Anybody Skelotonized a wood Stock?

[VTbluegrass]

Didn’t jog my memory until now because it was over 20 years ago and it does not pertain to the OP looking for lightweight or skeletonized stock but I remember a friend of my shop teach building a benchrest stock out of Osage orange over the summer using the schools shop. One of the prettiest and heaviest dang things you could imagine. He had to buy new blades for the planer, table saw, and band saw when he was done.

 

[Ckgworks]

I have a bit.....no pictures on hand but my thought is to use Carbon fiber mesh in epoxy to strengthen any weak areas. Becomes a question of weight gain vs weight loss if you add too much epoxy back though. Laminate is stronger, but also way heavier.......The one picture I have -(And it's a bad one) is using Carbon fiber in barrel channel to stiffen a small thin forend. I ran it the entire length of the stock when I bedded the action. Not sure where the rest of pictures went but this is the one one on my phone. There are Carbon fiber rods as well that can be epoxied in to strengthen areas. I'd say go for it and try it.....like others said buy a best up take off and see what you can do with it!

 

[cohunt]

View attachment 429080 View attachment 429081
No flex that I can feel, shoots better than Tupperware stock, hasn't broke yet after 3+ years of shooting 7wsm, it is laminate though and not "regular" wood.
Cost me $50 and was a fun project- nowhere near what a cf stock costs. It's not 20 ounces like my ultralight mpi stock i did, but its not 2+ pounds either. Iirc, I reduced the weight over the Tupperware stock by about 4 ounces-- but it's stiffer and shoots better now than it did.

Ok-- looked in my records-- original Tupperware stock was 30 oz-- got the laminate stock down to exact same weight but the laminate was definitely stiffer than the original plastic

That will give you an idea of weight--- you could look up a Boyd's stock for win 70 on their website to see what they weigh before removing material like I did.

good luck-- if ypu decide to whittle- show off you work when done

 

[Bobhunts]

That old fashioned wood is not as heavy as you think.

 

[Dirtrax]

I say go for it. Think it through and decide what you want the finished project to accomplish/look like. Nothing ventured nothing gained. ANYBODY can buy a stock. Only you can make something that reflects you. If it doesn’t work out to your satisfaction there are lots of ways to go forward.

 

[Hairtrigger]

Hairtrigger I remember the Winchester Coyote Outback well.

Model 70 Laminated, Coyote Outback, Stainless | Winchester

www.winchesterguns.com

Not in production anymore

I bought a rifle because I thought the stock is cool
22-250 and surprised me how accurate it is
Because of it I now own several Win 70 coyote rifles but only one Outback

 

[Wyo37]

Google "original kifaru rambling rifle"

Might find the founders Remington 600

 

[Tim in Washington]

Use a laminated stock for this it would be much less likely to crack