I like the Monte Carlo combed stocks. They are a comfortable and practical stock. Most modern stocks are just way too straight and don't have enough drop for shooting comfort.
This past weekend, I attended my first Metallic Silohuette match (where everyone was kind enough to not comment on my shooting. Thanks guys!) and a look at the stocks in use shows some of the features necessary for a decent off-hand stock (although some are, admittedly, a little grotesque). The have significant drop at the heel, they have a high comb and a relatively close grip. These are features which were incorporated (and quite tastefully) into those old Winchester stocks along with some other makes.
Stocks which I always found to be fairly comfortable to shoot include those old Winchester stocks, the Remington 700 BDL stock, the Sako hunter, and, strangely enough, the Weatherby MKV.
This weekend, I shot my old Model 69 A Winchester in rimfire and it's drop at the heel makes it relatively comfortable. In centerfire, I shot my 256 Newton which wears an Echols Legend stock. In many respects, this is a fairly comfortable stock but, like all modern classics, it has insufficient drop to fit very well off-hand. Since most of today's hunters seem to prefer doing their shooting off a bipod or over the hood, I guess this isn't all that important.
Anyway, that is a good-looking outfit, Rick, and will work well too. These stocks did a pretty good job of striking a compromise which would work fairly well from any position. In the modern classic, form has gotten too far away from function. Regards, Bill
