"...Or how to remove bedding compound without destroying whats left of the finish?"

If dried and cured,,it's stuck like it was designed to do.
Things like acetone, and other liquids will remove partially cured epoxy,,but they won't touch it once cured. At least the good stuff. That's how it's formulated and one of it's good properties.
If there was some oil on the wood and/or finish underneath, it may have impaired the epoxy from sticking to it.
In that case some very careful surgical work with a sharp blade can usually lift the stuff off in pieces w/o much damage. If it's stuck to the finish and/or wood itself,,it's stuck and nothing much short of sanding and finishing will remove it.

If you try and lift the remains of it off by getting something like an exacto blade under the edge of an overrun of it, watch carefully that the wood doesn't start to lift with it. In that case stop and figure it's file and block sanding time.

Depending on the piece of wood, what finish is under the epoxy run overs and how open pore the wood was, it'll have filled the pores in too by just settling there and curing.
So when/if you file and sand those areas smooth and level them out to the surrounding wood,,the pores will be filled with the epoxy yet and may effect the final finish color you're trying to match up. Just something to think about and look forward to.

I've admired a couple of Newton rifles floating around the local gunshows of late. Not knowing anything about them and pretty much forgetting to do homework in between views, I just look, admire and walk on. Awfully nice looking rifles though. One is priced at $1300 the other at $1700 IIRC and have been for several shows now. ,,,and I still couldn't tell you which model, ect they are.
I guess the price is out of line according to any local Newton-ites. Or maybe there are none.