Some advice on replacement stock selection, please.

[DartonJager]

I own a M700 Stainless Synthetic in 338 WM with DBM that is for a 100% factory gun very, very accurate, at least in my opinion. I bought this gun to use for elk hunting and successfully took three very nice bulls including my best ever.

I had bought this rifle before I new much about rifles back in the early 1990's. I would shoot a bunch of nice little groups at 100, 300, 400 and even 500 yards then get an occasional flyer I simply couldn't at that time explain. That is until I discovered the internet and found out just how much most factory synthetic stocks can flex when shooting especially when using a sling.

Once I found out about the stock flexing and how to avoid it, my flyers basically vanished. Well I would like to upgrade that rifles stock to either a laminated wood or a better synthetic stock.

Unfortunately for the rifle it has a detachable box magazine and that limits my selection to only three different stocks. I'm also limited to how much I'm willing to spend. I searched the net as extensively as the search engines allow, and found only these three stocks. They also are about what I can afford to spend, so if anyone knows of other stocks that I'm unaware of but cost $400 and above thank you but they are effectively out of my price range.

So far all I found that work with DBM were:
#1-Hogue synthetic with a full length aluminum bedding block
#2-B&C synthetic also with a full length aluminum bedding block
#3-Boyds laminated wood stock.

Which ever I buy I will shoot it first and if I don't achieve at least accuracy equal to what I know the rifle is capable of, I will then have it class bedded by a great smith that lives with in reasonable driving distance from my home. I'm not at all concerned about the stock adding weight with in reason as this rifle now serves as a back up to my T3 Lite. I'm also only interested in stocks designed for a hunting application.

Looking for first hand experienced based input if at all possible. I have amassed 22 BP's for Utah LE elk and will be going within the next two or three years and would like to bring this rifle as my back up so a new stiffer stock is well warranted.

Thanks,
Art.

 

[Dr. Vette]

#2.

Be prepared to bed it, whether you do #2 or #3. I also free float the barrel on all of my rifles as part of the process.

Though I have 2 rifles with the Hogue stocks, they can be a challenge to bed, and you can't bed more than just the recoil lug. For the nominal difference in price I'd then go with #2 as noted.

 

[DartonJager]

Thank you Dr. Vette, based on my research the B&C stock was my primary choice. The free float is sound advice. Turns out the synthetic stock for my M700 338 is not free floated and has two ridges in the end of the forearm that make contact with and apply an upwards pressure on the barrel that I'm reasonably certain resulted in my flyers when i would use the sling to apply pressure to help me hold the rifle steady.

 

[hthunter]

AG composites. You can pick which inlet and barrel channel. Very high quality finish. Mine shoots great so far without bedding. Barrel free floats perfectly. I went with alpine hunter in carbon finish. I also have the carbon sportsman on another rifle and really like it too.

 

[hthunter]

AG might be over budget. But if you don't have to bed it might save 150-200 depending on Smith work

 

[TexSavage]

I take it that the $399 Oryx chassis is not a consideration?

 

[DartonJager]

Tex my 338 M700 at present with optics, sling and 3 rounds weighs a little over 9lbs I see the Oryx weighs in at over 4lbs, I'm guessing but that would likely push my rifle into the range of 11lbs. If so that would be heavier than acceptable for a elk hunt in the mountains for a over 50 guy such as myself.

Hthunter, no doubt AG stocks are worth every penny, I just don't have that many pennies laying about unaccounted for I can use to buy a stock.

Thanks so far for the replies.

 

[hthunter]

I've got a b & c stock that I like too. Definitely had to bed it to free float and align correctly in barrel channel. It's on a model 7 308 with scoped weight of 7 lbs. Really like that setup.

 

[hthunter]

Check out grayboe highlander. Should be around budget and has better finish to me then b&c. I have that on a 300 wsm that shoots Moa without bedding. That setup weighs 8.6 lbs with talleys and vx3 4.5-14x50

Edit: highlander only has bdl inlet. The terrain has DBM inlet and not too much heavier

 

[DartonJager]

Great thanks for the Greyboe suggestion will definitely give a hard look at them.

 

[jrock]

I bought a Rem 700 SPS in 7 RM and worked the stock over. Installed pillars, used carbon fiber arrow shafts to stiffen the fore end, free floated the barrel, bedded action, and some other small tweaks. It shot great and was a night and day difference from the factory condition. Like you, I wanted better so put a B&C stock on it and it didn't shoot any better. Looked cooler though. Sold the improved factory stock on Ebay for $75.

 

[Jeffrey Van Zandt]

I own a M700 Stainless Synthetic in 338 WM with DBM that is for a 100% factory gun very, very accurate, at least in my opinion. I bought this gun to use for elk hunting and successfully took three very nice bulls including my best ever.

I had bought this rifle before I new much about rifles back in the early 1990's. I would shoot a bunch of nice little groups at 100, 300, 400 and even 500 yards then get an occasional flyer I simply couldn't at that time explain. That is until I discovered the internet and found out just how much most factory synthetic stocks can flex when shooting especially when using a sling.

Once I found out about the stock flexing and how to avoid it, my flyers basically vanished. Well I would like to upgrade that rifles stock to either a laminated wood or a better synthetic stock.

Unfortunately for the rifle it has a detachable box magazine and that limits my selection to only three different stocks. I'm also limited to how much I'm willing to spend. I searched the net as extensively as the search engines allow, and found only these three stocks. They also are about what I can afford to spend, so if anyone knows of other stocks that I'm unaware of but cost $400 and above thank you but they are effectively out of my price range.

So far all I found that work with DBM were:
#1-Hogue synthetic with a full length aluminum bedding block
#2-B&C synthetic also with a full length aluminum bedding block
#3-Boyds laminated wood stock.

Which ever I buy I will shoot it first and if I don't achieve at least accuracy equal to what I know the rifle is capable of, I will then have it class bedded by a great smith that lives with in reasonable driving distance from my home. I'm not at all concerned about the stock adding weight with in reason as this rifle now serves as a back up to my T3 Lite. I'm also only interested in stocks designed for a hunting application.

Looking for first hand experienced based input if at all possible. I have amassed 22 BP's for Utah LE elk and will be going within the next two or three years and would like to bring this rifle as my back up so a new stiffer stock is well warranted.

Thanks,
Art.

Go to e-bay and look for used or new a lot of good after maket stock

 

[DSheetz]

I'm a fan of bedded stocks no matter who made them . Different strokes for different folks . I have seen some riffle barrels that needed to be bedded at the front , for around an inch and up the sides to the edge of the stock , to be accurate . It wasn't so much a pressure point as a place for the barrel to return to the same each time with a stable stock that didn't flex much . The hougue stocks I've seen all had an X at the end for that reason it all depends on how much pressure you put on the stock using your sling for shooting how much flex you will get . A wooden stock , even laminated needs to be coated with some sort of wood finish to seal it on the inside of the barrel channel to keep it from absorbing or loosing moisture with weather changes or when we go from place to place with differing amounts of humidity . If a stock is properly bedded at the action there will not be stress put on the action just support for it with no movement between the stock and action or gaps between the two , pillars are used so that the stock won't compress and change the torque values on the action screws .

 

[WeiserBucks]

Are you seriously going to dump 22-24 years worth of points down a cheap stock?

Scrimp and save my friend. I'm pretty poor compared to most, but everything I own wears a Manners and I hunt OTC every year.

If I ever draw a good tag I'll probably save up and buy another Manners EH1 or McMillan A3 carbon .