Stock choices

[rosewood]

I recently converted a 110 30-06 to a .260 remington. It came with a wood stock and has no bedding or pillars. I also have a 110 with the basic synthetic stock that is factory pillar bedded.

The question is, what would be better for accuracy? Should I bed the wood stock, bed and pillar bed the wood or should I swap to the synthetic stock? If going synthetic, should I bed it also?

Also, would upgrading to a metal trigger guard help out in the accuracy department?

Thanks,

Rosewood

[SageRat Shooter]

Rosewood,

In my opinion, stay with the wood stock. Most of the guys here, the first thing we do is get rid of that flimsy, plastic POS stock. I recommend at least shooting the gun in the wood stock to see how it shoots. After that, you may want to try bedding it or pillaring and bedding... The trigger guard will have very little to no effect on your accuracy.

Check out boyds gunstocks, or stockey stocks, as there are many stock options to choose from.

[Dave Hoback]

It's a choice. If a shooter is looking to squeeze every bit of accuracy, typically, a quality, WELL BEDDED stock can have the slight advantage. That means a McMillan with a professional bedding job. Now, either optian can outshoot 99.99% of shooters. Professional Competition shooters are gifted. THEY are that .01% of shooters that may see that slight advantage. Are YOU one of those shootists? I am NOT. I chose an MDT TAC-21 chassis because it is delivers exceptional performance, and I love the looks. I recommend you go with the one you like the best, as you most likely fall into the catagory of 99.99% that it won't make a difference for. JUST LIKE ME. Go with what you like the best.

[jpdown]

Best bet is to put your time and money into stress-free bedding the wood stock and floating the barrel and tang for improved accuracy potential.

The plastic TG is a flimsy POS that will crack with too much torque. I've also had the rear action screw slowly loosen over time with repeated recoil. Replace it with a metal one.

The factory synthetic stock is one of the most affordable, lightest, utility hunting stocks you are going to find for a Savage. Sponge on some camo paint or spray on Krylon webbing and it will look like a custom stock. With Savage factory synthetic stocks, I bed the recoil lug area and first forearm stock well. Putting a pressure pad (bedding strip) http://www.shootingtimes.com/gunsmithing/gunsmithing_0206/ at the forearm tip will eliminate the synthetic stocks forearm flex. However, it may or may not improve accuracy potential.

[Dave Hoback]

Remember that if you are stressing "Supreme Accuracy", a bedded wood stock will perform as well as a beded fiberglass/carbon fiber stock or aluminum chassis. But again, if you appreciate the look of wood, GO FOR IT!

[rosewood]

Those were the kind of answers I was looking for. I kind of thought bedding the wood would be as good or better than the synthetic. A lot of articles I read online were praising synthetic over wood as wood will expand or contract by temperature and moisture whereas the synthetic does not. I thought the metal trigger guard would be better for a consistent torque on the rear screws over the metal and you guys have confirmed it is better. 3 of my rifles came with metal, but I have 3 that came with plastic and one was cracked when I got it. Had to repair it with epoxy. May order the new metal one for the .260 and use the old one on it to replace the lesser rifle with the repaired guard.

I suppose with a good quality synthetic, it may be way to go, but using what I have, bedding the wood will be a better platform me thinks.

As for a pillar bed. Any of you guys just get some metal spacer sleeves from the hardware store and use them? Or is there a better method in lieu of spending $30 for a couple of aluminum bushings that they sell for pillar bedding?

By the way, I am not building a long range rifle, just a hunting rig that I would like to shoot sub-MOA and not spend much money on. I have time I can spend and am quite good at tools. It is a sporter barrel. I already have a varmint 7mag, 22-250 and 308 that will shoot 1/2 MOA when I do my part.

Thanks,

Rosewood

[SageRat Shooter]

Dr. Thunder did a pillar job on one of his rigs and he told me that he just uses a 1/8" diameter threaded lamp rod. He cuts it to length with a pipe cutter and then puts it in a drill press to flatten and square each end of the rod. If you mess up, it's real easy to just cut another piece and try again.

[big honkin jeep]

As always you'ere going to get different opinions.Personally I prefer the synthetics because of their toughness and resistance to weather conditions. I have never had any of the problems guys typically complain about with the factory synthetics except with a heavy barreled long action (110FP) where their just wasn't enough clearance and the heavy barrel made the stock flex and contact the barrel but only with the added weight/stress of a bi pod. I have several rifles in factory synthetics with sporter and medium heavy contour barrels that are just plain stupid accurate.
I'd go with the factory synthetic every time. You're going to be able to tighten them down tighter without worrying about pulling the action bolts into the wood. (a good reason to add pillars) If the action is sitting on the pillars of the factory synthetic with the barrel and tang free floated and good contact with the recoil lug the way it's supposed to then it's doing it's job.
Proper bedding can improve both of them but in my experience the most critical improvement bedding makes to most factory stocks is full perfectly mated contact at the recoil lug.
Good luck and have fun with your projects.

[RC20]

Well I think that was what he asked for.

As long as you back them up with why you did it, there is real value there. Just saying X is a POS and then nothing more is not usefull.

So, my take: Keeping in mind you did not define the shooting to be done or accuracy requirement (hunting vs bench restr vs 1000 yards )

I wanted a good shooter, I could not convince myself that the plastic stocks (ala plastic or composite ) that came on the 12FV was what appealed.

Somewhere I fell into finding the Boyds Laminated stock and though, hmmm, I like wood, I know wood can be an issue, here is some wood (or wood like) that looks good, is very resistant to warp (its not going to be taken into the woods if you will pardon pun)

I then tracked down in a used one I liked and wanted to try which was a Savage Made BTH111 (Boyd Thumb hole Tactical Hunter, phew)

I loved the look, I got a Bull 30-06 barrel for it and I am getting the groups down 5/8 and under for the ones I am shooting well (and are not load development)

So, with a non floated, non pillared but good fitting Boyds (light one not the Varmint) I am seeing 1/2 and under and I think that's about as good as it gets, I just need to get more consistent (if I get to 3/8 and under then I have hit Nirvana)

I have picked up two more Laminated, different colors. It gives each one its own character.

One needs to be bedded, aka EABS (my brother will do that for me) the fit is not good, I wound up putting a shim under the front of the receiver, its been shooing 5/8 and under.
That is Pilar bedded but needs support to make it work. My shim works but I want stable so will do the next step.

Neither one of the Boyds is pilar.

The last one I don't have a good load for but at 75 yds, I got a couple of 1/2 MOA loads for (Boyds but the Varmint one)


I don[t have any issue with the various good synthetics other than I just don't like how they look.

If I couldn't get the laminates to shoot I would go that way, but as they are all working down to under 1/2 at the same rate and have gotten a 3/8 and 1/4 group out of two of them my take is I am good with that setup.


If the various other colors and or plain black appeal to you then those are as good, probably a bit better but you can have wood and be pretty darned good.

I don't even see myself shooting 1s or 2s constantly even with the best setup in the world, should have started sooner!