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Please note that this is a redirect page for international customers.

Great news! - Matchgrade products are now available in North America!  To place an order, please make your purchase through:
www.nechakodistributorsinternational.com

Any U.S / Canadian orders made through the TBR site will be rejected. You must use the Nechako link to purchase these products in North America.

Other International customers please note, we can no longer ship our bedding or stabilizer products overseas to individual customers. Bulk imports can however be arranged with prospective importers.

Below are the advertisements for our products, much as they appear to NZ viewers on the shopping pages:

MatchGrade Bedding Compound


Note to Ruger American rifle owners - please watch our Ruger American video before purchasing any compounds. Click here for link.

The term bedding refers to the fit and stability of a barreled action within the rifle stock. If the fit and stability of the metal work in relationship to the stock is poor, the rifle will be in-accurate.

In order for a rifle to shoot accurately, the number one rule is that everything needs to be the same with each shot. There are several variables to rifle accuracy, bedding is one of the critical factors.

Under recoil, the rifle action undergoes movement and stress. When a shot is fired, the pressure of the cartridge produces recoil within the stock, the action is forced backwards and then returns forwards. If the action does not return the same point after each shot (this term called "battery" with relevance to artillery) then the rifle will be in-accurate. If any areas of the stock are pinching or exerting excess pressure against the barreled action, accuracy will be poor. This is why optimum bedding is so important.

With every shot, the barreled rifle action moves and vibrates within the rifle stock. The best way to picture the barrel is by using the analogy of a baseball pitcher. As the pitcher throws his ball, the slightest difference in his point of release will change the point of impact at the batter. The rifle barrel is just the same and "whips" with each shot. If the barrel is unable to whip the same way each time, the bullet will strike to a different point of impact.
 

I have a new factory rifle, is it bedded?


Occasionally, rifle manufacturers will produce a rifle design which yields a good action to stock fit, but it won’t be carefully epoxy bedded. Unfortunately, bedding is too costly a procedure for most rifle manufacturers to perform. With some brands, a dollop of hot glue is sometimes applied as a rough and ready bedding. But with most production rifles, the rifle is assembled in such a way that the barrel is forced upwards at the tip of the forend. This point of force is called pressure point bedding.

Factory pressure point bedding will sometimes allow a rifle to shoot cold groups (up to 1 minute rest between shots) of an inch or less at 100 yards. But more often, with ordinary shooting procedures, groups tend to be between 1.5 and 3" at 100 yards. This level of accuracy is adequate for close to moderate range shooting using a cold barrel but hopeless for moderate to long range shooting when firing multiple shots. On wood stocked rifles, pressure point bedding will eventually become a problem as moisture shifts the stock around.

Some high end semi custom rifles and sniper rifles do feature epoxy bedding, but these are the exception. In other instances, a manufacturer will claim that the rifle is ‘pillar bedded’. This is misleading, the rifle is not actually bedded but is simply fitted with two aluminum or mild steel pillars to try and minimize stock compression. Bedding a rifle with epoxy resin (glass bedding) is the optimum method of obtaining an optimum fit, long term stock stability and optimum rifle accuracy.

To set up the best platform for accuracy potential, gunsmiths, custom rifle builders, target shooters and hobbyists "bed" the rifle action and free float the barrel. Bedding involves filling the gunstock with a strong as steel resin, the action is then set down into the resin which when dry, creates a mirror image of the action. The mirror image of the action is a precise bedding platform which allows the action to recoil and return to battery with each shot.
 

Not all bedding jobs are equal!


Be aware, not all bedding jobs are equal. If you have a rifle that was previously bedded, the work may not have been done correctly. A tight fitting bedding job will often cause double grouping. This occurs due to the fact that the action is still moving under recoil, but is becoming pinched and hung up at different points, effecting harmonics. To this end, your DIY bedding job using MatchGrade bedding compound and instructions has the potential to outperform many professional services, products and methods.
 

Not all bedding compounds are equal!

 
A rubbery or plastic like compound might look the part, but over time, poor quality bedding compounds and glue gun fixes eventually deteriorate- sometimes very quickly. Deterioration can occur under compression, under recoil or due to absorption of solvents and preservative oils. A steel reinforced epoxy resin designed specifically for bedding rifles, designed to withstand compression, recoil and solvents- is absolutely essential. Along with this, the availability of ongoing help and user support is equally essential.
 

Use MatchGrade bedding compound for optimum results


Designed by Nathan Foster, MatchGrade steel reinforced bedding compound is the optimum product for bedding rifles. Not a week goes by when we do not use this product ourselves. If you want to get the job done right and want expert after sales support throughout your jobs, no matter where you are in the world, use MatchGrade bedding compound.
 

I designed MatchGrade bedding compound and our Synthetic stock Stabilizer, beginning research in 2008. With help from an industrial chemist employed in the research of epoxy resins, I obtained raw materials and began experimenting. It took the better part of twelve months, bedding rifles over and over again, adjusting the mix and observing results.

I had several goals in mind such as user friendliness during the bedding process, eliminating shrinkage, extreme strength for high recoiling big bore magnums along with minimal air bubbles. I wanted a bedding compound that I could use to build extremely accurate rifles, not make a quick buck. The bedding compound certainly is tough, enough to blunten a tungsten cutting tool within minutes. The Stabilizer compound for plastic stocks had to reach my criteria as well, it had to be as stiff as ceramic yet tough. The Stabilizer also had to be light weight.

You can be assured that I have put my all into these products and that they are the very best for building extremely accurate and dependable rifles. Several years on, rifles that have been bedded with MatchGrade bedding compound are as sound as the day they were bedded with no signs of compound deterioration.

Nathan Foster
 
 

Whats in the kit?


A MatchGrade bedding kit includes our ultra tough, steel reinforced bedding compound, pre-measured for single use ( full bedding of 1 rifle), removing any error from the mixing process. Kits also include a block of plastercine. Based on customer demand, the viscosity of MatchGrade is slightly runny, to ensure migration into all voids.

Click here for MatchGrade intsructions and videos online

Kit includes:
  • Part A 180g in over sized container (to be used as mixing bowl)
  • Part B 9.8g
  • Plastercine block
  • Release agent

Thanks to Skype, we can offer live (webcam) online support to hobbyists, no matter where you are in the world. A skype account is free (no toll bills either, its all free) and providing your computer has a web cam, speakers and a microphone (most modern computers will have these built in), you can get started with Skype in a matter of minutes. I am not currently charging for this service, preferring to utilize our donation system. Those of you who can afford a donation- thank you, those who can't, I fully understand. So make the most of it, live tutorials!

My Skype username is terminal-ballistics-research

Download Skype here

If you have any queries regarding this product or shipping, please use the enquiry form to contact us so we can help.
 

What does free floating the rifle barrel mean?


Free floating the barrel involves removing all wood or plastic along the barrel channel so that the barrel has no contact points with the barrel to interrupt its natural whip. The only point of contact should be the bedding under the barrel "parallel" closest to the chamber. This helps ensure that the action is not having to hold all of the weight of the barrel. Obviously, the heavier the barrel, the more the barrel needs supporting to take the stress of the action / action screws. On very light barrelled rifles, the barrel can be free floated right to the action. The trick, is to understand that bedding the start of the barrel acts as a vibrational dampener. This can help improve load flexibility, the rifle having multiple accuracy sweet spots as opposed to a single sweet spot that may in some cases be difficult to find.
 

I have a plastic stocked rifle, can I use MatchGrade bedding compound on this stock?

 
Yes you can! The first step is to stabilize the plastic stock forend by filling the hollow forend with our MatchGrade stock stabilizer, designed specifically to make plastic stocks immensely strong and rigid.

Never ever free float a plastic stock without stabilizing and bedding the rifle. An unbedded, free floated plastic stocked rifle is typically extremely inaccurate.

The first step is to stabilize the stock with our Stabilizer resin, this is a simple job, taking about an hour to complete. Once the compound has set, the rifle can be bedded for a rock solid platform.

Please click here to view MatchGrade stock Stabilizer.
 

How do I know if my rifle has been previously bedded?


To check if your rifle was previously epoxy/glass bedded; remove the barreled action from the stock. Epoxy resin bedding is instantly recognizable as a layer of resin that appears as a mirror imprint of the action.

Remember, if the rifle has been epoxy bedded prior to your ownership, be aware that not all bedding jobs are a success. There are many private and commercial operators throughout the world who do not understand the finer variables of bedding, worsening accuracy through their efforts. To inspect whether the existing epoxy bedding job is counterproductive to accuracy, the first indicator is if the stock has to be walked out of the action (wriggled). In this instance, it is immediately evident that the action is pinched. You have probably already found that the rifle is double grouping or stringing, there is your answer.

The recoil lug of a rifle is a critical aspect of accuracy. Most rifle designs utilize a fixed recoil lug to literally arrest recoil of the action within the stock. This was pioneered by the Mauser brothers. Most modern rifles follow the Mauser lug design in some way, the exception being the Tikka rifles and more recently, Sako and Savage, opting for a floating lug to minimise machining costs.

The front, sides and bottom of a traditional recoil lug should not touch the bedding, these areas should have been relieved with insulation/masking tape during the bedding process. To check if these areas of the metal work are touching the bedding, grease the action (axle grease), put the action into the stock, remove it and study the imprint.

On the plastic stocked Remington SPS rifle, the start of the barrel must be bedded, if it is not bedded (if the barrel is free floated to the action), the stock will flex at the recoil lug (weakest point of the stock) and will come up and pinch the recoil lug with varying degrees of tension from shot to shot. This completely ruins accuracy. If you have an SPS rifle that has been bedded in this way and displays poor accuracy, it will need re-bedding.

On the T3, A7 and Savage, if the rifle has been bedded, the floating ali recoil lug must touch the action at its front face, while the top and rear face of the floating ali lug must be relieved (not touching metal). The same method of fit versus relief must be applied to the Sako and Tikka M series rifles regarding the action boss and how this boss fits into the floating lug.

Occasionally T3 rifles do require bedding such as when fitted into aftermarket stocks or when wooden stocks eventually warp or crack while in plastics stocks, over compression of the action screws will eventually ruin accuracy, requiring epoxy resin bedding to rectify the crushed fit (over compression also a long term issue on wood stocked T3 rifles).

The tang of a previously bedded rifle must also be checked. On rifle deigns such as the Mauser (93-98), Howa and Sako, if the rearmost vertical face of the tang is not relieved, the butt stock may eventually split under recoil. Again, use grease imprinting to check the fit.

A final test of previous work done to your rifle, is to re-assemble the rifle, release the floor plate (to decompress the magazine spring), hold the rifle at the 1 O’clock position and undo the front action screw a couple of turns before retightening it. If the barrel appears to lift in and out of the stock, the action is under stress and bedding is no good. It also pays to check Sendero rifles for this (also Bell & Carlson stocked M700’s and Weatherby rifles). On unmodified factory rifles such as the SPS, this test is of no use due to the pressure point bedding.
 

Can I perform DIY bedding, what if I make a mistake?


With DIY bedding, rudimentary workshop skills are a plus. However basic hobby skills are fine. Attitude is everything. Be prepared to make mistakes. In the worst case, you may have to rework your job. Yet the skills you will gain will last you a lifetime. Bedding is not the sort of thing where one mistake is made and the rifle is ruined forever. As long as some basic rules are followed, if the job turns out to be a dud it can be reworked without fuss. DIY bedding is not the easiest of processes but with patience and attention to detail, a great result can be achieved. If you want to truly master rifle accuracy, learning to bed your rifle is a must.

Though our services, you will have the right product, the right instructions and the right support- to get the job done properly.

The TBR website has detailed instructions along with helpful videos. Also, I am always able to help via email, phone or skype. No where else will you find this level of support.

Below: A Remington LSS stock (7mm Practical) bedded with MatchGrade by Stephanie Foster.
 
Ross bedding web small

A clean border on a wood blued rifle.

bedding border  web small

 

MatchGrade Stabilizer Compound


Factory rifles feature what is known as pressure point bedding in an attempt to minimize plastic stock flexing and the resulting poor accuracy.  With pressure point bedding, the forend of the rifle stock is wedged against the barrel, usually via pressure point pads.  While accuracy may be adequate for cold barrel shooting, as soon as the barrel heats up, the upwards force of the stock causes strung groups. 

It is common for shooters to want to minimize warm barrel stringing. Many shooters will attempt to free float their rifle barrels to alleviate this potential problem. But on a plastic stocked rifle, if the barrel is free floated to alleviate pressure point bedding, the plastic stock is too flexible and accuracy completely falls to pieces.


T3 pressure point web small

Pressure point on a plastic rifle stock

MatchGrade Stock stabilizer removes plastic stock flexing!


MatchGrade Synthetic stock stabilizer is an easy to use product, designed by Terminal Ballistics Research to remove flexing from plastic rifle stocks.  Used in conjunction with MatchGrade bedding compound, MatchGrade Stock Stabilizer creates a rigid forend and optimizes rifle accuracy.

Simply ad part A to part B and pour into the prepared stock forend, no measuring required. Total job time including preparation is approximately 1 hour.

Each kit contains enough Stabilizer for one rifle.

Click here for Stabilizer instructions online

Kit includes:
  • Part A 200g (typical fill is around 150 grams)
  • Part B 38g
  • Release agent
  • Mixing bowl

Note!: Stabilizing needs to be done in conjunction with bedding. Stabilize first, then bed the rifle.  If a plastic stock is stabilized but left unbedded, a flex point will occur at the recoil lug recess of the stock. This flex point will destroy any attempts to optimize accuracy. Bed the rifle action after stabilizing, bedding at least the first inch of the barrel (depending on contour) for a fully rigid stock.

A bedded and stabilized Remington SPS, ready for long range shooting.

Andy SPS for Web small

THE PRACTICAL GUIDES TO LONG RANGE HUNTING RIFLES  & CARTRIDGES

Achieve success with the long range hunting book series & matchgrade bedding products

ABOUT US

We are a small family run business, based out of Taranaki, New Zealand, who specialize in cartridge research and testing ... read more

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ABOUT US

We are a small, family run business, based out of Taranaki, New Zealand, who specialize in cartridge research and testing, and rifle accurizing.

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