New Carbon Fibre F Class Stock - opinions sought

[bartman007]

Tony,

Apart for the carbon fibre, the butt section of this stock looks very similar to mine (recall "Yellow Peril" from Canberra?). http://www.7mm.com.au/wp-content/upload ... Waites.jpg

I have little issue with cleaning my barrels whilst mounted in the stock. There is a miniscule bend in the rod as the handle rides along the top where the cheek piece would normally be.

My concern would be with the moveable recoil pad, as it sits even higher

I wonder why you need the recoil pad that high, mine is no bigger than the butt of the stock.

If you want some dimensions, I'm happy to PM.

Regards,

Mike.

[jasmay]

Fergus,
Thanks for the input. I can't miss hearing what the Benchrest world has experienced, but would like to ask this :
How do the numbers of fully metal or aluminum stocks, including the DTA's, the AI's , the many tube guns etc.......manage to be accurate when there is clearly no softer, inner core to absorb ANY recoil or movement ?
I have never fired one, but I am sure that I have read many Internet posts where these rifles can repeatedly shoot bug holes.
Don't get me wrong..........I am hearing what you guys are saying....... but I just can't rationalize in my own mind how a softer "recoil absorbing/vibration dampening core" can be seen as essential, yet these rifle styles mentioned are basically solid metal.
Help me out here !
Tony

Tony, I agree with your comments on the chasis, they are great, I think its a resonation thing perhaps?

A hollow stock will resonate, simply fill with foam and that vibrant resonation will be dampended. Solid chasis wont vibrate/resonate nearly as bad. if at all....

[johnk]

Saw a barrel with rifling cut out ¼ way down by a shooter who had a habit of putting a little bend in his cleaning rod.

[bartman007]

With a long cleaning rod, it is only when the handle rides along the top of where the cheek piece normally goes that the rod moves a little vertically.

By that time the rod is at least 3/4 of the way down the tube.

However if the cheek area is made above the center line of the action, then you will introduce a more serious problem .

[ecomeat]

Tony,

Apart for the carbon fibre, the butt section of this stock looks very similar to mine (recall "Yellow Peril" from Canberra?). http://www.7mm.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/
If you want some dimensions, I'm happy to PM.
Regards,
Mike.

Mike,
Using a straight edge, eg a business card aligned beside both photos, I reckon the top of the carbon fibre cheek piece area is approx 15mm. higher than your yellow beast. Yours sits clearly below the bore level, while the carbon fibre one sits clearly above the bore level.
Tony

[DaveMc]

Stock before starting. I filled the recoil lug recess with resin as thought this was a flex point


Cut away wings and ground back surfaces





First layer of unidirectional carbon fibre (heavy weight) with non waxed (stays tacky for next coat) polyester resin (cleaned well with acetone first)


foam cut outs




another layer of fibre



There is another photo here if it appears as an x on your screen.

after this I don't have many photos but used layer after layer of gelcoat (non-waxed) to fill holes and crevices then finished with a layer of flowcoat (dries hard - all coloured blues and greens with tint) then sanded back to shape I wanted and final product can be seen in the "photos of rifles" - my pair of shehanes.

[DenisA]

Thanks for the pics Dave.

Did you end up selling the Savage? How did youliek the performance of the Dogtracker stock?

[DaveMc]

I passed it on to my father who luckily inherits some nice gear (shouldn't that be the other way around?? ).

Yes it tracked very well and there is a few around up here now that all shoot brilliantly. They are a cheap option to set up too. Custom made rifle at Factory prices.

[ecomeat]

Dave,
If i carbon fibre wrapped my existing stock, like you suggested, i would have to be really really careful about the width, and making sure it didnt wreck the shape of the forend, which certainly doesnt misbehave in the bags. As is, it certainly tracks beautifully in my SEB.

If i just added layer after layer on the flat underside of the forend, i can see that it might/should/could work to stiffen the forend, provided that i went back far enough. The problem for me then is what does it do to my weight ? I am already at 9.850 Kg as is, with a 32" straight cylinder barrel.
Would you be game to guess what thickness i would be best to start with ? ie based on your experiences, would i be wasting my time with any less than say 1/4 inch ?
Could you possibly comment on what the result might be like if I started with a Lowboy/Lowrider type of stock, and just laid down (added ?) multiple layers of carbon fibre and rresins, building it maybe 1/8th inch or maybe even 1/4 inch thick.
For instance, this is one from Dolphin Gun Co


If i added the carbon fibre from the tip of the forend, right through to just in front of the trigger, or maybe just short of the front bedding screw (even my glue in has got a damn bedding screw).
There is a fairly big area there to cover, and it wouldnt be overly visible if done right. Well, at least i should be able to partly hide my handiwork !
If i started with a genuine Low Rider style like this one below, i assume that i would have weight and asthetic room for quite a bit more depth of carbon fibre ?



Tony

[jasmay]

Tony, why not lay fibre into your barrel channel based on the shape alone it would dd more rigidity to the stock then adding it to the flat bottom.

[DenisA]

Tony, those 2 stocks that are shown look to be Precision Rifle and Tool Low Boys.

[bruce moulds]

if you compare a forend to a roof truss, the bottoms of both are tension, and the tops are compression.
stopping the bottom stretching, and the top compressing will increase rigidity.
certainly a sufficient amount of carbon fibre along the bottom will reduce stretching.
whether compression at the top is much of a problem who knows, but carbon fibre there will minimize that also. addition to the barrel channel would be an obvious place for a top chord.
could a little bit of flex be a good thing?
there are those who feel that wood alone is an ideal product for stockmaking, but verticle laminations of wood and carbon fibre strategically placed would have to be worth thinking about.
keep safe,
bruce.

[bruce moulds]

a further thought.
if bend has to occur, at any level, it might be preferable in the forend than the bedding area.
keep safe,
bruce.

[ecomeat]

Tony, those 2 stocks that are shown look to be Precision Rifle and Tool Low Boys.

Denis,
Near copies, oFf a good operator in the UK
The green one at the bottom is from Joe West in the UK....he has got a pretty fancy website at www.joewestriflestocks.com
The custom rifle with the fancy "fast red one" is a rifle that Dolphin built for a client on a copy of a "Lowboy" , also done by Joe West.
Mik Maksimovic who owns Dolphin, says they are a father and son operation who offer really quick turn around, and have fancy CNC machinery that can turn a stock around in 2-3 weeks.
The Poms have got exactly the same problems as us with the USA getting tough and expensive on those deadly, murderous licensable rifle stocks and apparently companies like Joe West are doing really well.
Mik has leant them every action that he has had in his shop at Dolphin, so they can apparently do a CNC inlet for just about anything.
I am waiting on a price on a left handed thumb up......in red ! They offer a full " design your own " service, so I am hoping to able to get a price on something a little longer than normal, with tracks at the front , that I can then strengthen with carbon fibre if I can resist the urge to just go shoot it !
I know we have some wonderful stock makers here in Australia, but some things just "take the eye" and fall into the I WANT THAT category.
I just about had myself convinced to go ahead and arrange the Spanish carbon fibre one, but fortunately for me, the good folk on this forum gave me plenty to think about and right here and now I don't want to be bending a rod to clean a rifle. I am hoping Dave Mc might have time to comment on the couple of points I raised re layering my existing McMillan before I commit to anything.
Tony
Tony

[DaveMc]

Tony I guess any layers will add some strength but as Bruce suggested the vertical surfaces add most and opposing top and bottom layers do too. The foam sandwich actually creats a RHS shape and is extremely stiff.

I quite like Jasons suggestion. If you were to gind away existing resin and replace with a half round tube of carbon fibre in the top and then similarly on the bottom the weight might actually be lighter and could be significantly stiffer. The weekest point in mine was the recoil lug cutout so I ditched the lug and made sure I covered it.

I have never been a pretty boy so never worried about the look (NQ thing I guess). What colour is your stock??? I would always buy black from now on for any modifications required.