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Matthew Staples

Hello all, my first post but a long time shooter and I have had a few goes at bedding rifles, but by no means an expert. So I have only recently became aware of this website and indeed the wealth of knowledge that Nathan has to offer.
Down to business with the topic. I have a ruger Hawkeye all weather in .204 cal, with the plastic stock in factory mode I have regularly shot groups of around the 0.5 - 0.7 moa with no issues at all, in fact every thing I’ve put through it is under the inch except for Nosler bt bullets it sprayed them about so I ditched them. I have got a Boyd’s classic stock, which I preceded to bed it was quite an ill fitting stock front action screw area is the same measurement as the plastic stock but the rear was about 3mm too shallow in the inletting the bolt wouldn’t close due to the slot not big enough. Anyway fixed the bolt slot easily and inletted the rear action to the correct height. I fitted a pillar to the rear. Now I had trouble with my old bedding compound obviously over the years it has broken down along with first attempt not getting the ratios correct.
Second go after cleaning all the goop out and very carefully weighing the compound and setting action in the stock, pillar in the rear, height set for front with dams and tape on the barrel etc. Compound wouldn’t set stayed soft, but pillar seemed to set tight. So dig out the bedding from the front again, purchase brownells accra glass gel. Watch Nathan’s video on how to do a ruger set it up exactly how he showed it. Job came up beautifully best I’ve ever done.
However rifle shoots patterns not groups, hard pressed to get it under 1.5”.
So after checking to make sure there is no tight spots and tightening the action the suggested way and tensions.
So front screw first to 65 inch pound, middle screw just nipped up and back to 45 inch pound. I had to relieve the mag box a bit so it’s a loose fit.
When I did the final bedding I left the pillar in place with the old bedding and did the rear screws just nipped up no real pressure and put rubber bands around the front of action so the receiver and barrel was set in stock to my pencil marks on action and the tape on barrel was touching the stock just nice.
So I’m wondering now if the rear compound is soft around the pillar giving me some movement, and if I drill out the rear pillar and mix up Accra glass and use that, would I tension down the front screw to firm to make sure it’s sitting where it needs to be with no stress as the rear cures?
Regards Matt