Gunsmithing Importance of bedding a scope base

[Jeffd0121]

Hi all,

Newbie question here, but I’ve heard a lot of conflicting views on this.

I’ve recently purchased a 30.06 browning x bolt hells canyon speed and mounted an EGW Pic rail with vortex prec matched rings. All is well, but the rail has a very slight gap in the rear when lightly screwed in the front .

it was brought to a smith who torqued it down to specs and mounted everything saying it’s just fine and didn’t need to be bedded. If majority of my shooting will be under 300yds, should II be worried that he didn’t bed it?

Will that really make a difference in the guns performance at that range? (Not precision shooting/just hunting)

What are the problems that will occur, if any if not bedded. Guess I’m just worried and want to hear o I’ll be ok with it as is for my type of use

Thanks!

 

[Nodakplowboy]

How big a gap? If you can't slip a sticky note in the gap, probably nothing to worry about. Two or more, I'd consider bedding or shimming. A slightly bent rail means the rings aren't parallel which in turns tweaks the scope.

Bedding a base is simple. If it bothers you, do it. I would.

 

[SRPowah]

It would never hurt to ensure the base is stress free for repeatability in the scopes tracking. Ensuring the action is stress free in the stock will give you your actual results on target.

 

[spife7980]

Itll still shoot just fine without it but really bedding the scope base is so easy its the first thing I do if for nothing more than peace of mind.

 

[Clark]

It has take me a long time to figure this stuff out about scope bases.

1958 in 2nd grade we are shown a 16mm film on friction. It shows gravity force vertical and friction force horizontal as the block is dragged with a string. The ratio between those two numbers is the coefficient of friction.

1985 I have a chaff dispenser power supply design and manufacturing contract for the F-15.
I go to a vibration lab with a shake table [like clamping unit under test to a giant speaker cone].
All the big capacitors shake loose, break their leads and rattle around in the box.
To troubleshoot this kind of problem with can shake while watching under the light of a synchronized strobe light.
As anyone who works on this for living will tell you, the machine screw fasteners act like they are not even there in side load when looking at high frequency.
I am trying to get this design qualified fast as money is burning.
I write a drawing change to pour epoxy all over the big capacitors to glue them to the printed wiring board.

1994 I have a job with medical power supplies and a Sparc Workstation with internet access [rec.guns on usenet].
I read about the mythical 1" 5 shot group at 100 yards.
I start buying guns again and visiting shooting ranges.
Hundreds of my centerfire rifles or other shooter's center fire rifles later, I deduce that half the problems at the range are caused by loose scope bases with respect to the receiver.
I cannot figure out why the scope rings are never loose with respect to the bases.
I cannot figure out why the scope ring caps are never loose with respect to the bottom half of the rings.

2002 I start building dozens of rifles with a lathe and mill. I put on new barrels, triggers, stocks, and scope bases. I make scope bases. If they don't fit, I put epoxy under the bases.

2015 I calculate that oil between the scope base and receiver will allow slippage.
https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/10265122#Post10265122

2017 September, In the rifles I am building, I start putting Loctite 1330799 243 Blue Oil Resistant Threadlocker between scope base and receivers to keep out oil, because epoxy does not seal out oil.

2017 Nov 19, I realize that epoxy can find micro grooves in the finish of base and receiver, thus increasing the coefficient of friction. [It will not matter if oil creeps in there 10 years from now]

 

[cav has been]

I have been known to sand or scotchbrite receiver surface as well as rail surface prior to A4 application.