I would like to shorten a stock on my X bolt. Is it worth my time to try and shorten the stock or should I buy a new stock with a shorter length of pull? It seems hard to find new stocks with shorter LOP's I'm finding. Will I be able to use the original but pad after I shorten the stock?
Shortening a stock
- Thread starter Canadianguns
- Start date
Browning parts are always difficult to source IMHO. As for the existing stock, if it looks as bad as most I have seen lately where the butt pad and stock are mated you will be improving it.
I have shortened a few stocks lately because of my grandson's short LOP. I know that I will have to increase the LOP as he grows. At first I was going to do as suggested before and just reattach the cut off section. In the end I have come up with making spacers out of high density red or black rubber, the type used in belt scrapers. It's cheap and easily formed as well as durable. It also stays in place without moving.
This stuff is available at just about any heavy equipment shop and is much cheaper than butt pads. The old butt pad can be reused each time if you don't intend to taper the stock. This isn't my idea by any means, I have an Anschutz Cadet that uses similar plastic spacers and at one time a single shot rifle that had the same spacers. All of the parts were reusable.
I have shortened a few stocks lately because of my grandson's short LOP. I know that I will have to increase the LOP as he grows. At first I was going to do as suggested before and just reattach the cut off section. In the end I have come up with making spacers out of high density red or black rubber, the type used in belt scrapers. It's cheap and easily formed as well as durable. It also stays in place without moving.
This stuff is available at just about any heavy equipment shop and is much cheaper than butt pads. The old butt pad can be reused each time if you don't intend to taper the stock. This isn't my idea by any means, I have an Anschutz Cadet that uses similar plastic spacers and at one time a single shot rifle that had the same spacers. All of the parts were reusable.
What kind of stock do you have - wood or some kind of composite. Some of the factory `plastic`stocks aren`t handy for cutting down. If you are going to shorten it by an inch, make sure that there will still be enough material in the stock at that point to screw the recoil pad on. Some plastic or composite stocks start getting hollow if you cut them down and it`s hard to mount a recoil pad without some material to screw it on to.
Last edited:
Good advice JH. Not only that but many composite stocks are made from Zytel which will not allow any type of resin or other filler to adhere to it.
