codyadams
Well-Known Member
Many of you already know this, but as this is a fast growing sport, I feel that it is something good to bring up for those new to the sport or those that have never had a laminated stock. This will help with reliability and consistency.
Laminated stocks are a great replacement for many of today's tupperware stocks that come on lower priced rifles when you are striving for the best accuracy, and many factory rifles come with laminated stocks as well. While they can greatly improve accuracy and ergonomics over these tupperware stocks at a budget price, there is something you must understand.
Laminated stocks need to be properly pillar bedded, EVEN FACTORY STOCKS. I personally have seen six different laminated stocks that were cracked at either the web, tang, or recoil lug (in two cases all three) because they were not bedded. All but one were brought to me by friends or family because they were not shooting well when they used to, the other one was my personal rifle from when I was 12, I actually missed a shot at an elk on a very cold morning and had a large chunk of the tang crack out, and the action was actually movable in the stock. this stock was not repairable, as the recoil lug cracked on both sides and allowed the action to move rearward, chipping the tang. Three of these rifles were Ruger rifles in their factory stock, two of them had never had the action removed from the stock. They were in the following calibers - 30-06, my personal rifle with around 75 rounds fired, a 7mm-08, and 6.5 Creedmoor with around 150 rounds fired. Notice that these are not necessarily heavy recoiling rounds.....Another was a Savage 11 chambered in .308 with a Boyds replacement stock, the Boyds had roughly 50 rounds through it, another was a Remington 700 with the factory laminated stock chambered in .308, and the last one was a Remington 700 chambered in 7mm rem mag with a Stocky's laminated stock.
This issue can be resolved with a solid pillar bedding job. This NEEDS to be done prior to firing the rifle at all, even if it is a factory rifle that came with the stock. If you are looking at buying a used rifle with a laminate stock, there is a good chance that it is already cracked, which led to poor accuracy, which led to the rifle being sold. If the gun shop will do it, ask to have the action removed from the stock and carefully inspect, it is likely that there will be cracks in the previously stated locations. This does not necessarily mean the stock is trash....I have repaired cracks in stocks like this by gently spreading the crack open and mushing in devcon prior to doing the rest of the pillar bedding. I have laminated stocks that have over 1000 rounds through them without issue, and ones that I repaired with hundreds of rounds and no issue so far, though I would still periodically check them to make sure that the already compromised stock does not have more issues.
Just something minor that can create a major issue. I would also add that even a solid walnut stock, I will not shoot them without a proper pillar bedding.
Good Shooting everyone!!!
Laminated stocks are a great replacement for many of today's tupperware stocks that come on lower priced rifles when you are striving for the best accuracy, and many factory rifles come with laminated stocks as well. While they can greatly improve accuracy and ergonomics over these tupperware stocks at a budget price, there is something you must understand.
Laminated stocks need to be properly pillar bedded, EVEN FACTORY STOCKS. I personally have seen six different laminated stocks that were cracked at either the web, tang, or recoil lug (in two cases all three) because they were not bedded. All but one were brought to me by friends or family because they were not shooting well when they used to, the other one was my personal rifle from when I was 12, I actually missed a shot at an elk on a very cold morning and had a large chunk of the tang crack out, and the action was actually movable in the stock. this stock was not repairable, as the recoil lug cracked on both sides and allowed the action to move rearward, chipping the tang. Three of these rifles were Ruger rifles in their factory stock, two of them had never had the action removed from the stock. They were in the following calibers - 30-06, my personal rifle with around 75 rounds fired, a 7mm-08, and 6.5 Creedmoor with around 150 rounds fired. Notice that these are not necessarily heavy recoiling rounds.....Another was a Savage 11 chambered in .308 with a Boyds replacement stock, the Boyds had roughly 50 rounds through it, another was a Remington 700 with the factory laminated stock chambered in .308, and the last one was a Remington 700 chambered in 7mm rem mag with a Stocky's laminated stock.
This issue can be resolved with a solid pillar bedding job. This NEEDS to be done prior to firing the rifle at all, even if it is a factory rifle that came with the stock. If you are looking at buying a used rifle with a laminate stock, there is a good chance that it is already cracked, which led to poor accuracy, which led to the rifle being sold. If the gun shop will do it, ask to have the action removed from the stock and carefully inspect, it is likely that there will be cracks in the previously stated locations. This does not necessarily mean the stock is trash....I have repaired cracks in stocks like this by gently spreading the crack open and mushing in devcon prior to doing the rest of the pillar bedding. I have laminated stocks that have over 1000 rounds through them without issue, and ones that I repaired with hundreds of rounds and no issue so far, though I would still periodically check them to make sure that the already compromised stock does not have more issues.
Just something minor that can create a major issue. I would also add that even a solid walnut stock, I will not shoot them without a proper pillar bedding.
Good Shooting everyone!!!
