Quote:
Originally Posted by Peregrino
Guy - Your comments got me thinking about how custom "safari rifles" were built 30 years ago so I asked my gunsmith about your experience. He stated it was unusual to bed the actions back then. They actually had craftsmen who could inlet a stock so that the action didn't need bedding and a properly fitted stock would last longer than the bedding compounds available at the time. Does your stock have a cross bolt behind the recoil lug? That would have been the preferred custom touch at the time. And yes - heavy recoil will eventually crush the wood fibers and loosen the stock fit. Thing is - bedding breaks down too. Depending on the bedding compound your gunsmith is using, and how much you shoot it, you should be prepared to get the bedding redone seasonally.
Side note - and far less expensive for diagnostic purposes - have you gotten the bore scoped? It's not at all unusual for magnums to have a sharp drop-off in accuracy once the barrel starts showing wear. It sounds like you've already checked everything else.
|
Thanks for the info Peregrino,
I got the rifle back on Friday, but have not had the opportunity to shoot it yet. I will do so tomorrow at the beginning of the hunt. My gunsmith says he bedded it with a epoxy compound and he thinks it should do the job. I have not had the bore scoped. To the naked eye, it looks surprisingly pristine and if the slump into inaccuracy were gradual, I would suspect the bore to be the problem. However, the jump from MOA to 4xMOA took place between two shooting occasions and I feel deterioration of the bore would be more gradual.
It does have a cross-bolt. It also has a pound of lead I had added to the butt to balance the rifle. It has a mighty bull barrel up front.
I wouldn't be happy re-bedding every season though. This excersize cost an arm and a leg.
Lets see what happens tomorrow.
I will report back, with pictures. Lets hope they are of carcasses and not Wildebeest heading for the horizon.