Will Taking off the Stock of My Rifle Affect Accuracy?

[Auburn1992]

I was wanting to clean the underside of my rifle's barrel to remove any dirt or oils that have gotten there. I was wondering if I took of the stock to do this, adn then put it back on, would it affect the accuracy or the scope zero of the rifle?

Is it actually all that important to clean the underside of barrel anyways? The stock on my rifle has a vented forend, which would allow dirt and such to build up in there. What do you suggest?

Thanks.

 

[CDignition]

No. If it has been glass bedded, be careful, you can damage the bedding if you hamfist it. Also the bolts must be torqued properly and not just snug.

 

[matrem]

Depends: How does your stock "bed " with your barrel? In most cases,probably won't have much effect.Just make sure you're consistent in tightening your action screws.

 

[Auburn1992]

Ok thanks, that basically answers my q's.

 

[jmr40]

It probably won't make much if any difference but I would make sure to check the zero before I took a rifle hunting after removing the stock. Slight differences in how the action screws are tightened could change your point of impact a bit.

 

[DRYHUMOR]

You could go to a website for "Seekonk Mfg" and look at the T handle torque wrenches. Having the action screws set to the same torque after removing the action aids in the consistancy.

Of course a regular torque wrench works just as well, but the T handle types are more handy.

Your rifle mfr's customer support could provide the specs to torque to, for each screw invloved be it two or three, front or rear, or middle.

One thing I noted through the years, I can get better or worse groups by changing the torque values on any given rifle. Some of it's me, but some of it's the rifle as well.

Don't exceed the spec though, you would damage the screw, possibly the actions thread

 

[30Cal]

Unless the rifle got really wet (rainstorm or amphibious landing), I wouldn't worry about getting the wood off. It's going to do more harm than good. Blow it out with air.

 

[bogie]

It'll affect accuracy...

With it off, pull off the trigger, etc., and coat the action with some Johnson's paste wax... Make sure you don't leave anything so it can get "caught" when you're doing this...

Rough up the inside of the stock a little. Put some masking tape on the front and sides of the recoil lug.

Put some JB-weld inside the stock, and tighten the stock down into it. (paste wax on the screws may be a good idea)

Welcome to the world of a "skim coat" bedding job.

 

[Mr_Ouija]

Yes, your point of impact can change any time you take your rifle apart. If your barrel is free-floating, be sure it still is when you reinstall the action, otherwise your groups may suffer. Like others have said, be mindful of torque on the action screw(s). On another forum, we've found we're able to dial in various ammo types on our .22s by tweaking the action screws. Ammo that patterns like a shotgun may one-hole with the right torque setting. Obviously easier to test and tune cheap rimfire ammo, but a centerfire action gets torqued similarly and as such, can be effected similarly.