F-class stock flex

[cognac jack]

Question. Is there a measurement on how much flex a F-open stock should flex? Or what is to stiff and what is to soft? Thanks for any help.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

Its all in how its consistent. One of the best f-class stocks ive ever shot looked like a diving board after the shot. You could see it reverberate thru the scope

 

[rardoin]

That's a good description of my current stock Dusty. A scorer described it as "violent"! It took a couple of matches to get comfortable with it but it hammers!

 

[Keith Glasscock]

Depends more on the driver than anything else, in my experience.

I don’t like the diving board phenomenon. I can drive a stock that does it with great accuracy if I change my technique somewhat.

I prefer a stock that settles out quickly. It allows me to drive it with the technique that is most comfortable for me.

I haven’t found anybody, yet, that likes a tuning fork.

 

[Acyr]

Great question John. I have stocks of varying stiffness only measured by my squeezing the forearm and gauging deflection. Not very scientific for sure. I agree with Keith that they need to be driven differently. In TR it comes down to balance and amount of shoulder pressure. I have an Xit the rings like a bell at 2660 fps but doesn't at 2612 fps. It's all about getting the combination to work.

 

[dbramley]

John,

None of my stocks bounce, but Madison’s bounces like crazy after a shot. And that gun has more national records than I care to count! Cause... hers, not mine!

 

[Papa Charlie]

I wonder how much, if any, flex there is in billet chassis? I purchased mine (XLR Evolution) because I expected it to be very rigid. But thinking on it, the bipod is attached to a rigid forearm tube so there could be some there. I wonder, how much and how it compares to other stocks?

 

[Alex Wheeler]

I have built stocks to the point that the shooter has to wait for them to stop bouncing. Actually slowing them down. This was to test the flex theory. They shoot. Small. Some of the smallest groups I have seen have come off flexible stocks. 1s at 1k. I dont know where exactly the idea that a stock has to be rigid to perform came from but its false. If you are holding the rifle you may be more consistent on something stiffer, but if its a free recoil setup, I'll take some flex. The good news is that any of them, stiff or flexible will shoot small if you can tune.
This one I made the mold for and layed up with a single layer of fiberglass for the shell. Glass bead/ epoxy fill with no glass fiber. We called it the diving board.

 

[cognac jack]

Thanks everyone, for all the good info. I will make sure I have enough barrel clearance and shoot small. John

 

[ngb1787]

John you want to be able to rest ur cigar on stock and when you pull the trigger as long as the cigar stays on the stock and the extended ash falls off I believe that is the perfect balance.
Nick B

 

[D-4297]

Been on the Line next to Madison , and her "Flexible Flyer". First time I saw it , I thought there was something wrong with the rifle , and when she finished her "string" , I ask her about , "Did she notice the movement" ? She just smiled , and said , "It's always done it" . "I don't notice it"....If I could get her scores , I wouldn't care if my rifle spun in circles .

 

[Kracken McGraw]

This is interesting. Do the stocks with a lot of flex have less perceived recoil?

 

[Jennb]

Great question John. I have stocks of varying stiffness only measured by my squeezing the forearm and gauging deflection. Not very scientific for sure. I agree with Keith that they need to be driven differently. In TR it comes down to balance and amount of shoulder pressure. I have an Xit the rings like a bell at 2660 fps but doesn't at 2612 fps. It's all about getting the combination to work.

Do you have a RAD on your XIT?

 

[KenOath]

I think Alex and the Montana crew proved that flex in a stock doesn’t hurt accuracy...can’t argue with results.Not sure at what point flex would hurt a heavier recoiling rifle than a 6mil but I’m sure someone is testing or will test at some stage..

 

[XTR]

it has been mentioned above. It has a lot to do with how you hold the stock. If you are light on it or free recoil it probably won't matter. If you hold firm (I do) it may. I've got one that I got with a rifle yrs ago that I can't shoot because for me it flexes too much. For the guy that sold me the rifle it shot great.

I've since replaced it with a different stock.

 

[Papa Charlie]

Reading these posts, I start to wonder if the stock flex doesn't act as a recoil shock absorber or dampener an accumulator so to speak storing the recoil momentarily and providing the bullet time to exit the barrel before the stock or accumulator releases the energy.

 

[Acyr]

Do you have a RAD on your XIT?

Jenn, on my personal Xit I do not have a RAD. Jessie has 3 stocks with RAD's on them. One Xit, One BR, and a new stock that is almost complete. The Xit's are kinda heavy and stiff. The BR is light and has a fair amount of flex to it. I have run some monster loads in that BR and it stays in the black on recoil with the right hold. Her new stock could f-up an anvil. I am curious to see how it behaves. I have a pretty good idea how to make a jig to measure flex. Just need time to work it out.

 

[Rat Rifle]

Knowing very little about this subject, I wonder how much of it is related to tuning? For instance, I know that a poorly bedded stock can be made to shoot better by torque tuning the action bolts. Is it possible, flex or no flex, that the issue can be solved by tuning?

It seems that if rigid is bad, no Heavy Gun could shoot well??

Or maybe any set up can be made to shoot well with the right amount of preparation and tuning ?

Oh, I didn't know