New stock's impact on groups?

J

Jay24bal

New member
I just put a new stock on a rifle of mine. This is the first time I have put a new stock on a rifle after firing it for while (Savage Axis and Boyds' jut released stocks for them so I shot it bare bones stock for 2 years) and building a load for it. Every other time I installed a new stock, I did so before I ever worked up a load for it so I have no personal frame of reference

How much will a new stock typically affect the group size of the load I am shooting? I am handloader, and I am figuring the chances are pretty good that I may need to find another load that would work with the new rig.

My mind has two competing thoughts on the matter:

1. I changed the way the action interfaces with the stock, therefore the harmonics will be different and a different load will most likely need to made to best suit the new set-up.

2. Both the old stock and the new one have the barrel free floating all the way down to the nut, so the harmonics will not change much since the stock never touched the barrel in either instance.

Any guidance would be appreciated. Thanks.
 
The barreled action's harmonics, or more accurately, its resonant frequency it vibrates at (harmonics are just multiples of that and happen at much lower frequencies and amplitudes) is fixed. That's determined by the metal's shape and metalurgy makeup.

As long as the new stock fits the action the same way and the barrel's still totally free floating, torque up the stock screws the same amount as before and nothing should change. The old loads will shoot the same regardless of the stock.

The zero on the sights may change as the rifle might move differently in one shoulder with a different stock.
 
Unless there is something wrong with the stock fitment on one stock or the other your group sizes won't change enough for an average hunter to ever notice. I've put several expensive stocks from McMillan and others on rifles. If group size ever improved over the cheap plasic or wood stocks it would take measuring devices more accurate than I own to tell.

Lots of guys buy aftermarket stocks expecting it to improve a rifle with poor accuracy. If doing so helps it was only because the old stock had a fit issue that could have been corrected.

I don't spend $500+ on a stock unless the rifle proves it is a good shooter. And I don't spend that money trying to make my rifles any more acurate. I do it primarily to reduce weight by 1/2-3/4 lb and because I just like the looks, feel and fit on them better.

If you have an accurate load, it will still shoot just fine in the new stock. POI might change slightly when you change stocks. Might not.
 
Thanks

Thanks guys.

That is why I turn to people that know what they are talking about and have done this in the past. I could not figure out which of my two thoughts were correct.

I am glad to hear that the load should not need to be changed seeing as I have about 150 of them already loaded up.

Time to go shoot them this weekend.
 
I replaced the stock on my Savage 110 short-action, with a Boyds stock some years ago, it was a tack driver with the original stock as it is with the Boyds, without changing the load.
 
If the new stock fit is the same as the old one, groups should not change significantly. But if is even a tiny bit different, it could have a significant impact on the group size of an established load.

It would depend on exactly how much different it was, and where.

Also there is a possibility that a new stock will affect group size because the shooter will shoot it differently. Not common, but possible.

Shoot your ammo and see if there is any change, or if there is, is it significant?
 
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