Tactical/Target Rifle w/WOOD (Rnd 3)

[AMG04]

ROUND 1 - Target / Bench Rifle

After 10-12 years of shooting aluminum chassis and stocks made with some sort of composite, I felt it was time to get back to wood.

Maintaining the form, fit, function of more modern stocks was important, but I wanted to gain the warmth, feel and beauty of wood.

I looked around and didn't see what I wanted, so I decided to make it myself.

The Process:
- Source curly maple blank
- Carve (rough pass) with router
- Contour and smooth (fine pass) with router
- Cut the inletting (action, bottom metal & barrel channel)

- Sand... there was a lot of sanding!

- Fit recoil pad with belt sander
- Add picatinney rail for bipod (drill and counter sink t-nuts)
- Drop in pillars (checking action/bm fit, alignment & feeding from magazine)
- Epoxy bed action & bottom metal

- Apply tung oil finish (2 coats cut 1:1 with mineral spirits for deeper penetration, 4 full coats)

The Results:

 

[jetjock07]

Looks awesome

 

[DeadAss]

Nice work ! Looks good

 

[D̷e̷v̷i̷l̷D̷o̷c̷A̷Z̷]

I dig it.

A lot.

 

[FatBoy]

I have several more blanks on hand, now what to do with them?...

I have wanted a curly maple prone stock pattered off the Robertson Composite original for years. They have a very thin pistol grip and would need a metal rod in the grip, but man would that stock set my AI Coopermatch off. Anshutz rail stopped 3/4 from the end of the stock, WTC cheek piece and a three way buttplate.

Wood stocks have a different recoil for sure. Much more shuttle and subdued compared to aluminum or even synthetic. As well as a warm feel while shooting them.

Only issue is they are so damn nice nobody want to take them out when there is a chance of weather

 

[AMG04]

Made it out to do some quick pressure testing. I wanted to see what lighter bullets and faster powder could do from the 14.5.

Ten rounds per bullet/powder combo loaded in 0.4gr increments, shot at 100 yards, same POA.

Start and finish loads of AR-Comp represented below.

125 Speer TNT (cheap paper puncher)
44.4gr @ 2621fps
48.0gr @ 2858fps

130 Barnes TTSX (deer & hogs)
41.8gr @ 2574fps
45.4gr @ 2746fps

I did not observe pressure signs at the highest charges, but don't see any reason to climb higher.

 

[FWoo45]

That turned out great. I love fancy wood stocks.

 

[noremorse92]

I have designs to build a similar stock for my Tikka out of a piece of high grade walnut, when I move into my new house. A proper filled grain oil finish would look the tits I think.

Looks great dude.

How much time did it take you? Anything you wish you'd done differently? What too

 

[AMG04]

I plan on logging hours on the one I'm about to start. I'm curious.

I should have went to the shop and Trimmed it down with the bandsaw before carving. That would have save a lot of time, but I didn't want to make a 30 miunte drive. Hind sight, 30 minutes would have saved hours...

My wife likes the blonde natural look so I went with that (after all she is supportive of all the money I spend on my hobbies).

I want to start experimenting with dies on the next one. Really bring out the figure and add depth.

 

[beetroot]

That looks fantastic, I'd be scared to get it scratched up at a match.

How much does the wooden stock weigh compared with that carbon stock?

 

[03machstock]

Looks great! I’m a sucker for good wood.

I saw a similar build on accurate shooter a while back.

https://bulletin.accurateshooter.com/2014/06/codys-glam-tactical-curly-maple-precision-field-rifle-by-russo/

 

[AMG04]

That looks fantastic, I'd be scared to get it scratched up at a match.

How much does the wooden stock weigh compared with that carbon stock?

Maple 2lb 9oz
EH1 2lb 5oz

 

[beetroot]

Maple 2lb 9oz
EH1 2lb 5oz

That's lighter than I expected.

 

[Baron23]

After 10-12 years of shooting aluminum chassis and stocks made with some sort of composite, I felt it was time to get back to wood.

Maintaining the form, fit, function of more modern stocks was important, but I wanted to gain the warmth, feel and beauty of wood.

I looked around and didn't see what I wanted, so I decided to make it myself.

The Process:
- Source curly maple blank
- Carve (rough pass) with router
- Contour and smooth (fine pass) with router
- Cut the inletting (action, bottom metal & barrel channel)
View attachment 8490717
View attachment 8490722
View attachment 8490728
View attachment 8490729
View attachment 8490730
- Sand... there was a lot of sanding!
View attachment 8490732
- Fit recoil pad with belt sander
- Add picatinney rail for bipod (drill and counter sink t-nuts)
- Drop in pillars (checking action/bm fit, alignment & feeding from magazine)
- Epoxy bed action & bottom metal
View attachment 8490736
View attachment 8490737
- Apply tung oil finish (2 coats cut 1:1 with mineral spirits for deeper penetration, 4 full coats)
View attachment 8490740


The Results:
View attachment 8490714

I have several more blanks on hand, now what to do with them?...

This intimidating piece of maple might become home to a Zermatt Rim X, but I need to find an action first.
View attachment 8491016

I take it that’s a duplicator in your pics (but different than ones I’ve seen). Do you use it for some commercial work of yours or was this set up just to do this stock?

 

[AMG04]

Right now it's just a hobby. Something to keep my mind right after the kids go to bed and on my off days.

I have several hunting and target rifles I plan to make stocks for, then a few 22s for the kids.

I'm in the process of sourcing more stocks to use as templates. I'd like a bunch of styles on hand to suit the purpose of each rifle.

 

[DJL2]

After 10-12 years of shooting aluminum chassis and stocks made with some sort of composite, I felt it was time to get back to wood.

Maintaining the form, fit, function of more modern stocks was important, but I wanted to gain the warmth, feel and beauty of wood.

I looked around and didn't see what I wanted, so I decided to make it myself.

Fucking awesome, man! I love it.

 

[moosemeat]

What duplicator you use? I've been wanting to do this for a while.

 

[AMG04]

I'm using the Model One from carvermaster.

 

[Aftermath]

I plan on logging hours on the one I'm about to start. I'm curious.

I should have went to the shop and Trimmed it down with the bandsaw before carving. That would have save a lot of time, but I didn't want to make a 30 miunte drive. Hind sight, 30 minutes would have saved hours...

My wife likes the blonde natural look so I went with that (after all she is supportive of all the money I spend on my hobbies).

I want to start experimenting with dies on the next one. Really bring out the figure and add depth.

Aqua Fortis

 

[D̷e̷v̷i̷l̷D̷o̷c̷A̷Z̷]

I'm using the Model One from carvermaster.

MSG sent

 

[AMG04]

Updated with round 2

 

[noremorse92]

Damn dude you've been busy

Looks great I like the choice of wood!

Are you going to add any checkering or texturing to the grip or fore end?

 

[AMG04]

It's going to cost quite a bit of money to invest in the tooling for checkering. I'd like to, but it's several years down the road at this point.

 

[AMG04]

ROUND 2 - Compact, Lightweight Hunting Rifle

Origin SA, Competition Bolt with TT Diamond.
PVA, 16" Proof CF 308 Win
Hawkins DBM
Pillar & Epoxy bedded

6lb 6oz as pictured

First five shots through this one... two sighters at top left corner, followed by a three shot group on the bottom left.

 

[AMG04]

ROUND 3 - One for the Lefties

 

[Aftermath]

I love this. I'm DEFINITELY buying one of those duplicators.

I may have missed it...what stain?

 

[AMG04]

I may have missed it...what stain?

This is Coffee Brown from Transtint. First coat is mixed based on the recommendation on the bottle, then following coats are thinned a little bit more with denatured alcohol.

 

[Aftermath]

I did a flintlock from Jim Kibler and used aqua fortis: