plate for my gatlingun.
Simple round disk with an array of 10 threaded holes, a central hole
for a hex bushing and a dowel pin hole at 12 o'clock.

Easiest way to do this looks like I bolt the round plate to a chunk
of flat stock and hold the flat stock in my mill vise. I look
around and find a 3/8 NC cap screw. Okay, I'll use that with a
washer to hold the plate down. Grab the tap stand, what is a 1/8
NPT tap doing in the 3/8 NF hole?

Okay, I'll look for another bolt. Didn't find another bolt but I
did find some 1/2 NC threaded rod. Sweet. Back to the tap stand,
there is a 5/8 NC tap in the hole for the 1/2 NC tap. I have a
feeling this isn't going to be my day.

Rummage around some more, I find what I think is a 1/2-20 bolt, that
would be good enough. Check the tap stand, hey, I got a 1/2 NF tap!
Check bolt to tap to see if pitch is same. Match.

Drill and tap hole. Bolt falls into hole. ???? Look at tap stand
and see there is such a thing as a 7/16-20 fastener and by Jove I
have a tap for it. I put tapped hole on other side of plate.

Now we are cooking but I'm worrying that with a washer to bridge the
9/16" hole in my plate, I might not have enough thread engagement
since the bolt I have is rather short. One more trip to the junk box
I found the 7/16-20 bolt in and I find a FHSC in 7/16-20. That works
really well, the head centers my plate rather well over the center
of the tapped hole.

Indicate the barrel plate to find center, calculate x-y's of the 10
threaded holes and plug away with spot drilling, drilling,
chamfering and then tapping.

Unfortunately, on hole #10 I let the tap I was using go in too deep
while power tapping with the Bridgeport and the quill hit the quill
stop and started to lift once side of the flat stock I was using
causing a crooked hole.

Good thing I bought extra stock. I'm going to need it.

Wes

Bummer, that eau chitte moment after some investment in labor.

I am attempting to do stress-free pillar bedding of a rifle. I've
never done it before so I'm going *very* slowly. I think I'm ready
for final goo (epoxy) but I won't do that until I've slept on it. I'd
really prefer not to have this be an oopsie. It's not an expensive
rifle but I'd still like to get it right.

Traditional goo has been acraglass, but I'm using Devcon 10110. Fitch
and I call it d22 because 10110 in binary is 22 in decimal.
(b10110=d22) It's very dense steel-filled epoxy used and advocated by
a guy who beds a lot of competition benchrest rifles.

I'm hoping to get below half-MOA (minute of arc) accuracy, i.e.
groups shot from 100 yards with max center-to-center distance of under
half an inch from this rifle. The rifle is a Savage "package rifle",
an inexpensive "consumer" off-the-rack rifle in .243. It's a sporter,
not a benchrest rifle, but it's been a shooter as found so I really
hope with some pucker that I improve it rather than screwing it up.

http://www.savagearms.com/firearms/models/

Yikes! I don't know if they're getting MSRP for these, but I paid
about half that for mine about 3 years ago, brand new, at the General
Store in Osakis MN.
http://tinyurl.com/yckr3g8

The scope was a cheap Simmons, long since replaced. Not knocking the
Savage package rifle concept, it's an excellent value. The rifle as
found with the Simmons 3-9x scope had more than sufficient accuracy
for 90% of deerhunters shooting from a tree stand. Most deer in MN
are taken at ranges of well under 100 yards.

More when (if) I can get it apart after the goo cures, get it
reassembled correctly, get the scope re-mounted and re-zeroed and see
how it shoots. It shot about 1 MOA before with 70 gn bullets, didn't
do as well with 100 gn because the rifling isn't quite steep enough to
be optimal for 100 gn. I don't care, 70 gn is ample for target and
varmints. I'd use a heavier caliber if I hunted deer.

If this turns out well then my next project will be my .22-250.

Try the Sierra 85 HPBT with enough H450 to get around 28-2900 fps (I think ,
should go look at the manual ...) .That bullet shoots well with several
powders in my Interarms Mark X . Speer 90 gr HotCor shoots well too . Those
85's are instant vapor time for 'chucks .

--
Snag
"90 FLHTCU "Strider"
'39 WLDD "PopCycle"
BS 132/SENS/DOF

On Sun, 11 Apr 2010 16:14:31 -0500, "Snag" wrote:

Don Foreman wrote:
On Sat, 10 Apr 2010 16:27:57 -0400, Wes wrote:

Today, I thought I'd make the rear barrel plate for my gatlingun.
Simple round disk with an array of 10 threaded holes, a central hole
for a hex bushing and a dowel pin hole at 12 o'clock.

Easiest way to do this looks like I bolt the round plate to a chunk
of flat stock and hold the flat stock in my mill vise. I look
around and find a 3/8 NC cap screw. Okay, I'll use that with a
washer to hold the plate down. Grab the tap stand, what is a 1/8
NPT tap doing in the 3/8 NF hole?

Okay, I'll look for another bolt. Didn't find another bolt but I
did find some 1/2 NC threaded rod. Sweet. Back to the tap stand,
there is a 5/8 NC tap in the hole for the 1/2 NC tap. I have a
feeling this isn't going to be my day.

Rummage around some more, I find what I think is a 1/2-20 bolt, that
would be good enough. Check the tap stand, hey, I got a 1/2 NF tap!
Check bolt to tap to see if pitch is same. Match.

Drill and tap hole. Bolt falls into hole. ???? Look at tap stand
and see there is such a thing as a 7/16-20 fastener and by Jove I
have a tap for it. I put tapped hole on other side of plate.

Now we are cooking but I'm worrying that with a washer to bridge the
9/16" hole in my plate, I might not have enough thread engagement
since the bolt I have is rather short. One more trip to the junk box
I found the 7/16-20 bolt in and I find a FHSC in 7/16-20. That works
really well, the head centers my plate rather well over the center
of the tapped hole.

Indicate the barrel plate to find center, calculate x-y's of the 10
threaded holes and plug away with spot drilling, drilling,
chamfering and then tapping.

Unfortunately, on hole #10 I let the tap I was using go in too deep
while power tapping with the Bridgeport and the quill hit the quill
stop and started to lift once side of the flat stock I was using
causing a crooked hole.

Good thing I bought extra stock. I'm going to need it.

Wes

Bummer, that eau chitte moment after some investment in labor.

I am attempting to do stress-free pillar bedding of a rifle. I've
never done it before so I'm going *very* slowly. I think I'm ready
for final goo (epoxy) but I won't do that until I've slept on it. I'd
really prefer not to have this be an oopsie. It's not an expensive
rifle but I'd still like to get it right.

Traditional goo has been acraglass, but I'm using Devcon 10110. Fitch
and I call it d22 because 10110 in binary is 22 in decimal.
(b10110=d22) It's very dense steel-filled epoxy used and advocated by
a guy who beds a lot of competition benchrest rifles.

I'm hoping to get below half-MOA (minute of arc) accuracy, i.e.
groups shot from 100 yards with max center-to-center distance of under
half an inch from this rifle. The rifle is a Savage "package rifle",
an inexpensive "consumer" off-the-rack rifle in .243. It's a sporter,
not a benchrest rifle, but it's been a shooter as found so I really
hope with some pucker that I improve it rather than screwing it up.

http://www.savagearms.com/firearms/models/

Yikes! I don't know if they're getting MSRP for these, but I paid
about half that for mine about 3 years ago, brand new, at the General
Store in Osakis MN.
http://tinyurl.com/yckr3g8

The scope was a cheap Simmons, long since replaced. Not knocking the
Savage package rifle concept, it's an excellent value. The rifle as
found with the Simmons 3-9x scope had more than sufficient accuracy
for 90% of deerhunters shooting from a tree stand. Most deer in MN
are taken at ranges of well under 100 yards.

More when (if) I can get it apart after the goo cures, get it
reassembled correctly, get the scope re-mounted and re-zeroed and see
how it shoots. It shot about 1 MOA before with 70 gn bullets, didn't
do as well with 100 gn because the rifling isn't quite steep enough to
be optimal for 100 gn. I don't care, 70 gn is ample for target and
varmints. I'd use a heavier caliber if I hunted deer.

If this turns out well then my next project will be my .22-250.

Try the Sierra 85 HPBT with enough H450 to get around 28-2900 fps (I think ,
should go look at the manual ...) .That bullet shoots well with several
powders in my Interarms Mark X . Speer 90 gr HotCor shoots well too . Those
85's are instant vapor time for 'chucks .


The 70s work quite well for the much smaller California Cat Squirrel
(ground squirrel) out to about 700 yrds, if the rate of twist is good
for a light bullet.

Gunner


"First Law of Leftist Debate
The more you present a leftist with factual evidence
that is counter to his preconceived world view and the
more difficult it becomes for him to refute it without
losing face the chance of him calling you a racist, bigot,
homophobe approaches infinity.

This is despite the thread you are in having not mentioned
race or sexual preference in any way that is relevant to
the subject." Grey Ghost

Don Foreman wrote:

I reworked my Garand's stock with steel reinforced epoxy I bought at a boat shop. I'm
sure you have seen a Garand, the action is held into the stock by the trigger group which
compresses the wood.

I spent some quality time with the M1 Garand and the very similar M-14
many years ago.

I figured you had. Thank you for serving.

Wes

On Sun, 11 Apr 2010 13:55:28 -0700, Gunner Asch
wrote:


Separate pillar posts epoxied into the stock.


How did you level them?

Gunner

I spaced the action from the stock using several thicknesses of 10-mil
PVC pipe tape wrapped around the barrel and applied under the tang.
Nobody in MN ever heard of this tape but I guess it's common in CA and
I found it online. Shipping cost more than the roll of tape, about 10
bux total.

I applied several thicknesses of tape to tang and barrel until the
action and barrel were level with the stock but everywhere clear of it
by at least 12 mils as tested with 4 thicknesses of paper sliding
underneath. Also made sure that the action was a teense above center
to avoid getting it locked in by epoxy. I did some milling and
sanding of the stock to get there. A very useful tool was a 3/4" dia
ball end mill from Grizzly, about 20 bux.

I then jacked the pillars into place using studs made for that
purpose. The holes in the pillars are N-drill dia (.302" I think)
while the mounting bolts are 1/4-28, so the bolts will not touch the
interior walls of the pillars in service. The studs are .301" dia
aside from where they're threaded 1/4-28. Single-use studs, made to
fit this rifle and stock. Only took a few enjoyable minutes to make
them at the lathe.

The idea is to have the primary points of contact between stock and
action be the pillars, with the action in intimate contact with stock
(and bedding) while the barrel touches nothing. The objective is to
approach zero variability from shot to shot. Doesn't much matter where
the rifle shoots relative to boresight, what matters is how
consistently it can do it for a few rounds after a fouling round and
perhaps a sighting round.

The rear pillar ended up just slightly proud of the stock, maybe 10
thou, down in the trigger guard pocket underneath the stock because
that bolt also engages the trigger guard. This fit wasn't an accident
but a result of some careful measurements with an Etalon dial caliper.
Digital calipers are wonderful but the Etalon is my goto when I want
the best a caliper can do.

The Savage package rifles use a plastic trigger guard but I'm
replacing that with a metal one from I forget where but could find it
if you want to know. It was 20 bux.

The goo is in as of tonight. It's curing as I type. I didn't get
nearly as much squeeze-out as I expected, though I thought I had
plenty of goo in there. I made up 100 grams of goo after figuring that
50 grams should suffice. Now I'm thinking I should have filled the
blind magazine pocket with a styrofoam plug. Conventional practice is
to fill it with modelling clay, but I figured that epoxy would be a
lot easier to clean out of there than modelling clay if one has a
vertical mill and I do. I still think that, but maybe I need to block
that venue for hydraulic squeeze better than I did this time. The
ideal is to have the goo squish out and need about 100 cue-tips to
clean off the stock which has been protected by green masking tape
from the autobody supply store. Butch's Bore-Shine, being
ammonia-based, is a very effective solvent for final cleanup of
expressed epoxy goo and only costs about 100x a similar qty of
household ammonia. It was conveniently at hand and got 'er done.

This is a first-time learning exercise. This rifle was selected for
that with the notion that pillar-bedding it (however ineptly) can't
hurt, probably will help and I'm bound to learn by doing. The rifle I
really want to get right is a Savage BVSS .22-250.

I am not gonna touch my little CZ527 American in .223. It already
shoots 0.5 MOA off the bench with loads it likes, though it's a
lightweight sporter rather than a bench or varmint rifle. Great fun
to shoot from kneeling, sitting or with bipod, can do headshots on
whistlepigs inside of 200 meters and punch Necco wafers at the range
for fun. It's a fun little rifle, has fetched a big grin from
everyone who's tried it. I'm very glad I bought it when I did.

On Mon, 12 Apr 2010 01:02:31 -0500, Don Foreman
wrote:

On Sun, 11 Apr 2010 13:55:28 -0700, Gunner Asch
wrote:


Separate pillar posts epoxied into the stock.


How did you level them?

Gunner

I spaced the action from the stock using several thicknesses of 10-mil
PVC pipe tape wrapped around the barrel and applied under the tang.
Nobody in MN ever heard of this tape but I guess it's common in CA and
I found it online. Shipping cost more than the roll of tape, about 10
bux total.

I applied several thicknesses of tape to tang and barrel until the
action and barrel were level with the stock but everywhere clear of it
by at least 12 mils as tested with 4 thicknesses of paper sliding
underneath. Also made sure that the action was a teense above center
to avoid getting it locked in by epoxy. I did some milling and
sanding of the stock to get there. A very useful tool was a 3/4" dia
ball end mill from Grizzly, about 20 bux.

I then jacked the pillars into place using studs made for that
purpose. The holes in the pillars are N-drill dia (.302" I think)
while the mounting bolts are 1/4-28, so the bolts will not touch the
interior walls of the pillars in service. The studs are .301" dia
aside from where they're threaded 1/4-28. Single-use studs, made to
fit this rifle and stock. Only took a few enjoyable minutes to make
them at the lathe.

The idea is to have the primary points of contact between stock and
action be the pillars, with the action in intimate contact with stock
(and bedding) while the barrel touches nothing. The objective is to
approach zero variability from shot to shot. Doesn't much matter where
the rifle shoots relative to boresight, what matters is how
consistently it can do it for a few rounds after a fouling round and
perhaps a sighting round.

The rear pillar ended up just slightly proud of the stock, maybe 10
thou, down in the trigger guard pocket underneath the stock because
that bolt also engages the trigger guard. This fit wasn't an accident
but a result of some careful measurements with an Etalon dial caliper.
Digital calipers are wonderful but the Etalon is my goto when I want
the best a caliper can do.

The Savage package rifles use a plastic trigger guard but I'm
replacing that with a metal one from I forget where but could find it
if you want to know. It was 20 bux.

The goo is in as of tonight. It's curing as I type. I didn't get
nearly as much squeeze-out as I expected, though I thought I had
plenty of goo in there. I made up 100 grams of goo after figuring that
50 grams should suffice. Now I'm thinking I should have filled the
blind magazine pocket with a styrofoam plug. Conventional practice is
to fill it with modelling clay, but I figured that epoxy would be a
lot easier to clean out of there than modelling clay if one has a
vertical mill and I do. I still think that, but maybe I need to block
that venue for hydraulic squeeze better than I did this time. The
ideal is to have the goo squish out and need about 100 cue-tips to
clean off the stock which has been protected by green masking tape
from the autobody supply store. Butch's Bore-Shine, being
ammonia-based, is a very effective solvent for final cleanup of
expressed epoxy goo and only costs about 100x a similar qty of
household ammonia. It was conveniently at hand and got 'er done.

This is a first-time learning exercise. This rifle was selected for
that with the notion that pillar-bedding it (however ineptly) can't
hurt, probably will help and I'm bound to learn by doing. The rifle I
really want to get right is a Savage BVSS .22-250.

I am not gonna touch my little CZ527 American in .223. It already
shoots 0.5 MOA off the bench with loads it likes, though it's a
lightweight sporter rather than a bench or varmint rifle. Great fun
to shoot from kneeling, sitting or with bipod, can do headshots on
whistlepigs inside of 200 meters and punch Necco wafers at the range
for fun. It's a fun little rifle, has fetched a big grin from
everyone who's tried it. I'm very glad I bought it when I did.


Sounds like you got it all proper and everything! Way to go!

And they say one cant teach an old dog new tricks...pshaw!

Nice job Don, and good explaination.

Gunner


"First Law of Leftist Debate
The more you present a leftist with factual evidence
that is counter to his preconceived world view and the
more difficult it becomes for him to refute it without
losing face the chance of him calling you a racist, bigot,
homophobe approaches infinity.

This is despite the thread you are in having not mentioned
race or sexual preference in any way that is relevant to
the subject." Grey Ghost

On Mon, 12 Apr 2010 13:01:36 -0700, Gunner Asch
wrote:

On Mon, 12 Apr 2010 01:02:31 -0500, Don Foreman
wrote:

On Sun, 11 Apr 2010 13:55:28 -0700, Gunner Asch
wrote:


Separate pillar posts epoxied into the stock.


How did you level them?

Gunner

I spaced the action from the stock using several thicknesses of 10-mil
PVC pipe tape wrapped around the barrel and applied under the tang.
Nobody in MN ever heard of this tape but I guess it's common in CA and
I found it online. Shipping cost more than the roll of tape, about 10
bux total.

I applied several thicknesses of tape to tang and barrel until the
action and barrel were level with the stock but everywhere clear of it
by at least 12 mils as tested with 4 thicknesses of paper sliding
underneath. Also made sure that the action was a teense above center
to avoid getting it locked in by epoxy. I did some milling and
sanding of the stock to get there. A very useful tool was a 3/4" dia
ball end mill from Grizzly, about 20 bux.

I then jacked the pillars into place using studs made for that
purpose. The holes in the pillars are N-drill dia (.302" I think)
while the mounting bolts are 1/4-28, so the bolts will not touch the
interior walls of the pillars in service. The studs are .301" dia
aside from where they're threaded 1/4-28. Single-use studs, made to
fit this rifle and stock. Only took a few enjoyable minutes to make
them at the lathe.

The idea is to have the primary points of contact between stock and
action be the pillars, with the action in intimate contact with stock
(and bedding) while the barrel touches nothing. The objective is to
approach zero variability from shot to shot. Doesn't much matter where
the rifle shoots relative to boresight, what matters is how
consistently it can do it for a few rounds after a fouling round and
perhaps a sighting round.

The rear pillar ended up just slightly proud of the stock, maybe 10
thou, down in the trigger guard pocket underneath the stock because
that bolt also engages the trigger guard. This fit wasn't an accident
but a result of some careful measurements with an Etalon dial caliper.
Digital calipers are wonderful but the Etalon is my goto when I want
the best a caliper can do.

The Savage package rifles use a plastic trigger guard but I'm
replacing that with a metal one from I forget where but could find it
if you want to know. It was 20 bux.

The goo is in as of tonight. It's curing as I type. I didn't get
nearly as much squeeze-out as I expected, though I thought I had
plenty of goo in there. I made up 100 grams of goo after figuring that
50 grams should suffice. Now I'm thinking I should have filled the
blind magazine pocket with a styrofoam plug. Conventional practice is
to fill it with modelling clay, but I figured that epoxy would be a
lot easier to clean out of there than modelling clay if one has a
vertical mill and I do. I still think that, but maybe I need to block
that venue for hydraulic squeeze better than I did this time. The
ideal is to have the goo squish out and need about 100 cue-tips to
clean off the stock which has been protected by green masking tape
from the autobody supply store. Butch's Bore-Shine, being
ammonia-based, is a very effective solvent for final cleanup of
expressed epoxy goo and only costs about 100x a similar qty of
household ammonia. It was conveniently at hand and got 'er done.

This is a first-time learning exercise. This rifle was selected for
that with the notion that pillar-bedding it (however ineptly) can't
hurt, probably will help and I'm bound to learn by doing. The rifle I
really want to get right is a Savage BVSS .22-250.

I am not gonna touch my little CZ527 American in .223. It already
shoots 0.5 MOA off the bench with loads it likes, though it's a
lightweight sporter rather than a bench or varmint rifle. Great fun
to shoot from kneeling, sitting or with bipod, can do headshots on
whistlepigs inside of 200 meters and punch Necco wafers at the range
for fun. It's a fun little rifle, has fetched a big grin from
everyone who's tried it. I'm very glad I bought it when I did.


Sounds like you got it all proper and everything! Way to go!

And they say one cant teach an old dog new tricks...pshaw!

Nice job Don, and good explaination.

Gunner

Not so blinkin' fast, hombre! My next one may turn out to be a nice
job, but I won't be posting any photos of this one! G

This rifle has an internal magazine rather than using a detachable box
magazine. The DVD said to pack the hole with modelling clay. Well,
that's a buncha clay and I can imagine what a joy it would be to clean
out of there, so I figured the goo could just leak in there a little
and I could remove it with the mill.

Problem was, because it had somewhere to go down it didn't
hydraulically squish up and out in that region. Made cleanup much
easier, only used about 20 cue-tips, but I didn't get good bedding in
the region alongide the mag cavity. I don't think that will matter
because it'd only be a couple of thin strips on rather thin wood --
but it does look pretty amateurish. Well, hell, I *am* an amateur. It
won't show at all when the rifle is assembled. On the next one I will
fill that magazine cavity with something.

I got nice-looking void-free bedding under the action away from the
magazine cavity, near and around both pillars and around the recoil
lug. I think that should suffice for shooting purposes which is the
reason for doing it in the first place. If it doesn't shoot better
than before I can always go back and add more goo to get the missed
regions -- but I really doubt that it'd make any difference in
performance. I think the main thing is to have the rifle solidly
mounted and bedded around the pillars, good fore-and-aft capture of
the recoil lug, with the stock not touching the barrelled action
anywhere else.

I was pleased and a bit relieved to see how easily the barrelled
action separated from the epoxied stock. I did use release agent
thoroughly and liberally. Couple of smart whacks with a deadblow soft
hammer on the mounting studs was all it took to pop it loose.

Might be a few days before I get to the range to see how it works.

On Mon, 12 Apr 2010 21:44:14 -0500, Don Foreman
wrote:

On Mon, 12 Apr 2010 13:01:36 -0700, Gunner Asch
wrote:

On Mon, 12 Apr 2010 01:02:31 -0500, Don Foreman
wrote:

On Sun, 11 Apr 2010 13:55:28 -0700, Gunner Asch
wrote:


Separate pillar posts epoxied into the stock.


How did you level them?

Gunner

I spaced the action from the stock using several thicknesses of 10-mil
PVC pipe tape wrapped around the barrel and applied under the tang.
Nobody in MN ever heard of this tape but I guess it's common in CA and
I found it online. Shipping cost more than the roll of tape, about 10
bux total.

I applied several thicknesses of tape to tang and barrel until the
action and barrel were level with the stock but everywhere clear of it
by at least 12 mils as tested with 4 thicknesses of paper sliding
underneath. Also made sure that the action was a teense above center
to avoid getting it locked in by epoxy. I did some milling and
sanding of the stock to get there. A very useful tool was a 3/4" dia
ball end mill from Grizzly, about 20 bux.

I then jacked the pillars into place using studs made for that
purpose. The holes in the pillars are N-drill dia (.302" I think)
while the mounting bolts are 1/4-28, so the bolts will not touch the
interior walls of the pillars in service. The studs are .301" dia
aside from where they're threaded 1/4-28. Single-use studs, made to
fit this rifle and stock. Only took a few enjoyable minutes to make
them at the lathe.

The idea is to have the primary points of contact between stock and
action be the pillars, with the action in intimate contact with stock
(and bedding) while the barrel touches nothing. The objective is to
approach zero variability from shot to shot. Doesn't much matter where
the rifle shoots relative to boresight, what matters is how
consistently it can do it for a few rounds after a fouling round and
perhaps a sighting round.

The rear pillar ended up just slightly proud of the stock, maybe 10
thou, down in the trigger guard pocket underneath the stock because
that bolt also engages the trigger guard. This fit wasn't an accident
but a result of some careful measurements with an Etalon dial caliper.
Digital calipers are wonderful but the Etalon is my goto when I want
the best a caliper can do.

The Savage package rifles use a plastic trigger guard but I'm
replacing that with a metal one from I forget where but could find it
if you want to know. It was 20 bux.

The goo is in as of tonight. It's curing as I type. I didn't get
nearly as much squeeze-out as I expected, though I thought I had
plenty of goo in there. I made up 100 grams of goo after figuring that
50 grams should suffice. Now I'm thinking I should have filled the
blind magazine pocket with a styrofoam plug. Conventional practice is
to fill it with modelling clay, but I figured that epoxy would be a
lot easier to clean out of there than modelling clay if one has a
vertical mill and I do. I still think that, but maybe I need to block
that venue for hydraulic squeeze better than I did this time. The
ideal is to have the goo squish out and need about 100 cue-tips to
clean off the stock which has been protected by green masking tape
from the autobody supply store. Butch's Bore-Shine, being
ammonia-based, is a very effective solvent for final cleanup of
expressed epoxy goo and only costs about 100x a similar qty of
household ammonia. It was conveniently at hand and got 'er done.

This is a first-time learning exercise. This rifle was selected for
that with the notion that pillar-bedding it (however ineptly) can't
hurt, probably will help and I'm bound to learn by doing. The rifle I
really want to get right is a Savage BVSS .22-250.

I am not gonna touch my little CZ527 American in .223. It already
shoots 0.5 MOA off the bench with loads it likes, though it's a
lightweight sporter rather than a bench or varmint rifle. Great fun
to shoot from kneeling, sitting or with bipod, can do headshots on
whistlepigs inside of 200 meters and punch Necco wafers at the range
for fun. It's a fun little rifle, has fetched a big grin from
everyone who's tried it. I'm very glad I bought it when I did.


Sounds like you got it all proper and everything! Way to go!

And they say one cant teach an old dog new tricks...pshaw!

Nice job Don, and good explaination.

Gunner

Not so blinkin' fast, hombre! My next one may turn out to be a nice
job, but I won't be posting any photos of this one! G

This rifle has an internal magazine rather than using a detachable box
magazine. The DVD said to pack the hole with modelling clay. Well,
that's a buncha clay and I can imagine what a joy it would be to clean
out of there, so I figured the goo could just leak in there a little
and I could remove it with the mill.

Problem was, because it had somewhere to go down it didn't
hydraulically squish up and out in that region. Made cleanup much
easier, only used about 20 cue-tips, but I didn't get good bedding in
the region alongide the mag cavity. I don't think that will matter
because it'd only be a couple of thin strips on rather thin wood --
but it does look pretty amateurish. Well, hell, I *am* an amateur. It
won't show at all when the rifle is assembled. On the next one I will
fill that magazine cavity with something.

I got nice-looking void-free bedding under the action away from the
magazine cavity, near and around both pillars and around the recoil
lug. I think that should suffice for shooting purposes which is the
reason for doing it in the first place. If it doesn't shoot better
than before I can always go back and add more goo to get the missed
regions -- but I really doubt that it'd make any difference in
performance. I think the main thing is to have the rifle solidly
mounted and bedded around the pillars, good fore-and-aft capture of
the recoil lug, with the stock not touching the barrelled action
anywhere else.

I was pleased and a bit relieved to see how easily the barrelled
action separated from the epoxied stock. I did use release agent
thoroughly and liberally. Couple of smart whacks with a deadblow soft
hammer on the mounting studs was all it took to pop it loose.

Might be a few days before I get to the range to see how it works.


Keep us informed!

Gunner


"First Law of Leftist Debate
The more you present a leftist with factual evidence
that is counter to his preconceived world view and the
more difficult it becomes for him to refute it without
losing face the chance of him calling you a racist, bigot,
homophobe approaches infinity.

This is despite the thread you are in having not mentioned
race or sexual preference in any way that is relevant to
the subject." Grey Ghost

On Sun, 11 Apr 2010 14:33:37 -0700, Gunner Asch
wrote:



If this turns out well then my next project will be my .22-250.

Try the Sierra 85 HPBT with enough H450 to get around 28-2900 fps (I think ,
should go look at the manual ...) .That bullet shoots well with several
powders in my Interarms Mark X . Speer 90 gr HotCor shoots well too . Those
85's are instant vapor time for 'chucks .


The 70s work quite well for the much smaller California Cat Squirrel
(ground squirrel) out to about 700 yrds, if the rate of twist is good
for a light bullet.

Gunner

This particular rifle seems to prefer 70-gn bullets. Rifling pitch is
9.25".