"Velocity, like our paper dollar, is a depreciating asset.
Mass and efficient bullet shapes, like diamonds, are forever."
how are you with the thumb hole stock ?
i have the peppered on my mosin, its great for me, but my lefty friends find it very hard to use
Torque action screws to a random value where the stock has resided in a 75 degree, conditioned room.
Then take it out into minus ten degree, very low humidity...
Or, one hundred degree, ninety percent humidity.
I am unconvinced there would not be dimensional changes affecting the torque values of those action screws.
And I believe that an argument suggesting that any bolt gun would not benefit from a proper pillar and receiver bedding job is unfounded.
McMillan Pillar Bedding Article
One last item on pillar bedding, I am often asked by customers who would like to bed their own stock but lack the confidence to try pillar bedding, “Do I need pillars?” Because of the construction techniques and materials we use in making our stocks, it is not necessary to use pillars. With the exception of benchrest stocks, which are always glued in and use a lighter fill in the action area than all of stocks, pillars are unnecessary. Tests have proven that the materials we use to fill the action area of our stocks have less than one percent compression at 100 lb psi. What that means is that there is no way you are going to be able to torque your guards screws tight enough to compress the material under the action. Why do we put them in every bedding job we do when installing our stocks? Because it’s state-of-the-art. It’s what has become the excepted way to do things. It’s not a fad. It is a valuable technique that is necessary when bedding stocks that use a different method of construction (which almost all other synthetic manufacturers do). It’s just that with ours, it is not really necessary
MattShlock said:No-one here is saying that laminated wood can't at all be changed by conditions. Yet they are close to synthetic stocks: forget the alternating layers, they are usually pressure resin bonded. Ever wonder why they are so heavy and dense feeling? Can be milled to metal tolerances!? They're basically polymer filled wood...
But some here seem to insist that, simply, laminates are like regular ol' wood and appear to be intentionally misleading the unknowing here it seems to me.
The Stock Market
The most stable of stocks are laid-up fiberglass and laminated wood. Excellent examples of each are McMillan’s Hunters Edge and Boyds’ JRS Classic.
Wood laminates are extremely stable because each veneer’s grain structure is oriented differently from its neighbor, thus negating any tendency to warp in any one direction. With each layer being separated by a micro-thin layer of epoxy, the stock is highly resistant to moisture. With any kind of protective finish at all, it is virtually inert.
Firearms Stocks: Walnut, Laminated Hardwood, Composite, Synthetic or What?
One of the best current alternatives is laminated hardwood stocks. Formed under high pressure and heat, they are far stronger than generic plastic stocks, do not degrade with exposure to UV and humidity, do not absorb moisture, do not out gas, are more rigid and promote accuracy as a direct result of that rigidity. They have only one negative in the minds of many: as glue is used between the strips of wood, they may be heavy compared to thermoplastic stocks and are denser than natural walnut.
The Rifle Stock
Laminated wood stocks are actually the strongest and most stable of all stocks. Functionally, they are superior to both solid walnut and the synthetics. If laminated from decent woods and well finished they can be quite attractive. They are cheaper than solid walnut stocks because they are made from smaller slices of wood, most of which cost less than good walnut. The grain in the various layers of wood is designed to run in different directions and cancels out any tendency of the stock to warp. When properly glued under pressure and sealed laminated stocks are immensely strong and warp resistant, and virtually impervious to the elements. Laminated stocks are generally regarded as the stiffest and most accurate type of stock.
taylorce1 said:I'm sure you'll get a load worked out quickly on your rifle. Can't wait to see it sitting next to dead chucks or a nice white tail deer.
AllenJ said:Thank you for the range report, it sounds like an accurate rifle if you're getting 3/4" groups with unformed brass. I'm very impressed that you got RL-17 to shoot good in your rifle...
I was tinkering around in the reloading room and I got to measuring some bullets.
The 55gr, which we've haven't been able to group really well, measure 0.2429". Hm.