Reading this makes me think of a couple of things:
1. I was taught to leave the barrels on the gun and remove just the forend. Not sure why, just the way I was taught.
2. Heat lamps can torch a stock with hot oil on it quickly. Do not leave the gun unattended while being heated. Oil soaked rags around the stock will not protect the stock from burning. So, be careful and my experience has been to heat the stock slowly by keeping the lamps about 10"-11" away and not try and rush things. I have toasted or discolored (did not completely burn) one of my own stocks when learning.
3. I was taught to clamp just the action of the gun. I have since experimented by clamping both the action and the head of the stock with a leather covered wood vise and that seem to help lessen the separation between the metal and the stock. Where/what do you guys clamp?
4. I have always ensured the through bolt is tight, but I have not tried to open the hole or bend the bolt. Bending the bolt seems to me to be a problem. First, wouldn't a bent through bolt (even slightly) be difficult to screw in? And second, how would you make sure that the bolt is bent in the right direction? As you tighten the bolt, it could pull the stock in the opposite direction. Enlarging the through bolt hole seems to make more sense, but again could this have some negative effect?
Finally, because of the gap created in the metal to wood fit when bending O/Us, I have been hesitant to try this on my sidelocks. The last thing I want to do is screw up the metal to wood finish on that king of gun.
