Long overdue range update and request for stock help

**notpu** · 10-22-2016, 08:22 PM

Last year I asked for help mounting a rail to a 110 with a slanted flat back. Thread here. I'm back with a range update and request for help with a stock, because mine broke.
How it started:

With the rail bedded with Devcon thanks to the awesome help I got here:

Got it to the range. I was trying to get it sighted in rather than shoot groups, but the results were encouraging. I used Burris Zee Rings at the suggestion of the community, and boy was I glad that I did. I used 20 MOA one way and 20 MOA the other to zero (was very off towards 2 o'clock). At 100 yards:

At 200 (no adjustment, as I was trying to figure out how much it dropped):

Then I went hunting with it. While walking around early on the first morning with the rifle slung over my shoulder, the front sling swivel stripped out, the rifle tipped backwards, hit the gravel road on the barrel and scope, and let out a terrible sound. Apparently, the old wood was a bit weak, and the stock split between the action screws. This was the result:

So, I'm in the market for a stock. I'm leaning towards the Boyds Pro Varmint here. I am very open to alternatives (110LA staggered feed blind mag). Two questions:
1) Thoughts on this stock? I've seen some posts suggesting that Boyds' quality may have gone down recently. I really like the price point and don't mind if some final fitting is needed. I'll probably put some of that Devcon to use bedding the action at some point.
2) I currently have a .270 sporting barrel. I want to rebarrel to a 6.5 x 55 down the road in probably a medium contour. Should I go with the bull barrel channel so that I won't need to open up the channel when I rebarrel? I don't care about aesthetics (this is probably obvious).

Use case is mostly at the range (600 yard max), but also deer hunting. I'm hoping to strike a balance between both use cases, so weight matters a bit. I have no context for how heavy this would be. For those of you with experience balancing these uses, I appreciate any insight. This community is awesome, and I'm looking forward to your feedback! Thanks!

**Robinhood** · 10-22-2016, 10:24 PM

ouch!

**J.Baker** · 10-22-2016, 11:37 PM

Really issue with Boyds currently seems to be delivery time more than it is quality. Only real quality issues I've heard of are from those complaining about their switch from metal to plastic inserts on the Axis stocks. As for what barrel contour to get in the stock, I myself would have it inlet for the sporter and then open it up if/when I got the new barrel. It's not hard to do and doesn't require any special tools, just an appropriately sized deep well socket wrapped with course sand paper.

**hereinaz** · 10-22-2016, 11:48 PM

If you go with the pro varmint, I suggest you go with the laminate, instead of the painted black plywood. I have pot for new Pro Varmint stocks, and I love them. The laminate colored stocks are harder and more durable because they are impregnated with epoxy. As for the shipping issue, I have ordered 3 in the last six months, and they've all come to me a little later but they still came.

**notpu** · 10-23-2016, 06:05 PM

Originally Posted by hereinaz

If you go with the pro varmint, I suggest you go with the laminate, instead of the painted black plywood. I have pot for new Pro Varmint stocks, and I love them. The laminate colored stocks are harder and more durable because they are impregnated with epoxy. As for the shipping issue, I have ordered 3 in the last six months, and they've all come to me a little later but they still came.

Thanks. Sorry for the basic question, but I've never ordered from Boyds before. Is choosing laminate just a matter of selecting the custom option, and paying $15 more for one of the laminate versions?