I posted sometime ago about my RFD 'Snakegun' project that Stan Ware brought back from the abyss after having it's bolt handle forcibly removed by it's previous owner in the infamous Red Hammer Incident at Holmen, Wi. in 2007. 
http://benchrest.com/forums/showthread.php?t=48036&highlight=bolt+timing
Anyway...it's a 10.5 lb. 30BR, Rock 1:17 Hunter taper barrel, Bruno/McMillan stock combo. I've been tinkering with it on and off as time allows and it really shot well. But one thing always bugged me a little..it never seemed to 'tune' like the other .30BR's I've worked with. It would shoot 'small'..no problem there. But as you went up through the powder charge you could never see the vertical come in and go out like you normally can. Plus, it always had a bit of...for lack of a better description...a 'twangy' feel to it. Not a solid thud when you fired it..just a hollow feel.
This is one of the LV series RFD actions that's like an XP100 in length and has a really small tang, not the wide flat tang like most RFD's. Stan converted it to use a conventional recoil lug and machined the action for 1/4X28 threads for action screws and I bedded it like I do most Remington actions..under the recoil lug and the tang. This action was designed as a glue in and was never intended to be a bolt in.
After thinking about this a while and talking with some other shooters, I decided to go against my better judgement and rebed it 'tight' with just some clearance behind the rear of the tang and behind the front cutout under the action to keep from having multiple 'recoil lug' bearing surfaces. I never bed an action this way..especially a round action like this little one.
Anyway...like Gomer Pyle would say: "Shazam, Andy!!!" It's a whole new gun! It used have more 'twang' when you fired it than Conway Twitty on acid. Now it's as solid and tight as a 10 minute Metallica riff.
Sunday was a perfect morning with 5-8 mph. puffs but with some pesky mirage. Here's some 5 shot groups from Sunday.
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http://benchrest.com/forums/showthread.php?t=48036&highlight=bolt+timing
Anyway...it's a 10.5 lb. 30BR, Rock 1:17 Hunter taper barrel, Bruno/McMillan stock combo. I've been tinkering with it on and off as time allows and it really shot well. But one thing always bugged me a little..it never seemed to 'tune' like the other .30BR's I've worked with. It would shoot 'small'..no problem there. But as you went up through the powder charge you could never see the vertical come in and go out like you normally can. Plus, it always had a bit of...for lack of a better description...a 'twangy' feel to it. Not a solid thud when you fired it..just a hollow feel.
This is one of the LV series RFD actions that's like an XP100 in length and has a really small tang, not the wide flat tang like most RFD's. Stan converted it to use a conventional recoil lug and machined the action for 1/4X28 threads for action screws and I bedded it like I do most Remington actions..under the recoil lug and the tang. This action was designed as a glue in and was never intended to be a bolt in.
After thinking about this a while and talking with some other shooters, I decided to go against my better judgement and rebed it 'tight' with just some clearance behind the rear of the tang and behind the front cutout under the action to keep from having multiple 'recoil lug' bearing surfaces. I never bed an action this way..especially a round action like this little one.
Anyway...like Gomer Pyle would say: "Shazam, Andy!!!" It's a whole new gun! It used have more 'twang' when you fired it than Conway Twitty on acid.
Now it's as solid and tight as a 10 minute Metallica riff. Sunday was a perfect morning with 5-8 mph. puffs but with some pesky mirage. Here's some 5 shot groups from Sunday.
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