My Finished Richard's Walnut Stock for my 30-06 Savage 111

[rmdailey]

A few years ago I got a cheap Savage 111 Hunter XP for $300. I upgraded the non-accutrigger to a Rifle Basix and swapped the Bushnell Scope with a Nikon I had. The cheap plastic stock is horrible but with handloads (165grn Sierra Game Kings over IMR4064) its a 3/4 MOA Rifle. I'm a lefty who has always wanted a nice monte-carlo stock with a cheek piece that fit me. Richard's doesn't have the greatest reputation but they were the only ones who would make a Left-hand Stock for a righthand action for a Savage with the bottom release centerfeed magazine.

Original Stock with a DIY Camo Job
http://i1.wp.com/www.daileywoodworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/IMG_1588.jpg?resize=676%2C294

Richard's stocks come very unfinished and it required chiseling, carving and some filing to get the action to seat properly before glass bedding the action. I also had to trim and shape the forend tip and my recoil pad will be arriving from MidwayUSA shortly. It took a while but I sanded everything to 220grit then started sanding in diluted coats of oil to fill the pores up to 320grit.
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http://i1.wp.com/www.daileywoodworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Unfinished-Stock-Full.jpg?resize=676%2C259

I finished the stock with 3 coats of Tru-oil buffing it out with 000 steel wool between coats. I opted for a fairly high semi-gloss finish. Tru-oil can be knocked down to a satin finish by buffing the final coat with 0000 steel wool once it's dry. I've done that on shotguns but I like variety.

http://www.daileywoodworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/IMG_1593.jpg
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I paid somewhere around $200 for the Stock. Including materials and all my upgrades to the rifle so far, I've spent ~$650 on this rifle. I'm going to add a nice leather sling, a bi-pod, and a nice scope one day.

Most gunsmiths won't refinish gunstocks primarily because it takes to long and most people wont pay $300 to refinish a stock when they can buy an awesome fiberglass stock for that. So I put together a Youtube video on the process if you are interested in Doing it Yourself (It's pretty fool proof).

https://youtu.be/PKMzNfd-mXQ

[drybean]

Very Very nice,great Job

[tufrthnails]

That is Beautiful. I can't see the vid at work but I am going to be checking it out when i get to the house.

[Nor Cal Mikie]

Richard's Micro Fit Stocks has a reputation for turning out some crap (as some say) but IMHO, one of the better deals out there. With patience and lots of work, you can get yourself a nice stock for the $$. I've had at least 10 so far and will get more as needed. Every bit of work you do on the stocks, makes it "yours".
And I might add, Nice job on "Your" stock.

[rmdailey]

Richard's Micro Fit Stocks has a reputation for turning out some crap (as some say) but IMHO, one of the better deals out there. With patience and lots of work, you can get yourself a nice stock for the $$. I've had at least 10 so far and will get more as needed. Every bit of work you do on the stocks, makes it "yours".
And I might add, Nice job on "Your" stock.

I'd definitely buy another one. I think the issue is that people fail to understand that the stock comes straight out of the duplicator to you, all the final fitting and shaping is on you. They are slow. My original stock broke while they were making it. They offered me a "second" that was two grades higher than what I ordered, or wait while they remade it. If you look at the mag well you'll see a small spot that was filled with epoxy. It'd barely noticeable now that the stock is finished.

[devildogandboy]

beautiful workmanship! wish i could do that, i lack the patience.

Bruce

[03mossy]

Very nicely done!!!!

[Robinhood]

Is that for a lefty?

[rmdailey]

Is that for a lefty?

Yes sir, Lefthand stock with cheek piece and palm swell for a right hand action. Feels wonderful.

[LoneWolf]

That's a gorgeous rifle right there. If you haven't chosen a recoil pad yet I recommend Kick-EEZ. Installed one on my Chassis and it's incredibly comfortable!

[rmdailey]

That's a gorgeous rifle right there. If you haven't chosen a recoil pad yet I recommend Kick-EEZ. Installed one on my Chassis and it's incredibly comfortable!

I used to run a Kick Ezz on my Sporting Clays O/U. One will be in from MidwayUSA Tuesday.

[Nor Cal Mikie]

If you go in "knowing" that the Richard's Micro Fit stocks arn't suppose to be a drop in, you're more than half way there. I've recieved a couple that looked like they were cut with an axe! One that showed blue on their site came green. Oredered one for a left hand action cut. It came with the bolt release on the left side?? Mirror image. Tried to explane it to them but just couldn't get thru. Sold it the next day rather than going thru the trouble of sending it back "at my expense". (someone wanted it REAL BAD) Someone just needs to show them how to sharpen their cutting tools!!
Waited for 2 months to get that stock and when it showed up, it wasn't what I had ordered. They CAN turn out a stock in a hurry. Got my replacement in ONE WEEK!!
I still believe Richard's Micro Fit stocks are one of the best deals out there. Better than waiting 6+ months and spending upwards of $500.00. Their selection keeps me looking and coming back.

Knowing the problems I had trying to get a "left hand action cut", I ordered up a right hand BR style thumbhole stock in black/grey laminate. Plugged the right hand bolt handle cut, recut it on the left side for my Model #12 lefty repeater action. Colored the plugged bolt handle cut so you have to look REAL HARD to see it. Shot it with Poly. Works like a champ. Right hand stays in the thumbhole for control and the free left hand works the bolt and feeds ammo. Perfect bench gun. And it's a Savage so it can be just about any caliber you want. I "think" it's a 20 VT
"short" now. (20 VT with the shoulder pushed back .200)

[Texas10]

That's a quite a remarkable piece of Walnut. Very beautiful. Do you know what grade of wood they eventually shipped you?

[foxx]

Very nice.

I am also lefty, and for hunting, I like ambidextrous stocks, and I prefer right eject actions. They have a thumbhole stock that is kinda ambi, has anyone ever done one of those?

[big honkin jeep]

You did a very nice job and turned it into a really beautiful stock. Now that you got the practice out of the way, you might as well go ahead and set yourself up a rig with all the controls on the proper side too. :)

[ScoutSnyper]

I watched your YouTube video, and maybe it's in the comments, but I watch on my living room TV so I don't view those. Anyway, what style and grade of wood did you buy? I have 7mm-08 in a Boyd's and just had a daughter. I am thinking of getting a nicer stock for it and making it 'hand me down" for her. She's 5 months so I have some time.

[rmdailey]

I watched your YouTube video, and maybe it's in the comments, but I watch on my living room TV so I don't view those. Anyway, what style and grade of wood did you buy? I have 7mm-08 in a Boyd's and just had a daughter. I am thinking of getting a nicer stock for it and making it 'hand me down" for her. She's 5 months so I have some time.

The stock is the Custom Roll Over (http://www.rifle-stocks.com/rollover.htm). I ordered it with a 2 1/4" forearm so It would be wide enough to inlet for a heavy barrel, one day." I ordered it two years ago, put it under my bed, then life happened. So I don't remember exactly what I ordered. I think I ordered Grade A Carlo Walnut and ended up with Grade AA.

[ScoutSnyper]

I have been watching your videos on this project and I have to ask. Why did you put the recoil pad and swivel swing studs in before you finished it?

[rmdailey]

I have been watching your videos on this project and I have to ask. Why did you put the recoil pad and swivel swing studs in before you finished it?

Before? I didn't install them until after I finished the stock. Mainly it was timing, I didn't have the Recoil pad or the sling studs when I finished it. There are two other reasons I specifically waited to do the sling studs: The first is that the more you take a screw in and out the looser they become, by doing it last they are in and aren't going anywhere. The Second is that dealing with a screw-hole can be annoying when sanding and finishing.

The recoil pad would have been advantageous to do before finishing because the final fit could have been done with the pad on the stock for a perfect finish.

For those wondering I used a 3/4 Kick EEZ All-purpose pad, and I think Uncle Mikes Sling Swivel Stud. I've chronicled the steps on my website and youtube channel http://www.daileywoodworks.com/category/all-things-shooting/savage-30-06-poor-mans-custom-rifle/

[Nor Cal Mikie]

Stepping back just a bit, Richard's Micro Fit is known for sending a better grade Walnut than ordered. You order Grade A and might get a Grade AA or even better. Not a thing wrong with that.