Does a 375 H&H need a stock recoil bolt...

So here's my stock. I'm assuming that the black plug is covering a factory crossbolt. Strange it only has the one, and not one at the recoil lug...
holesreel013.jpg

This is the norm when bean counters determine the outcome of a finished product.
 
There are different schools of thought on crossbolt placement. The bolt behind the recoil lug supports it there, and was a bigger deal with tiny Mauser recoil lugs in pre epoxy times.
Under heavy recoil the stock bellows out at the magazine well cut-out and can start a split going to the trigger cut-out. Once that starts, it can keep going into the wrist and you are very close to haveing kindling. A cross bolt behind the mag box prevents this, or maybe just holds the stock together after it splits.
Since the stock bellowing out lets the action move back in the stock, some actions will benefit from having a small amount of clearance behind the tang to stop a split from starting there. CZ liked to put a cross-bolt through the wrist to hold everything together at the wrist, when the actual problem was more likely tang clearance or a missing mag box bolt.
Personally, I like the look of both the recoil lug and mag box crossbolts together. My CZs have the wrist bolt and recoil lug, mostly because they came with the wrist bolted and I didn't want 3.
 
Interesting thread. I had never really thought about or been aware of the magazine cuttout flexing that much under recoil.

I have just finnished some work on my husqvarna lightweight in
.308. It has a crack starting just ahead of the trigger cutout and runs slightly into the pistol grip. The recoil lug had been bedded, and two internal 'bolt and nut' crossbolts installed before I came by the rifle. After firing a few rounds, the stock cracked again, this time right on the outside of the rear crossbolt. (Just ahead of the trigger). I have now relieved the stock behind the tang, and put in a brass through crossbolt just ahead of the trigger. I used a 1/4" brass cleaning rod for the crossbolt. I look forward to shooting it now, and feel fairly confident the stock will stand up to the recoil....

So, in the future I plan to install a through crossbolt on any wood stocked higher recoiling rifles I buy.
 
.375

Jumping in kinda of late hear, but should mention, many makers say for .375 and up, adding a recoil block several inches up the barrel, plus two cross-bolts at receiver. My F.N. Browning .375 is built this way. The new Winchester Safari Express .375,.416 Rem and .458's have a recoil block added to barrel also I see. A proper Glass-bedding job will add lots of strength.
Geoff
 
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