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FTR stock features that work

BradY

I have posted this on a Facebook group as well but realise not everyone is on that platform.
Without suggestions of specific stocks, I would like to know what features that are on an ftr stock that you consider are important. Be it length, weight, shape, angle on the butt etc.
I’m onto building my 4th stock so far slowly working out what I like and don’t like but it would be great to hear what people value in a stock.
 
There are 2 designs out there that are use to great success.

one is the PR&T lowboy / Cerus style stocks
one is the Pierce style that looks similar to a BR boat paddle.

personally:
I like a cheek rest
LOP that fits you
fore end stiff enough that the barrel doesn’t hit the stock on recoil
Some drop, probably about 3/8 to 1/2 inch drop in the bottom to the heal of the butt*

*using a bipod vs a rest this one lets you fine adjust elevation moving the stock fore and aft. Even with a Joypod I find this a necessity, and with any other bipod having to tweak the bipod every shot is not a good setup, and the firing points often have odd angles

Probably worth mentioning that Jade Delcambre won the FCNC with an MPA chassis.
 
This may be a difficult set of information/feedback to process. Someone's preferred stock specs will almost certainly depend, in part, on their body shape/size, their choice of bipod, etc., which means they will vary as much as the individual shooters vary.

Having said that, I am a big fan of the McMillan A5 stocks, those being what I started out on and continue to use. A couple years ago, I had a rifle build that necessitated a carbon fiber stock large enough to accommodate a much larger action footprint. Ultimately, a McMillan A5 "BR" carbon fiber stock was used for the build. However, I have never been able to shoot this rifle as consistently as my other F-TR rifles, an issue I have narrowed down to the difference between the [slightly larger] size of the pistol grip on the "BR" A5 carbon fiber stock, and the standard fill A5 stocks on the other rifles. My point is that something seemingly as minor as a slightly larger pistol grip changes the point on my finger where it contacts the trigger and has proven to be a real struggle for me to operate consistently. When it comes to your specific stock, even very small details can make a difference.

Although I heartily approve of most of the features on the standard A5 stock, there are a couple things I would change. I know the A5 was never intended specifically for use in F-TR, but the butt-hook and angled toe are something I would do away with. I would also lengthen the fore-grip by at least a couple inches, and potentially reinforce the barrel channel a bit to keep similar stiffness in the longer fore-grip. Generally, the farther forward the bipod is attached to the fore-grip, the more tolerant the rifle will be to operator movement at the rear. My impression is that many of the stocks in common use amongst F-TR shooters all suffer from this issue; i.e. the fore-grip is too short. If you take a look at something like the Manners F-Class stock, or one of McMillan's F-Open stocks with the "pickle forks" extending forward, you will have some idea of how much shorter the fore-grips on many F-TR stocks really are. Obviously stiffness and weight are two considerations when lengthening the fore-grip, but I think there is still some headroom for this in many F-TR stocks.
 
Medic505 said:
I have the same MPA chassis I'd be more than happy to sell you. Jade is capable of winning with a barreled action nailed to a 2 x 4. A Manners T2A is the best fitting, best functioning stock I have ever shot.
Click to expand...
I shoot the T6A basically the same stock as the T2 except the forearm is skinnier.. I do have a PRT stock sitting in my safe waiting on a Borden action.
 
Ned Ludd said:
This may be a difficult set of information/feedback to process. Someone's preferred stock specs will almost certainly depend, in part, on their body shape/size, their choice of bipod, etc., which means they will vary as much as the individual shooters vary.

Having said that, I am a big fan of the McMillan A5 stocks, those being what I started out on and continue to use. A couple years ago, I had a rifle build that necessitated a carbon fiber stock large enough to accommodate a much larger action footprint. Ultimately, a McMillan A5 "BR" carbon fiber stock was used for the build. However, I have never been able to shoot this rifle as consistently as my other F-TR rifles, an issue I have narrowed down to the difference between the [slightly larger] size of the pistol grip on the "BR" A5 carbon fiber stock, and the standard fill A5 stocks on the other rifles. My point is that something seemingly as minor as a slightly larger pistol grip changes the point on my finger where it contacts the trigger and has proven to be a real struggle for me to operate consistently. When it comes to your specific stock, even very small details can make a difference.

Although I heartily approve of most of the features on the standard A5 stock, there are a couple things I would change. I know the A5 was never intended specifically for use in F-TR, but the butt-hook and angled toe are something I would do away with. I would also lengthen the fore-grip by at least a couple inches, and potentially reinforce the barrel channel a bit to keep similar stiffness in the longer fore-grip. Generally, the farther forward the bipod is attached to the fore-grip, the more tolerant the rifle will be to operator movement at the rear. My impression is that many of the stocks in common use amongst F-TR shooters all suffer from this issue; i.e. the fore-grip is too short. If you take a look at something like the Manners F-Class stock, or one of McMillan's F-Open stocks with the "pickle forks" extending forward, you will have some idea of how much shorter the fore-grips on many F-TR stocks really are. Obviously stiffness and weight are two considerations when lengthening the fore-grip, but I think there is still some headroom for this in many F-TR stocks.
Click to expand...
This is an interesting point. My current stock is 38 inches. I’ve been experimenting with a long rail at the front, and found the further out it gets it does get a little harder to control. Sort of like finding the best balance point on a stock using a front rest. My next plan it to go back to around 35 inches, with bipod sitting around 33-34.
 
torif said:
@1911mag

Will this work too?
Click to expand...
If you can find a reasonably-priced Remy 700, it can certainly work as an F-TR rifle. They are amenable to being trued/blueprinted by a gunsmith and have many options available such as aftermarket stocks and triggers. However, I have to agree with the others that even for me, that stock would be a deal-breaker. In the image below, I circled one of the major problem areas in red. Notice the highly angled toe (i.e. the underside/bottom of the buttstock), as well as the butthook (cutout). These are not desirable for tracking well in an "eared" rear bag, or even a rear bean bag.

I am one of the few remaining F-TR shooters, perhaps on the entire planet, that still uses a pre-loaded traditional bipod and rear bean bag, as opposed to a ski-type bipod and an eared rear bag. With a traditional bipod and squeezable bean bag, the idea is that you push forward into the rifle buttstock to put pressure on the bipod legs/feet, thus minimizing their movement and stabilizing the rifle setup. Squeezing the rear bean bag then allows for elevation adjustment. With a ski-type bipod, the whole idea is to let the feet (skis) track straight back freely across a piece of carpet during the recoil impulse. An eared rear bag is used to facilitate this movement. To accomplish this with such a ski-type bipod setup, you want a relatively long section of the toe to be straight and flat, with only a very minimal angle to it for minor elevation adjustment.

Although it is possible I might be able to use the stock pictured above and get away with it using my rear bean bag setup, notice how short the toe is at the rear due to the butthook (cutout), in addition to being highly angled. Using a stock like that effectively and consistently with a ski-type bipod would be exceedingly difficult.
 
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BradY said:
This is an interesting point. My current stock is 38 inches. I’ve been experimenting with a long rail at the front, and found the further out it gets it does get a little harder to control. Sort of like finding the best balance point on a stock using a front rest. My next plan it to go back to around 35 inches, with bipod sitting around 33-34.
Click to expand...
As you noted, there has to be balance, and that, to a large extent, is a personal thing. The question is what actually caused the imbalance, or loss of control, as the foregrip grew past a certain length. In some cases, too much flex in a very long foregrip can essentially cause the rifle to "bounce" during the recoil impulse. That is where a reinforced "stiffer" foregrip might help. I'm sure there is a limit to how far one can extend the foregrip length and still observe a noticeable benefit. Nonetheless, my impression is that with many of the stocks currently in use on F-TR rifles, they could benefit from having a little longer foregrips, as the F-Open shooters have come to appreciate.
 
Ned Ludd said:
As you noted, there has to be balance, and that, to a large extent, is a personal thing. The question is what actually caused the imbalance, or loss of control, as the foregrip grew past a certain length. In some cases, too much flex in a very long foregrip can essentially cause the rifle to "bounce" during the recoil impulse. That is where a reinforced "stiffer" foregrip might help. I'm sure there is a limit to how far one can extend the foregrip length and still observe a noticeable benefit. Nonetheless, my impression is that with many of the stocks currently in use on F-TR rifles, they could benefit from having a little longer foregrips, as the F-Open shooters have come to appreciate.
Click to expand...
Yes you raise a good point. It could well be that too much flex has creeped in. It has been noted my rifle barrel does vibrate a lot, even though the velocity spread coming out of it is very consistent. Another option to think about could be a carbon fibre reinforced channel to help stiffen the fore end
 
I'll rattle off a few key features before I dive in....
Angled toe
flat fore-end
weighted appropriately to balance a 29-30" HV.
adjustable cheek piece

I've shot FTR off McMillan stocks pretty much exclusively. A5s, A6, A6-PRS, and I've got two XITs.

I'm partial to the XITs of the ones I've own, because for whatever reason I find they track rearward the best.

I will say one feature of them (that mine don't have, but I have seen, and shot) is integrating a picatinny attach point ahead of the fore-end.

I can't find a picture of it online, but see the example (with fancy MS paint skillz) below. They can mold one into the fore-end of the stock to protrude under the barrel, getting the bipod attach point very high. This enables you to get the gun lower (provided you use the correct rear bag), and will yield the most 'planted' configuration.

1638670037983.png

Regardless of what stock you choose, the other feature I really like is a RAD. Even when I'm running 17.5lb+ TR guns, ~70+ 200gr rounds a day will beat you up a little bit. A RAD really puts a stop to it. I'm a soft, sensitive man, and my weak shoulders can only handle so much. :)
 
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