McMillan Stock ?

[Kracken McGraw]

I am going to order a McMillan A6 adjustable stock and was wanting your opinions. On the adjustable cheek piece options, do you like the thumb wheel hardware best or is the clamp bar hdw a better option. On the recoil pad do you go with the spacer system on these stocks or is it ok to go with the Decelerator pad and length of pull cut to desired length like on a hunting type stock? With the investment of this build, I do want it to be done with things that will give it the best resale when something happens to me in the future. Thanks!

 

[Boatschool02]

Everything depends on your intended usage.
What are you building and how will it be used?
What are your weight considerations?
Will you really be needing to alter the length of pull... AND do so on a routine basis?
(ie you do not know your ideal LOP for intedended shooting position and/or will need an adjustment range that is greater than the thickest and thinnest pads from Kick-eez?)

 

[Kracken McGraw]

Everything depends on your intended usage.
What are you building and how will it be used?
What are your weight considerations?
Will you really be needing to alter the length of pull... AND do so on a routine basis?
(ie you do not know your ideal LOP for intedended shooting position and/or will need an adjustment range that is greater than the thickest and thinnest pads from Kick-eez?)

6x47 Lapua , steel & paper under 1000 yds. Will shoot off bench mostly on bags, with possibly some prone off of bipod. 27 inch #11 med Palma barrel. I’m currently shooting HTG stock with 13 1/2 lop. Guessing this rifle will weigh in 10 to 12 lb. One member here pm me that he gets better accuracy with the harder stacked spacer system rather than the softer Decelerator pad, which makes sense and would probably be more natural on this stock. Thanks for any opinions.

 

[STS]

I have fitted a few stocks with the thumbwheel and wasn't impressed with it's ability to stay tight. The clamp bar setup will stay put.

 

[Kracken McGraw]

I have fitted a few stocks with the thumbwheel and wasn't impressed with it's ability to stay tight. The clamp bar setup will stay put.

Good to know! And I would have thought just the opposite.

 

[Drop Port]

Since you mention resale, LOP spacer system would be my choice. I also use it for winter / summer I lengthen mine when shooting summer clothes, shorten for bulky winter gear.
I've use the thumb wheel, bar clamp and saddle. I prefer the bar clamp. For cleaning it's quick to pull the cheek piece with bar clamp and using a spacer under it returns to "zero" your cheek height.

 

[alinwa]

these are good answers IMO

 

[KMart]

I would for sure go with the spacer system for LOP. Something we don't think about is that with time, our body mass/size has a tendency to change, weather it is to gain weight or drop some weight. This will necessitate changes in LOP and comb height to keep everything in alignment.
I noticed this from my trapshooting days and was glad that things was adjustable on my stock.

 

[fredo]

I opt to have KMW cheek hardware installed on all my Mickys. McMillan can inlet your new build for KMW hardware, upon request, but you'll hafta find someone to source the kit from & install it. Terry Cross (KMW) does this, as does a fella named Joe Ducos, in CA. Imho, worth the 'upgrade' over factory cheek piece options...

As for LOP, I get fixed Decellerator pad, and 'deal with' shooting slightly different positions & garments. A scope with a forgiving 'eye box' allows one to get away with that, as you've got some wiggle room to work with...

If you've any doubt to what you like/need, adjustable is a good idea!

 

[powderbrake]

I have two McMillan stocks, one with the thumbwheel and one with the clamp bar. Both will remain in place OK, but since I have to remove the cheekpiece to remove the bolt, and because I have to lower it ( or remove it ) to clean the rifle, the clamp bar is much easier/faster/better.
For what it is worth, I am about to order a new stock, and it will have the clamp bar.

 

[Alex Wheeler]

The clamp bar is my preference, the only difference with the KMW uses a hex nut to lock the assembly and the clamp bar uses a thumb wheel. The design is the same. The spacer system is lighter than a 3 way but I use fixed length stocks on hunting rigs for the weight. I find most people can adjust to different lop easily on this type of rifle. The A6 prs is a nice stock.

 

[Kracken McGraw]

I would really like to thank everyone that replied to my questions on the stock. To freely share your earned knowledge is invaluable. And thanks to Alex Wheeler for introducing some us to the McMillan A6 PRS stock in a previous post!

 

[fredo]

There are options on the market that allow the KMW's hex nut to be upgraded to a knurled knob. So, ya don't need any tools to remove the cheek piece. Controlled Chaos makes such a knob, and I have theirs on my KMW fitted Mickys...
Pic, for reference, A3 w/KMW hardware, knob upgrade & a Wiebad pad, for good measure!

 

[joshb]

I opt to have KMW cheek hardware installed on all my Mickys. McMillan can inlet your new build for KMW hardware, upon request, but you'll hafta find someone to source the kit from & install it. Terry Cross (KMW) does this, as does a fella named Joe Ducos, in CA. Imho, worth the 'upgrade' over factory cheek piece options...

As for LOP, I get fixed Decellerator pad, and 'deal with' shooting slightly different positions & garments. A scope with a forgiving 'eye box' allows one to get away with that, as you've got some wiggle room to work with...

If you've any doubt to what you like/need, adjustable is a good idea!

I use the KMW hardware on all my stocks. Very good product and easy to install. If you can change a car tire, you can install the hardware. Especially if you get your stock inletted for it. There’s a page in my stock building thread that covers it.

 

[Rust]

I've got both styles of cheekpiece. They have been relieved enough so the bolt can be removed with the cheekpiece lowered. No problem with either but then I'm not using them hard either.

I got the three way butt plate which on all stocks. It's really to have the adjustability for butt plate height and cant in addition to LOP as the stock can be exactly configured for bench, prone, prone with bipod or whatever. LOP makes up for light summer clothing or heavier winter clothing. Of course it takes an allen wrench but then the plastic spacers take a tool too.

Now if they were hard use rifles I'd consider doing away with the adjustable cheek piece entirely and go with the plastic spacers. I could get away with a lower cheek weld because I would not have the Hubbel space telescope mounted but a more compact lower field scope. Tailor the rifle for the intended application.

I take some of that last paragraph back. For my hunting/varmint use, I really likt the McMillan Sako Varminter stock. A lot less bulky, thinner wrist, smaller beavertail and just plain handier. balances out nicely with up to a 24" mid palma taper barrel and handles well.

 

[BLCKWLF]

Hello,

My name is Max, I work at McMillan.

The clamp bar is the favorite in the shop, it's rock solid and ruggedly simple. That would be my recommendation.

It's $50 more to get the spacer system, its benefits far out weigh its cost, especially for resale value.

Here is my A-6, I just built.

maxwell@mcmillanusa.com

 

[BLCKWLF]

The clamp bar is my preference, the only difference with the KMW uses a hex nut to lock the assembly and the clamp bar uses a thumb wheel. The design is the same. The spacer system is lighter than a 3 way but I use fixed length stocks on hunting rigs for the weight. I find most people can adjust to different lop easily on this type of rifle. The A6 prs is a nice stock.

We do offer a Hex Head screw for the C/P as well as a Star Knob, T-Knob and the regular Round Knob.