SKIM BEDDING: What is it, and why do we do it?

A description of skim bedding for improved precision.

[@NCWoodlandRoamer]

Great information. I have skim bedded all of my bolt action hunting rifles and it really makes a difference. Man I can’t get over how nice that Whelen turned out! Love it!

[@Treegardern1]

Recently subscribed! I just hunted for my first time and I went to Africa for it. I used the 30-06 and 270. I went on a call hunt for impala and blesbok for 1 week then the second week I got a gold wildebeest with a broken horn and a diker

[@anthonygendron9737]

It’s always so satisfying when it snaps into place after a great bedding job.

[@desertdogoutdoors1113]

I love that too!

[@AlienMetals]

Kinda funny, I find it satisfying when the action "snaps" out of place after a great bedding job.

[@ZGADOW]

I wish you would show us how , I know you said you wouldn’t but I trust your methods and opinions the most.

[@falba1492]

I think people undervalued rifles with factory bedding, like Browning X-Bolts and Winchester M70’s.

[@billturner1960]

Wow,,,, I certainly learned a lot from you on this video. What a great job! Thank you!! 😎👍

[@hillbillyscholar8126]

Thank you for another well presented feature Desert Dog. I would add that any factory bolt action rifle can benefit from some simple tuning. I personally like the package offered by R.W. Hart and I think it a bargain for the cost involved. Other reputable gunsmiths offer similar work for competitive prices and I highly recommend the process. Next to a full overhaul of a rifle it will allow you to get the most out of your pet hunting rig, especially if you lack the confidence to do the work yourself.

[@sog4646]

Been doing this for years. We called it bedding the action. It usually helps, especially if your shots are stringing.

[@gascheck8151]

When manufacturers first started putting aluminum bedding in their stocks I also noted the slop fit. It’s not a one shoe size fits all. I do exactly what was shown in your video. I don’t care if it makes a difference all I know is the action is mated to the stock and there is no slop or twisting. I use JB weld for small bed jobs.

[@dansaver8247]

Terrific show. Thank you.

[@mrjeffjob]

I’ve been panic buying rifle components since the plan demic started but just now getting ready to start assembling. I always thought bedding blocks negated the need for bedding but recently discovered it’s not. So I’ll add this to the recipes. I’ve got a Curtis, a Defiance and an Aero Solus build ready for this. And here I thought I was heading to the range but alas- back to the workbench! My hunter only buddies can’t understand why I can’t just go from the gun store straight to the range?! I can’t even get them to disassemble and clean new purchases let alone any upgrades like bedding.

[@blackie1of4]

Great advice Desert Dog! I personally never owed a bedded stock ( fiberglass that is ). I've owned pillar bedded stocks and found the accuracy appropriate for my hunting rifles. Well ... I purchased an non bedded stock to upgrade.. and noticed the group increase by half an inch. So I'm thinking about pillar bedding this particular firearm. Which I believe is very stable.

[@jimmiefarris4218]

VERY GOOD VIDEO. THIS IS FANTASTIC AND USEFUL INFORMATION. THANK YOU FOR SHARING THIS.

[@jemsietrotter]

I bit the bullet and had a go at bedding my tikka T3x hunter and I am so glad I did, the rifle went from 2 - 3 inch groups to sub moa. I was very surprised as my other tikkas were very accurate out of the box but this one wasn't great but for a couple hours work and very little cost the gun was transformed.

[@desertdogoutdoors1113]

Yep, a recoil lug that floats in both the barrel and stock needs very tight tolerances. Some factory stocks have it, some don't. Some of those Aluminum lugs also had short life spans.

[@kenthaslem7613]

I have a chassis rifle that seemed to have an occasional flyer, not major, but noticeable. maybe taking a 1/2” group to 3/4”. I did a very light skim bed of the front recoil lug, no more flyers. Simple process and made a measurable difference. Don’t be afraid to make a good rifle great, even in a chassis rifle there are possible tolerance stacking between the components that I believe justify bedding. Now if I was swapping actions/barrels every year like an active competition shooter, it might not make sense, but with a modest round count it doesn’t bother me to have to chip out and re-bed a different action every 5 years or more. Better to have a great shooting rifle now.

[@desertdogoutdoors1113]

Definately. I know guys that glue-in their actions to stocks!

[@jackburton4667]

1st. Btw love DD videos. Always informative.

[@tunnelrabbit2625]

Excellent.

[@andrewcleveland]

I have not tried the high score bedding compound yet, but I’ve been meaning too. I’ve used a good bit of acraglass gel. I’ve also skim bedded a lot of rifles with The original JB weld, and had fantastic results with it also.

[@desertdogoutdoors1113]

I plan to do a bedding compound comparison video. JB weld is right up there with the best bedding compounds on the market, at a fraction of the cost. It is a little too runny though, and has to sit on the mixing plate for a while before using. Stay subscribed for that video at a later date.

[@andrewcleveland]

@@desertdogoutdoors1113 Awesome! Yeah it’s best to let it sit a little bit. First time I used it i had it running some places I didn’t want it to haha. End result still turned out great, had to do some extra clean up though.

[@YellowHammer26]

Thanks DD 👍👍

[@jackbuendgen389]

DD do you even make bad videos? 🤣 Everytime I watch your videos I learn something!

[@paulharding1621]

I have done bedding and fore end relief on Ruger No1 rifles but never touched my Tikka M65 .270 win or my REM 700 .222Rem, both are half MOA rifles so I have left them as is. Both are over 30 years old, are older rifles better fitted from the factory?

[@carfvallrightsreservedwith6649]

Do you put a layer of tape on certain points of the recoil lug? Bottom & front maybe?

[@fergusonlandmanagementweld1039]

Not nearly enough subs for the quality of information we get in the videos.

[@luvtahandload7692]

Great improvement! What is your favorite release agent? I love the looks of that rifle! Thanks, Dog.

[@desertdogoutdoors1113]

I showed it at 8:00 in the video; Score High Parting Compound is my favorite. After that, good ol' Kiwi shoe polish does a good job.

[@luvtahandload7692]

@@desertdogoutdoors1113 oh, excuse me. I was thinking the score high was the bedding compound. Thanks!

[@gascheck8151]

@@desertdogoutdoors1113 if you want to make it flow easily and get even coverage use a hair dryer on hot.

[@jaybailleaux630]

The whole Idea of bedding is making the stock fit the action so well, the action and stock act as one piece stress-free as possible. I always check the bedding of a rifle before I shoot it. If bedding is marginal good . I will shoot it as is because there is a chance the harmonics is just right for accuracy . DO NOT JACK with a hunting rifle that shoots sub moa. I have had cheap rifles with black plastic stocks that only required scraping the high spots in the action area with a pocket knife . That would shoot 1/2 moa for 5 shots . It made me sick because the rifle did not belong to me. It be longed to a hunting buddy. I did the scope mounting and load development. I'm never that lucky to have a factory off the self Rifle to shoot so accurately with little effort.

[@jimdeitch321]

okay here is a question, I have a Mauser 98 Std Expert and a Rigby Highlander. Never taken them apart to see if they have been bedded but they seem to shoot just fine. Is it worth the effort and expense to improve a rifle that already shoots pretty well. BTW the Mauser is a 30.06 and the Rigby is a .275

[@desertdogoutdoors1113]

Those rifles should be bedded properly already. I know Rigby beds their rifles for a fact.

[@jimdeitch321]

@@desertdogoutdoors1113 Thanks Dog, really enjoy your channel

[@germanmilitia4430]

Hey DD, I am wondering about which rifle would be better to buy a Model 70 XTR sporter in 30-06 or a new browning x bolt medallion. Thanks for any feedback.

[@desertdogoutdoors1113]

I like the Xbolt better than the push-feed XTR. The x-bolt is one of the finest push feed actions on the market.

[@germanmilitia4430]

@@desertdogoutdoors1113 Thanks for the feedback DD I appreciate it

[@MrHf4l]

Will spot bedding create more consistency and/or potential accuracy on a polymer factory stock like a tikka?

[@desertdogoutdoors1113]

Sometimes. Tikka makes both high-quality and low-quality stocks (based on package). Many of the cheap stocks have so much flex, that no amount of bedding will help.

[@Redevil667]

Oh darn I thought it said "Bed Skimming". Used to do that in college 😏

[@whynot-ts9rf]

Were i can found technical drawing of mauser kar 98? Thanks

[@chrischimits6313]

Hello Desert Dog, do you recommend a full length bedding job (including the barrel) on a Winchester 70, 416 rem mag used on African safaris? Thx.

[@desertdogoutdoors1113]

@@chrischimits6313 No, bed to the second recoil lug. Watch my video titled "Model 70 Safari Express" that I posted 3 weeks ago. I bed a Safari Express rifle in that video.

[@chrischimits6313]

@@desertdogoutdoors1113 Thank you very much for your response; I'll make sure that's how its done.

[@titusdaniel]

I'm still trying to understand why it matters for accuracy and precision. If the scope, action, and barrel are mounted together well enough, they're all going to be a complete unit. Seems like any movement of that unit in relation to the stock wouldn't effect accuracy at all. The scope is still going to be calibrated to the point of impact of the rifle. What am I missing?

[@desertdogoutdoors1113]

You are missing many things; like movement in the stock, reciever stress, stock compression, barrel harmonics, etc.

[@mr.mr.3301]

You should show us how you do it over on Rumble.

[@dansaver8247]

I wonder if my factory bedded Browning A Bolt Medallion is actually skim-bedded.

[@desertdogoutdoors1113]

Those are skim bedded; which was still more than 90% of other manufactures. The X-bolts are also skim bedded from the factory.

[@carfvallrightsreservedwith6649]

My first year production A-bolt MEDALLION's factory skim coat is marginal at best. Multiple voids and minimal compound. Doesn't even come up to barrel mid-line. Time to JB WELD that problem away!

[@jackbuendgen389]

Do you think upgrading a Tikka t3x stock to a bell and Carlson is worth the money?

[@falba1492]

A few years back when you could get a Tikka T3 Lite Stainless for $500, I would restock them in a GRS Rifle Stock, and bed them. With the T3x Lites in stainless now going for $900, I believe the Browning X-Bolt Stainless Stalker to be a much better value. Much more ridged stock, 3 position safety and factory bedding job. I also prefer Miroku barrels.

[@desertdogoutdoors1113]

The B&C is a better stock than the factory tupperware stock; but I would definitely still bed. Actually, I would just save a little extra and get a McMillan or Manners stock since you're bedding anyway.

[@jackbuendgen389]

@@desertdogoutdoors1113 thanks for the response DD!

[@williamfeldner9356]

Another Great Video!

[@robertejennings5400]

Very good video quality and informative as usual. Hope you and Becca are fully recovered from the wuhan cootie flu.

[@mr.mr.3301]

Taking out the material is what concerns me. I’m not certain why to do it. Or how much. If you take too much material then it could lower the rifle in the stock.

[@lenniephillips9747]

The best thing to do is to leave some of the original stock surface so that the action cannot end up lower in the stock

[@jackbuckley4471]

I have always liked the HS Precision stocks but they are spendy.

[@mrjeffjob]

Stocky’s Stocks sell sporters for $380. Red Hawk Rifles also low prices. If you think HS is expensive try McMillan or worse yet Manners. They start at $ 700+ and average around $900!

[@pauldeahl3980]

hello Desert Dog. Do you have any experience regarding a bedding job negatively affecting the resale value of a gun assuming the bedding job is neat, done well, and improves accuracy? next question is what is to be done with a rifle that has a fore end screw? after the receiver is bedded and the first inch of the barrel is bedded for support i assume the for-end support pillar is clearanced and the screw is simply left out? as always thanks for doing these videos. i really enjoy them.

[@desertdogoutdoors1113]

A proper bedding job will INCREASE the value of a rifle. For rifles with a fore end screw; remove the screw and bed. Flee-floating is much better than screw-tuning.