I have a 10 in 6.5 WSM and would like to reduce the weight of the rifle, while maintaining a stiff forearm. The factory stock has a lot of flex up front and I want to eliminate this. I'm looking for info or links to lightweight stock manufactures.
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I have a 10 in 6.5 WSM and would like to reduce the weight of the rifle, while maintaining a stiff forearm. The factory stock has a lot of flex up front and I want to eliminate this. I'm looking for info or links to lightweight stock manufactures.
No worries, I'll figure it out
Depends on how much you want to spend to shave off a few ounces in stock weight. Some manufactures stock's to check out are Manners, Stockade Gunstocks, Bell and Carlson and Boyd's Gunstocks. A Savage stock with a blind magazine will be lighter than one with metal DBM parts. The Savage factory synthetic stock is about as light as you can get followed by composite, hardwood, walnut and laminate in that order. A Savage 11 LWH walnut stock is the lightest (27.5 oz) Savage wood stock that I've found over the years. The forearm is stiff, it has a compact hunter profile with a good 1" recoil pad and the barrel channel will accept a Savage factory sporter profile barrel with minor sanding to open up the forearm tip and free-float the barrel.
How about the accustock? They are pretty light and the aluminum bedding tpstiffens them up.
Does your gun have the bottom bolt release? What about a detachable mag? That will help narrow down your options.
Going to be hard pressed to find anything lighter than the factory synthetic stock. It's lighter than the AccuStock, which is why the new 16/116 LWH doesn't come with the AccuStock.
McMillan edge
I have a McMillan Game Scout that I had them put the Edge fill in. The fill is a little softer so they use pillars. It's sweet. When budget permits, I'll have another.
Top bolt release - blind mag.
Leaning toward the McM Edge.
Here is what the Mcmillan sales rep told me- Yes, we can inlet the Hunters Edge stock to accept the Savage DBM system. However, due to the Savage design, we must add our solid glass reinforcement to the action area of the stock, which negates any weight savings that may have been possible with the Edge Technologies. So, I would recommend saving some money and getting the Remington Compact stock (same pattern), in standard fiberglass for your Savage.
Searching for a lightweight stock for a savage is like the search for the Holy Grail. I am just about ready to quit my job and learn how to make rifle stocks, so I can solve this issue myself lol. Hope this helps someone on their search. If someone ever does find decent lightweight savage stock please please let us know.
Save your money and eat your Wheaties....
I have plenty of standard and heavy rifles. I also have several lightweight ones. After getting a thin fluted PacNor I don't want to add weight with a heavy stock and heavy scope. My scope is 2 oz heavier than the next alternative and I can live with that. The factory stock has a nice weight but is stupid flexible!!! I can live with the 28 oz walnut option that jpdown suggested. I just need to find one that will fit may action. I also can live with a McM Edge. You get what you pay for.
I am just finishing a long range mountain rifle build with a McMillan. I got the game scout in it’s lightweight form, but I’m using a blind mag to further reduce weight. I also went with a Proof 28” prefit chambered in 6.5x.284 and a brake. The Rifle bares weights 7.4lbs and should be around 9lbs with the scope. Should be sending 140gr Bergers at 3100fps outnof the 28” tube and still be really light. I’ve been planning this build and collecting parts for 3 years and finally have it together. The lightweight will be a huge benefit while packing, without giving up anything. Sure it wasn’t cheap, but it fits what I do perfectly. 2 weekends back we hiked 14 miles and climbed 3500’ (5500’ to 9000’) of elevation for a day hunt. Every ounce you can spare helps.
"Stock flex" is one of those things I have seen discussed quite a bit.
Based on my experiences over the decades, I'm starting to believe in many cases the concern may just be too much internet between the ears. Heck maybe I'm wrong but Savage did take the customer concern of stock flex seriously enough to put the "accustock" into production.
But hey, they are in the business of selling rifles so if that's what the people want then that's what they sell.
As far as my own knowledge on the subject,
I have owned Savages with most every stock imaginable and all of the older synthetics as well as the newer package gun and lightweight hunter stocks can indeed be pushed into the barrel at the fore arm if squeezed together.
The one thing I have found they don't do however in my experience, is
Make contact under real world shooting and hunting conditions.
Even with a model 116 heavy sporter/medium contour fluted barrel in the old style synthetics that I've owned and run hard for over 20 years and are supposedly notorious it has never been an issue, not once.
The only issue I have ever had with one of the factory synthetic tupperware or flexible flyer stocks is an older model long action 110FP in 25-06 with the long heavy barrel and then it only made contact when fired from a bi pod. I'm pretty sure this was just the result of the minimum clearance due to the heavy barrel channel combined with the forward mounting point of the bi pod and the leverage afforded by the long heavy contoured barrel. Of course the long action heavy barrel rifles were so few in number, that it took forever for anything aftermarket especially anything reasonably priced to come along.
As far as the other synthetic stocked models I've rested them em on everything from shoothouse rails, trees and rocks to jackets, backpacks and shooting bags and never had a problem.
You might want to go into it with a fresh outlook , shoot the rifle for a while, and see if it really is a problem or just a perceived possible weakness perpetuated by the internet.
Just another viewpoint to consider.
Been down that exact same road with McMillan in my quest for a better stock for the 16 LWH I ordered. They won't even do the Edge with Edge fill for a blind mag Savage. No luck with Manners either as they will only make their EH8 for a Savage with the aluminum Mini-Chassis which negates any weight savings.Quote:
Originally Posted by colt56
Factory tupperware weighs right at 2 pounds, about the same as the McM Compact with fiberglass fill. You'd get your stiffer forearm, but no weight savings.
You can get them in the carbon fiber ultralight configuration weighing in around 24oz.Quote:
Originally Posted by MrFurious
Carbon Fiber (or graphite) is what is used in the Edge Technology, along with a lighter weight fill foam. The foam is where most of the weight savings comes from. This is NOT available for Savage's per two different McMillan sales people I've spoken to on the phone.Quote:
Originally Posted by surfinsd
Yes, you can upgrade a standard stock (fiberglass with standard weight fill) to use the carbon fiber (graphite) cloth, BUT doing so is only going to save you about 2-3 ounces on the weight. Even McMillan's salesman told me it's not worth the extra money to upgrade to the graphite cloth.
I’ll pull my game warden out tonight and weigh it. It is the ultralight version and less than 2lbs. They currently have it, along with the hunter available for Savage on the retail store ready for inlet in the ultralight version which they list in the discription At 24-28oz.Quote:
Originally Posted by MrFurious
https://mcmillanusa.com/product/mcmi...t-rifle-specs/
We've been discussing the Edge/Compact stock, not the Game Warden.
I love this answer.Quote:
Originally Posted by big honkin jeep
I built my lightweight rig with a regular synthetic. It was originally on a varmint barrel rig. It's very free floated on my pencil barrel. Enough that I don't worry how flexible it is.
It's also one of my most accurate rigs.
The rifle shoots off a bench OK, but my OCD is not allowing me to leave it in the flexible stock!!
Well you could always modify the "flexible" stock. Clipping a few inches off the fore end, barrel, or both would reduce the mechanical leverage thereby theoretically reducing "flex" and weight at the same time.Quote:
Originally Posted by cowboybart
Heck I chopped a .308 down to 16" and also cut down the stock. The resulting kickin around the farm handy dandy carbine for what needs killing is one of my favorites. Super easy and agile to handle and point, lightweight, and will definitely go the distance with accuracy and plenty of authority.
Attachment 4051
I wish manners didn't require the mini chassis for savage. I would like a mcs-t with carbon fill but the weight and cost of the mini chassis really takes away all of the appeal of that stock
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I'll pay for 24oz. I'm not to willing to pay for 30oz-32oz. I can find walnut for 35oz
Talk to Stuart at Wildcat stocks out of Canada. I went in last year to talk to him about building me something for my Savage lightweight hunter. Gun from the store weighed in at 6 lbs 1 oz, had him build me a Winchester featherweight stock, which came out at 17 oz unfinished, I believe. Took a lot of fitting and bedding, and I turned it into a blind mag on the way, but finished stock was 22 oz, and gun without scope weighs in at 5 lb 2 oz.
So you could do what I did for less than half the price if the McMillan for a lighter stock... Or I sold him the takeoff factory stock so he could make a mold. He may be offering a savage short action by now, I dont know. Either way, get in touch, he'll accomadate special projects, and if enough people show interest he'll start building Savage stocks.