McMillan A3 or Manners EH1 ???

[AROKHUNTER]

I am debating between these 2 stocks. The rifle is going to be a 284 Winchester on a Savage long action. I plan on going with a 26" barrel and the contour will either be Light Palma, Medium Palma, or Remington Sendero/Varmint.

The purpose for the rifle will be primarily to practice long range shooting out to 800 yards. I would say 75% of the time I will be shooting from the bench or prone. The remaining 25% of the time will be carrying the rifle while deer hunting for possible off hand shots.

Now, the other factors for deciding the stock:
I have small to medium size hands with not so long fingers. I am concerned about the size of the grip on the stock and the palm swell.
Also the reach from the grip to the trigger. I've never used a vertical grip stock, so this will be my first. From my reading about shooting distance, I feel the vertical grip is probably the better choice.

Any shared opinions or experiences with these stocks would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

 

[Shane Lindsey]

I have the Game Scout. It has same if not very similar pistol grip. It works very well. Good ergonomics. The forend has a smaller profile. I do not like the swell on the A3. I do however like the A3-5. Seems more rounded.
They are both very wide and with my small hands not so easy to grab ahold. Not sure what barrel contour the Game Scout will allow.

 

[stwcattle]

I have two rifles built on Manner's EH1's. My wife has no problem wrapping her hand around vertical grip and pulling the trigger. And yes, I think the vertical grip is the way to go when picking out a long range rifle stock.

Only recommendation I would throw out there is take a look at Proof carbon wrap barrel. They are very accurate with good ammunition and they look awesome in a EH1

 

[AROKHUNTER]

Thanks for the input. I called Manners on Monday and they are shipping me a sample EH1 stock to look at. I've read that the palm swell on the EH1 grip is actually a little larger than the A3. I guess I'll soon find out if I care for the EH1.

 

[magedon44]

I have had both and id go A3 just becuase Manners takes forever, you can probably find an A3 in inventory on their web site.

 

[IndianaMatt]

Handled both a few weeks ago. I like the feel of the Manners. I went with the EH4 with a mini chassis. Manners staff was great to talk to and very helpful.

I'm not saying that McMillan has poor customer service at all they very well could have. Manners staff was so good they probably gained a customer for life.

 

[AROKHUNTER]

Those of you that have been able to handle both the Manners EH1 and the McMillan A3, what did the grips compare like?

Was the EH1 grip bigger in the palm swell than the A3?

Was the grip any longer or shorter on either stock?

 

[Legionnaire]

I was on the same quest a few months ago for a .243 Win to .243 AI conversion project, looking at McMillan and Manners. I ran across a second-hand but unused Grayboe Renegade and decided to try it out as it was a fraction of the cost; figured I could flip it easily enough if it didn't work out.

Took my rifle to Mark Pharr this past weekend for the rechambering, and he was favorably impressed with the stock--even more so when I told him I picked it up for under $250. He said, and I quote, "They're going to sell a lot of these." I think it's a touch heavier than the McMillan, but you might want to check them out, especially if you're on a tight budget. But you certainly won't go wrong with either the McMillan or Manners.