Changing to Boyd's Walnut Marlin XL7?

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baddarryl

New member
Hi all. I know you guys are going to think I am nuts, but I am now thinking of just trying to make this 270 work for me. Heck, if I can do that I can afford a youth rifle for my kids!

As stated in other threads I have a bad shoulder and the recoil of this 6.5 pound gun bothers me. Have any of you changed to the Boyd's walnut or laminate stocks and gained some weight as a result? I have read that the factory walnut stocks are about a pound heavier, but I would like to verify if that is the case with the Boyd's. Boyd's says they are 2.8 pounds. Does anyone know what the factory synthetics weigh? Thanks.
 
I figure your gain might be around 1lbs, I don't own a Marlin but the cheap synthetic stocks on my Stevens rifles all weigh around 24+ ounces. Since you said in your other thread your fine hunting but the problem is from the bench, then try a PAST recoil pad first. They work I bought one for shooting from the bench, and it is night and day difference in felt recoil. I use it shooting full power .375 Ruger loads using 270-300 grain bullets no problem. IMO the best cheap recoil mitigation product on the market.
 
A good recoil pad makes a HUGE difference. I like LimbSaver but all the main brands are pretty good. I believe Taylorce1 is correct on the weight. I don't have a Marlin either but the Boyd's stock I put on my Savage added at least a pound over the synthetic. Boyd's will add a Pachmayr pad for about $30
 
Usually a laminate stock weighs more than a synthetic. That said you will get much more recoil reduction from a good muzzle brake, around 30%. It will increase muzzle blast considerably as a result.

Other options are a Caldwell Lead Sled if shooting from the bench is your only concern.

You could also just trade it for a .243. It is an excellent deer/varmint cartridge as is the .250 Savage that it replaced. The 25-06 is another great deer cartridge too. In hunting shot placement and bullet construction are of utmost importance.

Hope this helps.
 
I went to a boyds thumbhole on my ruger Hawkeye and it did gain some weight over the plain wood stock it had, a pound I am not sure. As far as reducing felt recoil I would do as suggested and get a good recoil pad.
 
I put a Boyd's laminate on my XS7 in 7mm-08 and with a Nikon 3x-9x Prostaff scope on it, it now weights in at app. 8 lbs. This stock was a straight drop in and it also free floated the barrel.
 
For what it is worth I think the xl7 has a pretty good recoil pad on it as is. It is about 3/4 thick and I can push it in about a 1/3 or so of the way with my thumb before it gets dense.

I have read about walnut stocks and weather concerns. Honestly mine will only get used a few times a year. Temps are rarely below and usually hover around 50 in deer season. Walnut is fine for that right? I like walnut over laminate.
 
I use the magnum PAST shield, it offers the most reduction in recoil. Probably the most expensive one, but it's cheaper than a new stock by a long shot.
 
The Boyd's laminate stocks are significantly heavier than the factory synthetic XL7 stocks. You will, however, need to have a recoil pad installed, if you don't want a hard plastic butt plate.

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I would quote you a weight difference, but my initial-production Boyd's stock seems to have been much heavier than what more recent buyers are reporting. The XL7 sub-forum on Marlinowners.com might be a good place to do some research.


Something else to consider....
If your rifle is an early production model, going to the Boyd's stock may not be as straight-forward as you would hope. It should drop right in the stock, but the barrel may not like being free-floated. The pre-Remlin X7s are a toss-up. Some shoot well free-floated. Some go to crap.
Mine ended up being a rifle that needed the pressure points of the factory stock to shoot well. Rather than build up some pressure points in the Boyd's stock, I sold it and went back to factory.
 
I put a Boyds laminated stock om my XL7 in 270. Definitely heavier, and it did come with a thin foam recoil pad. No issues with recoil, but I also shoot a lightweight 45-70 and 300 Win Mag.

After bedding the rifle is now a tack-driver. 1/2-MOA groups with my handloads.
 
A Boyd's walnut stock may BARELY be heavier than the synthetic. Mine is only a couple ounces heavier than my X7 synthetic. A Boyd's laminate will add a pound, at least. The standard rubber butts they put on the Boyd's stocks are very hard and won't help with recoil. As mentioned, they (Boyd's) will put on a Pachmayr pad for $30 which is about as effective as the pad on the factory synthetic stock.
 
Boyd's are Gooood!

I have a Boyd's walnut (Monte Carlo style)on a Yugo 8mm mauser with a plastic buttplate, I shoot some fairly stout reloads and it still is not punishing to me.
I'm 6' and 200 lbs. I also put the same stock, albeit laminate with a 1/2" pad, on my son's 7mm mauser, it turned that recoil into a 243.
The laminate is indeed heavier than the walnut, but that Monte Carlo design seems to work really well for me. :D YMMV
 
I have the Praire Hunter in Walnut coming. I know the lam may be heavier, but I just like the walnut. I'll let you know how it turns out!
 
You won't regret it. I got a nicely figured piece of wood, surprisingly. It's not fancy grade or anything but it was better than straight grain. Much more than I was expecting for ~$100.
 
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