Underlays

Can a dodgy bedding job actually make a rifle shoot worse then it originally did?

I had the my rifle bedded recently, and it has a synthetic stock, and was epoxy bedded and this also free floated the barrel. And i think my rifle may be shooting worse then it originally was, is this possible? The epoxy bedding also looks to have chipped away a bit just behind the lug that's on the barrel, could this be the problem with it or not? The barrel is still free floating to.

Public Comments

1. If the bedding has "chipped away" from the recoil lug, it should be suspect. So should that free floated barrel. Some light barrels will shoot better with a certain measured amount of damping pressure from the stock. Some light barreled guns are set up that way.
2. If the action wasn't bedded properly, it is entirely possible it would shoot worse. If there is pressure anywhere, it could really throw shots. It could be the mounting screws aren't tight. I'd really wonder where part of it chipped away. I don't think glass bedding is a magic cure all for accuracy. If you are having major accuracy issues, chances are a simple bedding job won't cure them. It is also possible that the pet load changed with the bedding. Have you tried other loads to see if any others group better. The reason I bedded my rifle was for strength. I have one that is a notorious stock splitter, so I had it bedded. It is a shooter though.
3. Definitely, badly bedded actions can create harmonics that can throw off aim. I had this type problem with an auto loader. Best to have a reputable gunsmith do the work if you're not comfortable doing it yourself.