There are some seriously good stocks and actions available out there these days.
Bat is probably the flavor of the day at this time, and they build an excellent action. The Scoville and Scarborough stocks are both very good and are popular at this time, in short range.
That said, Pandas probably hold more records and have won more fake wood than any of them...maybe even combined. As for stocks, there are records still standing shot with stocks that you can't even buy new today. So, there is really no way to guarantee a good rifle by buying certain components and using a certain gunsmith. Rest assured, there are several good stocks and actions though.
During my time in this business and shooting, I've seen many, many great rifles built on many stocks and actions. After checking and using most all of them, I consider the Borden actions to be at the top of the list of several very fine actions.
The common theme today among the best of the best seems to be in weight reduction. Since no single component is the end all be all answer, it is in fact the whole system that separates the winners and the also ran's. That whole system is better when components are lighter, allowing for more important things, like balance and gun handling factors. Also, this is important if you plan to use a tuner, which I truly believe will and should be a standard piece of equipment on any competitive BR rifle in the very near future....like right NOW!
Bottom line(s), it's the whole package that makes a gun a winner. You can't buy wins but you can "cheap" your way out of a competitive build.
Lighter stocks allow more action choices and both lighter stocks and actions, allow still more room for things that really matter, all else equal.
It still comes down to barrels, bullets and wind flags more than anything else, but IMHO, a state of the art build, today, is made with light components for adjustability in regard to weight placement. Stocks can be TOO stiff, IMO!
There is no single right answer to the op's question, but there are many wrong ones. We are blessed to have many "right" answers to choose from.
Buying a BAT, Borden, Kelbly..or one of a few others, along with a premium barrel, a quality tuner and a light but high quality stock, and trigger won't guarantee a winner but does assure you won't be failing to put your best effort into building with good components. These things along with using a smith that understands "the whole package" and how that applies to short range BR.. and your liklihood of having a very good rifle is exponentially better than just thinking you can buy a winner by using any certain stock and/or action.--Mike Ezell
