Installing a new stock, need a little help.

[Leon]

I am planning to buy a new Ross Featherweight Thumbhole stock for a .243win build I am working on and I need a little clarification.

I know (at least I think) I need the following :

Stock
Acra-glass epoxy kit
Bedding Pillars
Aftermarket recoil lug (any particular one considered best???)

Now...the questions

1. I notice there are long pillars,short pillars, and combo pillar sets. Which one should I be buying for this? - My understanding is that for best results I should be glass bedding the action,stock and recoil lug and free floating the barrel.

2. Is there a particular recoil lug that is considered superior to others?

3. Am I missing anything else??

4. I am going from factory wood to the laminate stock, so I shouldn't need any new screws, right?

This is my first time trying this and I am trying to build it into a Varmint/Deer combo rifle (it eventually will probably become a strict varmint gun with heavy barrel - but that is for another time)

Any help here would be appreciated, as well as any tips since this is my first time doing this. I will be ordering the stuff for the switch shortly but I just want to make sure I have everything I need and that I understand this correctly before I spend the money.

Thanks guys

[sew0177]

I assume you have the original recoil lug. If you bed the stock and make sure you relieve some stock material at the backside of the lug recess you should not have to buy a new lug. The bedding material will compensate for any ... non-squareness ... of the lug.

[tinkerer]

I am planning to buy a new Ross Featherweight Thumbhole stock for a .243win build I am working on and I need a little clarification.

I know (at least I think) I need the following :

Stock -You need to make sure the stock is inletted for the pillars and barrela and action. I mount mount my pillars to the barreled action and drop it in and remove wood until it sets EXACTLY in place.
Acra-glass epoxy kit - I prefer Devcon steel filled. Thicker, sets slower, and filling. Prep is the key.
Bedding Pillars - I buy mine from Ebay but anywhere that sells at least 3/8" diamter aluminum pillars is good. Larger means more stock removed, but you can sink the bolt heads into the bottom if done correctly.
Aftermarket recoil lug (any particular one considered best???) Any good surface ground high grade steel will do.Now...the questions. See the tutuorial on this site about bedding, it will answer ALL your questions well.

1. I notice there are long pillars,short pillars, and combo pillar sets. Which one should I be buying for this? - My understanding is that for best results I should be glass bedding the action,stock and recoil lug and free floating the barrel.

2. Is there a particular recoil lug that is considered superior to others?

3. Am I missing anything else??

4. I am going from factory wood to the laminate stock, so I shouldn't need any new screws, right?

This is my first time trying this and I am trying to build it into a Varmint/Deer combo rifle (it eventually will probably become a strict varmint gun with heavy barrel - but that is for another time)

Any help here would be appreciated, as well as any tips since this is my first time doing this. I will be ordering the stuff for the switch shortly but I just want to make sure I have everything I need and that I understand this correctly before I spend the money.

Thanks guys




See above comments.

LArry
Tinkerer

[rjtfroggy]

A couple of things, first make sure of the screw spacing on your action, older 4.27, newer 4.41. The newer centerfeed will be 4.41 and Boyd's now has them.
As for pillars make your own, piece of lamp rod cut to length and you are good to go,just epoxy them in place at the same time as bedding the action and forget about them.
The feather weight stocks are milled for factory sporter barrels so if you plan on or have a heavier contour barrel be ready to open up the barrel channel.It isn't hard to do but it will thin out the fore end along the top edges just a fore warning.
As for action screw length, the screws are about .50 cents at the hardware store(1/4-28) or just go a touch deeper with the pillars and they will now be the right length,check before you try to install and then decide what way you want to go.
Other than that make sure you read and then reread and understand the process for bedding and your project will turn out fine and should be a shooter.

[rossman40]

I agree on the Devcon over the Acra-Glass, I use the Devcon aluminum putty myself. The only drawback is you have to buy a pound which is enough to do 4 single shots or 8 rifles with a mag well. Another option is a 2oz pack of gray Marine-Tex if you have a magwell, if it is a single shot buy two.

As far as pillars the factory pillars are a mushroom head style so they will not "pull thru", bit of a pain to install. The only problem is some of the Boyds and Richards aftermarkets or about 1/8" thicker in the pillar area. While it doesn't matter with the front pillar but it messes with the rear. The lampshade bushings are a low cost alternative that are easy to install. The only problem I have is they vary from batch to batch and some seem to distort easy.

As far as screws you can buy 2" long SS buttonheads from Fastenal and trim the heads from 7/16" diameter to 3/8" to match the factory and then cut to length. The only problem when using regular socket heads is that it sticks up above the trigger guard.