Bedding the Savage 340 30-30

JWFilips

Well-Known Member
I figured a way to move this piece of information from an old thread into the "projects"category
I did this projectJuly of 2017!


I did something drastic to my Savage 340 30-30!
I'm sure the old ones at Savage that have departed are rolling in their graves!
Under the watchful eye of Ben I went and Glass bedded my 340 and totally free floated the barrel last weekend!
Some progress photos below:

This first photo shows the application of modeling clay ( orangish stuff) to the barrel nut This is very important The notches in the nut must be filled
flush to the nut's top surface othewise you will never get the barrel & receiver after glass bedding!!!
However you can see that the lowest one on the bottom is not filled because it is in the bottom center position and will come out of the bedding just fine. Also I made a clay dam around the clip slide area.
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The second photo shows the clay dam in the clip slid area.
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The 3rd photo shpows the stock outside masked off with blue painter's tape and the clay dam in the forestock 2" ahead of the front of the receiver. From that clay dam forward the barrel floats.
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Photo 4 Just a closer view of the dam area
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Photo 5 Below is an over view of where the epoxy will be placed: starting on the left where the wood has been roughed up ( brown areas)
just in front of the trigger mortice...... all the way to the clay dam on the right.
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Photo 6 as above Photo 7 to 9 Below: showing finished cured gas bedding
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Photo 8 Photo 9
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JWFilips

Well-Known Member
Continued:
Photo 10 shows over view of cured glass bedding
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In the end I added a bit more reddish color to the wood and was able to put in a 650 grain piece of lead into the barrel band mortice ( I only shoot targets from the bench)
Front Weight.jpg

One of the first targets shot after bedding & free floating barrel

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A few Notes on the Glass bedding project:
YES There now is only one bolt ( in Recoil Lug) holding the barrel & action in the stock.
I did not bring the bedding past the front of the Trigger assembly because Ben Knows Savage actions and they are meant to be " free floated from the trigger assembly back to the rear tang"

Yes I could have easily Bedded the bottom of the trigger assembly or even all the way around the rear tang but from what Ben said and from what I read that isn't a good thing on a Savage

I decided against making a boss on the rear of the trigger housing and replacing the rear guard screw for another bolt for that very reason.

The way the rifle is now; it feels more solid when it shoots and actually feels more like the recoil is "in line" instead of the muzzle rise I used to get with recoil!

Please also Note I'm a target shooter only so I don't shoot hot loads.... I have no need for high recoil.
I'm thinking some day of installing a scope on a custom made to receiver mount ....that may tighten my groups! :D
Jim
 
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JWFilips

Well-Known Member
For those of you wanting to top mount a scope of the 340 Savage:
I have had the pleasure of meeting on line a wonderful older gentleman; LeeRoy Wisner
He had one of the best websites for Gunsmithing the Savage 340!
It appears now I can not locate his sites anymore.
But I do have PDFs of his writings
If you contact me by PM I can give you a link to his great work in PDF format!
 

Pistolero

Well-Known Member
Very interesting, JW. I should try that with my 340s, one in .22 Hornet and one in .30-30.

What were groups like before the glass bedding? Was it to stop a wandering zero or increase
accuracy or both? Or no big problem, just being proactive to get the best accuracy?

Here you go..


Bill
 
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JWFilips

Well-Known Member
Bill From the start I loved the 340 I started shooting it with Receiver sights and I knew it could be a shooter!
But it was hit and miss every other weekend & I wanted consistency and this gave it to me
Jim
 

RBHarter

West Central AR
Musta got lucky with mine ........ Can't find a bad load for the 30-30 and the 222 shoots one group size with 4 factory loads and 2 cast loads . Not much good for gophers past 100 yd but half gallon milk cartons are in a world of hurt to about 350 ......I blame the down fall on the operator though , there's probably a half inch or so left on the bench .
 

antietamgw

New Member
I know this is an old post but I'm glad I saw it. I have an early 340 that needs some stock work and reblueing. The bore looks good but the rest is pretty tired. It came with a Lyman (#40?) receiver sight and a Weaver 2 piece side mount base/ring. Strangely, the receiver sight wasn't mounted but in the box with the Weaver base. Since the stock was cracked I never shot the rifle for accuracy, just function with a few light cast loads and a factory round while it was on the bench secured with some sandbags on it. It's an early model and was not drilled and tapped at the factory for a scope base. I pretty much need optics any more and figured to go ahead and do that. I had thought of adding a small tang and rear receiver screw but after reading through this thread, I believe I'll hold off on that and bed it the way JWFilips did, per Ben's suggestion. It's at the top of the fun project list and I hope to get a little time to work on it before Christmas.

 

CWLONGSHOT

Well-Known Member
Love mine!! Thought I had a thread on here somewhere...



Mine is also a early gun 340 no letter and 30/30. Wears an original peep I bought afterwards. Cost as much as rifle!!! But man can she shoot! Likes the Unique load and LOVES 4198 both with my cast.

I have a second 340 in Hornet Im still working on. Custom bbl so stock and blind feeded. I am making is a single shot. Super heavy barrel. I plan on D&T barrel with a long 10-12x optic and using two rings in front of turret to get eye relief. Mock up shows it will work. Need to finish head spacing barrel. (No nut this one) It came to me in box with parts in baggies.... Needed a dozen small parts but I should have all needed now.

I sold dozens of these rifles back in the day. Mostly 325's but never had interest. Boy did I miss out!
CW
 
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RBHarter

West Central AR
Had a 325C in 30-30 I didn't do anything to it . I found that the NOE 311-230 didn't group for beans . I shot gallery to full power with cast loads exceeding jacketed data max loads at start values from 97gr 32 ACP cast up to paper patch 301618 172gr under 2" at 100 yd . Boring rifle to load , great confidence booster for a new shooter .
 

antietamgw

New Member
Any of you ever make up a throat slug of your .30-30 chambers? Wondered about mine as it has a long toilet bowl shaped throat, unlike the typical short\no throat .30-30 chamber. Figured I could always set it back a bit if I thought it was giving me trouble. I look forward to getting started on this one but spare time is in real short supply this time of year. I farm but also work away a few days a week and this is a real busy time of the year for us.
 

JWFilips

Well-Known Member
I reamed my throat because it was to abrupt! Typical of most 30-30's...... I like my bullets to have an easy in and I like to seat them long touching the lands....that is pretty much where I start all my rifle loads!
If you have a long throat, it was worked, so you may be golden!
 

CWLONGSHOT

Well-Known Member
I only seek these answers when there is a reason to look... :p

What was just said in Brother Loves PC thread.... If it aint broke ;)
 

fiver

Well-Known Member
with all the 30 cal. bullets available one of the three different types will easily fit and shoot pretty much however you want it to.
 

CWLONGSHOT

Well-Known Member
Im lucky then as everything I have tried so far, RD Louverne and conventional grease groove bullets have shot very well!!

CW
 

antietamgw

New Member
+1 to a long throat! It was the strange shape of this one that threw me a bit. Maybe it's been dinked with, maybe not. I shoot the RanchDog bullet as well. Works well in the Microgroove barrels. I'll give 311290 and 311299 a try for a heavy bullet in the Savage when I get her back together. They both did real well in a Contender carbine in .30-30. I'm looking forward to getting this one together.
 
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richhodg66

Well-Known Member
My first "small bore" deer with cast (had been doing it for years with muzzle loaders) was with a 340. I like them. I didn't go as far as you did, but when I loosened things, the barreled action could be rocked on the recoil lug, which I figured couldn't be good, so I removed wood from the bottom of that recess and added some bedding behind the lug. Seemed to help a little.

Not what I'd call a tack driver, but surely decently accurate for a woods gun and isn't picky, shoots all the cast I've shot in it pretty well.