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The short version is that, due to bypass surgery I have sold my 110 7mm mag and am replacing it with an Axis .234 and, later this year, a 7-08 (in case if..). I know the butt is hollow, but I've never owned and Axis. Can the butt be shortened? If so, what's involved? How can I add a little weight to the butt? If not, how would you rate Boyd's for a replacement?
Short answer yes, you can shorten the Axis Stock and add some weight to the butt, but before doing that you might want to explore some other options. First, if LOP is your issue and it was for me then try to find a youth stock which measures at 12.5'' LOP vs the 13.5'' LOP for the standard Axis stock. A lot of time you can find them on Ebay and once in a while in the classifieds here. Then sell your standard stock to make up for the cost or someone may even do a trade with you. If that can't happen then look at replacing the recoil pad. It measures right a 1'' you can buy a 1/2'' Limbsaver Recoil pad which will give you just that little bit extra.
If you decide to just start making modifications, here is what I did. Removed the recoil pad and sling swivel stud, put it in a vise and used a hacksaw to very gently saw off about 2''. Looking back, I could have used my Mitre saw,a bandsaw or whatever to make the cut. Then sanded it and made sure it was straight. Next, made a insert for the stock butt opening out of 1/2'' plywood, sanded the edges, gave it a nice snug fit and epoxied it in. Then covered with a Limbsaver Recoil pad. To add a little weight, removed the trigger card and sprayed Great Stuff into that little hole that goes into the stock butt and then put the trigger guard back on. It worked great!
After doing all this my 7mm-08 fits me wonderfully, but here is the downside. With the shorter LOP you have a bit more felt recoil and with your recent surgery that may be issue if you are now recoil sensitive . Reason I say this is I also had open heart a few years back and that ended up being an issue with certain cartridges.
Hope this helped...
Rosco brings up excellent points on factory stocks.
Boyds stocks are reasonably good, especially for the money. They require a bit of work and additional parts to make them a really good bargain, but I'd still probably buy one over some of the competitive designs. The laminate wood, especially compared to the factory plastic, is definitely going to help soak up some of the recoil. They do offer the option for a custom LOP for about $25 extra, and that goes all the way down to 12.75 inches, though that's with a thin recoil pad. It would not be too difficult to get a stock with a standard LOP and shorten it yourself if you've done such a thing on a wood stock.
Thanks Rosco. why I didn't just order a youth model in the first place I don't know. Brain freeze, I guess. DrT - what extra parts? I'm leaning more toward the Boyds and the wood work doesn't bother me - been there before.
I prefer metal-on-metal contact for my action screws, so a steel trigger guard is a good idea. Boyds sells them as an extra rather than an upgrade. Depending on how you feel about pillars, you may need some form of tube for that as well. I also like an escutcheon around the front action screw, but the utility of such a piece is somewhat debateable when pillars are in place.