Best bolt action rifle stock design?
- Thread starter philthygeezer
- Start date
- Location
- Saskatchewan
The ones I like are all classic style, with an open, slim grip, straight comb, and ideally not too thick at the action. Win 70 fwt, Rem700 mountain, Sako 85 (all good except a little thick), etc.
Steve.30-06
Member
- Location
- Duncan, B.C.
I love the look of these Remington 700 CDL wood stocks.
- Location
- Yellowknife, NWT
I like a classic comb with a cheekpiece, no Monte Carlo. Remington's CDL is nice.
Best stock "feel" i ever had was a Model 70 Fwt. No cheekpiece, but the forend shape fits my hands perfectly.
Best stock "feel" i ever had was a Model 70 Fwt. No cheekpiece, but the forend shape fits my hands perfectly.
Moose Masher
CGN Regular
- Location
- Oak Hammok Manitoba
Brno 21H and HVA M46.
Don't forget there are many "classic" stock styles. What most here refers as "classic" is the "american" style, but there is also "bavarian", "battue", "californian" or "european" styles for example. The "american" style usually fits most people.
My personal opinopn is; if you can't take an esthetical decision, then try different styles by handling them in a gunshop and take what best fits your "style".
My personal opinopn is; if you can't take an esthetical decision, then try different styles by handling them in a gunshop and take what best fits your "style".
- Location
- Somewhere on the Hudson Bay Coast
The best stock design should be determined by how the rifle will be used. The stock that is perfect on big bore bolt gun is out of place on a mountain rifle. The stock that gives life to your quick handling deer rifle probably won't give the stability you'll crave on your varmint rifle. Any rifle that is going to be used for practical shooting in the field should have nice sharp checkering. The trouble is that checkering tends to have a short life expectancy. Even the checkering on my McMillan Express stock wore smooth after a few years of heavy use.
Aesthetically I prefer the older style classic stock, the new ones have too high a comb for my tastes. Should you have a powerful rifle stocked in a modern classic, and you opt to shoot it with irons, you may well find that you're forced to mash your cheek down very hard in order to obtain a sight picture, and at the shot the recoil will rattle your teeth. But should you find it necessary to mount the scope high due to its large objective, a stock with a high comb is beneficial. As much as I dislike Weatherby's trademark California style monte-carlos when I throw a Weatherby rifle to my shoulder, chances are I don't have to squirm around looking for the reticle, it'll be right there. My son's Ruger Hawkeye is more pleasing to my eye though, and the moment the rifle hits the shoulder, its reticle is right there as well. I appreciate a narrow rounded forend on a hunting rifle. Despite the advantage a wide flat bottom design has when shooting off a front bag, too me it looks out of place on a hunting rifle.
Sometimes a stock works well in some positions but not others, my ZG-47 is such an example, in that it provides a suitable handle in all field positions, but when I go into prone it feels like there isn't enough support for my cheek, probably because I shortened the LOP and in prone my cheek is farther forward on the comb.
The worst stock in the house is the classic Bell and Carlson on my M-7 .243. The stock has a short forend, but it feels clubby through the butt and pistol grip, and its tricky to fire without pulling the shot to the right. Conversely my fully adjustable McMillan A-5 is perhaps the best feeling stock I own, but this monstrosity has no place on a hunting rifle.
Aesthetically I prefer the older style classic stock, the new ones have too high a comb for my tastes. Should you have a powerful rifle stocked in a modern classic, and you opt to shoot it with irons, you may well find that you're forced to mash your cheek down very hard in order to obtain a sight picture, and at the shot the recoil will rattle your teeth. But should you find it necessary to mount the scope high due to its large objective, a stock with a high comb is beneficial. As much as I dislike Weatherby's trademark California style monte-carlos when I throw a Weatherby rifle to my shoulder, chances are I don't have to squirm around looking for the reticle, it'll be right there. My son's Ruger Hawkeye is more pleasing to my eye though, and the moment the rifle hits the shoulder, its reticle is right there as well. I appreciate a narrow rounded forend on a hunting rifle. Despite the advantage a wide flat bottom design has when shooting off a front bag, too me it looks out of place on a hunting rifle.
Sometimes a stock works well in some positions but not others, my ZG-47 is such an example, in that it provides a suitable handle in all field positions, but when I go into prone it feels like there isn't enough support for my cheek, probably because I shortened the LOP and in prone my cheek is farther forward on the comb.
The worst stock in the house is the classic Bell and Carlson on my M-7 .243. The stock has a short forend, but it feels clubby through the butt and pistol grip, and its tricky to fire without pulling the shot to the right. Conversely my fully adjustable McMillan A-5 is perhaps the best feeling stock I own, but this monstrosity has no place on a hunting rifle.
...and it really sucks!Not only is the California comb great for aligning eye with scope, but for me it does a wonderful job of reducing felt recoil. The first time I shot a gun with any significant recoil (.340Wby) equipped with this type of stock, it was an eye-opener...very comfortable and easy to handle. Problem is, I can't stand to look at the damn things.
The only comfortable straight-comb stock that I have found is the Blaser R93, the "American" version...still not exactly a traditional-looking classic, but super comfortable and great on recoil.
I like the looks of this rifle a lot. Nice lines, better than the similar Ruger. Figured walnut would only enhance it further.
I agree and have always wanted one of those, classy and pretty. For me a straight grained piece of walnut would do it.
