Question About Stock Shape/Design

[jesilva]

What makes one stock shape more desirable than another (example; benchrest/F-Open with flat forend). What makes a commercially made stock better performing than say carving or reshaping your own piece of wood. Do commercial stocks have better ergonomics in general? Are commercial designs developed through experimentation or just more pleasing to look at? I like to modify existing laminate stocks into benchrest styles and have also whittled one from an uninletted blank. Am I shooting myself in the foot by trying to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear?

Thanks for any responses

Jim

 

[Ringostar]

If it tracks straight and your happy with the performance, then do it. I've seen lots of people in F-class modify factory stocks. I've experimented with building stocks to my own design. Not all of them have worked to my liking. The latest one that I made, is working very well. It's kind of blocky in looks, because of limited equipment. I did however win the Wi Long Range F-class State Championship with it.

 

[watercam]

I have spent years slowly whittling away at my laminate and walnut stocks to make them fit me. At the point where I would never be satisfied with a straight commercial stock now. Have at it and keep your chisels sharp!

 

[dannyjbiggs]

What makes one stock shape more desirable than another (example; benchrest/F-Open with flat forend). What makes a commercially made stock better performing than say carving or reshaping your own piece of wood. Do commercial stocks have better ergonomics in general? Are commercial designs developed through experimentation or just more pleasing to look at? I like to modify existing laminate stocks into benchrest styles and have also whittled one from an uninletted blank. Am I shooting myself in the foot by trying to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear?

Thanks for any responses

Jim

Jim...commercial stock makers and dedicated stock makers cannot always deliver the right stock for your body conformation. If you can roll your own, so to say, great.

As I was transitioning from service rifle NRA HP to bolt action NRA HP back in the early 1990's, I could not locate a bolt action stock that fit me for the four positions of NRA HP. I proceeded to tailor make my own from some black walnut wood that an older gentleman had given to me. Attached are photos of two similar but not identical, non-orthodox for the times HP rifle stocks that I fashioned to fit my body conformation.

The lower stock is set for the off hand position for my LOP. The top is set for the sitting position with an extended LOP and hand stop set to keep my gloved hand on the front of the perch belly. For the prone rapid fire, LOP was extended a set amount--hand stop extended a hand width. For prone slow fire
the LOP was extended a set amount--hand stop extended to end of fore arm.

You seem to be more interested in bench rest/F-Class stocks. I would like to say that each of these two over-the-course designs can be easily modified again to make un-orthodox, yet very competitive F-Class Open stocks by a simple change to the rear stock area and the addition of a 3-inch wooden forearm attachment.

This is not an offer to sell you anything, but to further inpire you to take care of yourself when the stock makers won't!!

Dan

 

[jesilva]

So it would seem that there is not a formula as to length of forend, height of the butt, or any other physical dimension of the stock. Is the inletting or the bedding more critical to sustained accuracy of a given stock/action system. Would a properly bedded wood stock be anymore precise than say a tactical style metal or polymer chassis system.

Jim

 

[dannyjbiggs]

So it would seem that there is not a formula as to length of forend, height of the butt, or any other physical dimension of the stock. Is the inletting or the bedding more critical to sustained accuracy of a given stock/action system. Would a properly bedded wood stock be anymore precise than say a tactical style metal or polymer chassis system.

Jim

Bedding would be more critical, unless someone was to really, really mess up the inletting?!. To provide an answer to your last question would start a forum argument! Personally, I use aluminum "V" blocks in all of my F-Class stocks.

Dan

 

[Jdne5b]

So it would seem that there is not a formula as to length of forend, height of the butt, or any other physical dimension of the stock. Is the inletting or the bedding more critical to sustained accuracy of a given stock/action system. Would a properly bedded wood stock be anymore precise than say a tactical style metal or polymer chassis system.

Jim

Bedding would be more critical, unless someone was to really, really mess up the inletting?!. To provide an answer to your last question would start a forum argument! Personally, I use aluminum "V" blocks in all of my F-Class stocks.

Dan

Do you do any bedding along with the V-block?

 

[johara1]

You may want to look at a tube gun, it can do it all …….. very adjustable and no bedding ……. jim

 

[joshb]

I'm not an old salt at this but in my time, I have seen a wide range of designs. Keep in mind that production stocks are made to fit "everybody". With customs, the sky is the limit. Wood moves with climate changes. Laminates slow the process. Man made synthetics can be very stable. Metals probably top the list. Do a google search of stock designs. You'll see pretty sedate to futuristic stocks. It's amazing what some guys will build. Get a Tight fit to your action, and go from there.

 

[dannyjbiggs]

So it would seem that there is not a formula as to length of forend, height of the butt, or any other physical dimension of the stock. Is the inletting or the bedding more critical to sustained accuracy of a given stock/action system. Would a properly bedded wood stock be anymore precise than say a tactical style metal or polymer chassis system.

Jim

Bedding would be more critical, unless someone was to really, really mess up the inletting?!. To provide an answer to your last question would start a forum argument! Personally, I use aluminum "V" blocks in all of my F-Class stocks.

Dan

Do you do any bedding along with the V-block?

I'm not sure that I understand the question? But, the V-block is bedded into the stock. Bedding the V-block is a job that I turn over to the experts!

Dan

 

[Jdne5b]

So it would seem that there is not a formula as to length of forend, height of the butt, or any other physical dimension of the stock. Is the inletting or the bedding more critical to sustained accuracy of a given stock/action system. Would a properly bedded wood stock be anymore precise than say a tactical style metal or polymer chassis system.

Jim

Bedding would be more critical, unless someone was to really, really mess up the inletting?!. To provide an answer to your last question would start a forum argument! Personally, I use aluminum "V" blocks in all of my F-Class stocks.

Dan

Do you do any bedding along with the V-block?

I'm not sure that I understand the question? But, the V-block is bedded into the stock. Bedding the V-block is a job that I turn over to the experts!

Dan

Sorry. I meant do you bed the recoil lug or skim bed between the Vblock and action?

 

[dannyjbiggs]

So it would seem that there is not a formula as to length of forend, height of the butt, or any other physical dimension of the stock. Is the inletting or the bedding more critical to sustained accuracy of a given stock/action system. Would a properly bedded wood stock be anymore precise than say a tactical style metal or polymer chassis system.

Jim

Bedding would be more critical, unless someone was to really, really mess up the inletting?!. To provide an answer to your last question would start a forum argument! Personally, I use aluminum "V" blocks in all of my F-Class stocks.

Dan

Do you do any bedding along with the V-block?

I'm not sure that I understand the question? But, the V-block is bedded into the stock. Bedding the V-block is a job that I turn over to the experts!

Dan

Sorry. I meant do you bed the recoil lug or skim bed between the Vblock and action?

I use Barnard actions, and it's lug neatly fits into the V-block. I'm not familiar as to how the V-block is bedded?? Sorry.

Dan

 

[Jdne5b]

I use Barnard actions, and it's lug neatly fits into the V-block.

Dan

;D Makes sense now.