I am sure this has been discussed many times, but............. I read several threads on stock replacement and I seldom see any mention of improved accuracy. How did these stocks do? I am considering replacing the stocks on my 700,s. I don't really mind the SPS Varmint stock as I like the feel of the grip points. The ADL stock split out at a screw hole that I attempted to tighten to tech spec. It needs to be replaced. With the right ammo, I am shooting MOA groups at 100 yards consistently with the Varmint. I want .5 out of the Varmint. The ADL shoots 1.5". If I spend $500.00 or more on a stock, I will be very upset if there is not a significant improvement. I replaced the Varmint trigger because of the recall. Timney 510. No improvement in accuracy. I will probably replace the ADL with the same Timney trigger as I do not trust the packaging that Remington sent to me for the return shipment for the trigger recall. The new trigger on the Varmint does feel better though. ------I am not disappointed with my trigger purchase. That is my story, and I am sticking to it.----- I see people at the range that have made stock, trigger, bolt, barrel, muzzle brake mods/replacement on the same rifle that I have with no gain. Then there are people that buy an old wood or new laminated stock, get it pillar bedded and their rifle is shooting and entire page of 12 1" dots with cloverleaf groups. Then another person takes the same setup to the same smith for the same pillar bedding and gets no improvement at all, or they shoot 4" groups, get P.O. and leave the range in haste. These forums are fairly new to me and I have improved my handgun and rifle shooting as a result of the tips mentioned here. As a group, do y'all know of a specific stock that will give consistent results that does not cost a fortune? Yes I used the word Y'all.
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Remington 700 stock replacement
- Thread starter zach_
- Start date
If you are expecting "significant" improvement in accuracy, you are going to be disappointed. The cheap plastic stocks and factory wood stocks shoot just fine. You will probably see more consistency with a synthetic over wood, but not pure accuracy.
Lots of guys justify the expense of an aftermarket stock to themselves, and their wives, by trying to convince them that it will make the gun more accurate. If you are talking about target guns where a .01 MOA improvement is a big deal then the better high end stocks might help. On a hunting rifle if you see any measurable difference it is only because there was a problem with the fitment on the factory stock that could have been corrected much cheaper and easier.
That said, I own 4 rifles in McMillan Edge stocks and another in a Brown Precision. I've owned several others in the past in quality synthetic stocks. Not a single rifle shot any better after the swap. For one thing, I won't spend $500-$600 on a stock until AFTER the rifle proves it will shoot. Not spending that much money hoping it will solve an accuracy problem. If I can't get the accuracy I want, the gun goes down the road. If it proves it can shoot, and if I like it, then the better stock goes on it.
I spend the money to get a tougher, better looking stock that will weigh 8-20 oz less than what comes from the factory. I do see considerably more consistency compared to wood which will expand and contract depending on environmental conditions. And the weight savings is important to me But I've never noted any better accuracy. The 3 most accurate rifles I've ever shot were sitting in cheap factory plastic stocks.
Lots of guys justify the expense of an aftermarket stock to themselves, and their wives, by trying to convince them that it will make the gun more accurate. If you are talking about target guns where a .01 MOA improvement is a big deal then the better high end stocks might help. On a hunting rifle if you see any measurable difference it is only because there was a problem with the fitment on the factory stock that could have been corrected much cheaper and easier.
That said, I own 4 rifles in McMillan Edge stocks and another in a Brown Precision. I've owned several others in the past in quality synthetic stocks. Not a single rifle shot any better after the swap. For one thing, I won't spend $500-$600 on a stock until AFTER the rifle proves it will shoot. Not spending that much money hoping it will solve an accuracy problem. If I can't get the accuracy I want, the gun goes down the road. If it proves it can shoot, and if I like it, then the better stock goes on it.
I spend the money to get a tougher, better looking stock that will weigh 8-20 oz less than what comes from the factory. I do see considerably more consistency compared to wood which will expand and contract depending on environmental conditions. And the weight savings is important to me But I've never noted any better accuracy. The 3 most accurate rifles I've ever shot were sitting in cheap factory plastic stocks.
Here s my take on it. I have a 700 ADL Varmint in 308. Once I figured out the load for it I was at around .365" for 5 shot groups at 100yds. I then had the barrel cut from 26" to 20" with a recessed target crown. The gunsmith said when the barrel was on the lathe it wobbled. Taking 6" off took it 1" passed the wobble. I took the rifle to the range and the group size shrunk to .307" center to center. I keep looking at new stocks but I am afraid to mess with it.
jmr40 is right-on about NOT looking at stock replacement as an automatic accuracy improvement. Quality synthetic stocks are consistent & not prone to change due to conditions or time. That is their total advantage. On the rifles you mentioned, a wood stock can be made to shoot just as good or better than a synthetic. It's all in how the metal is married to the stock.
JIMHO...
JIMHO...
zach_
I switched out the factory stock on my Remington 700 SPS in .22-250 with a Bell & Carlson Medalist. The B&C is heaver than the SPS Tupperware stock and is pillar bedded. I could feel the movement in the factory stock but the Medalist is solid primarily because there is an aluminum rail tying the bedding blocks together. The new stock improved the average group accuracy by about 0.040. Then I changed the trigger and the biggest improvement in accuracy (about 0.90) came from changing out the gritty and heavy factory trigger with a Timney. The rifle went from a 0.613 average group shooter in factory trim over 155 groups measured to 0.488 for over 600 groups measured. Its top 25 hand loads now average 0.330 over 119 groups measured with the new trigger and stock.
The trigger provided twice the improvement the stock provided, but I think the stock made it more consistent.
I switched out the factory stock on my Remington 700 SPS in .22-250 with a Bell & Carlson Medalist. The B&C is heaver than the SPS Tupperware stock and is pillar bedded. I could feel the movement in the factory stock but the Medalist is solid primarily because there is an aluminum rail tying the bedding blocks together. The new stock improved the average group accuracy by about 0.040. Then I changed the trigger and the biggest improvement in accuracy (about 0.90) came from changing out the gritty and heavy factory trigger with a Timney. The rifle went from a 0.613 average group shooter in factory trim over 155 groups measured to 0.488 for over 600 groups measured. Its top 25 hand loads now average 0.330 over 119 groups measured with the new trigger and stock.
The trigger provided twice the improvement the stock provided, but I think the stock made it more consistent.
You could easily repair the spilt ADL stock by installing pillars, and epoxy bedding the action.
There are many reasons to buy a replacement stock- ergonomics, better fit for the intended use of the rifle (hunting, prone target, benchrest...) as well as durability. Or, some shooters prefer not to do pillar and receiver bedding on a wood or composite stock and instead buy one with integral aluminum bedding blocks.
I just spent $800 on an AICS...will it necessarily make the rifle any more accurate than if I had bedded the receiver and installed pillars into a $150 laminate stock? Nope...
There are many reasons to buy a replacement stock- ergonomics, better fit for the intended use of the rifle (hunting, prone target, benchrest...) as well as durability. Or, some shooters prefer not to do pillar and receiver bedding on a wood or composite stock and instead buy one with integral aluminum bedding blocks.
I just spent $800 on an AICS...will it necessarily make the rifle any more accurate than if I had bedded the receiver and installed pillars into a $150 laminate stock? Nope...
Saltydog235
New member
You can repair the wood stock pretty easily, I wouldn't replace it.
The stocks on the SPS guns are just awful, my boys have plastic toy guns with better furniture than those guns. And a quality stock that holds the gun well does increase accuracy over those factory POS.
SPS rifles are little more than barreled donor actions for rebuilds. Stocks suck, triggers suck, finish sucks, bolts are rough as well. You buy an SPS for aftermarket additions.
The stocks on the SPS guns are just awful, my boys have plastic toy guns with better furniture than those guns. And a quality stock that holds the gun well does increase accuracy over those factory POS.
SPS rifles are little more than barreled donor actions for rebuilds. Stocks suck, triggers suck, finish sucks, bolts are rough as well. You buy an SPS for aftermarket additions.
Thanks for the input everybody. I have been looking for a used walnut adl stock. No luck at several local gun shops and gun smith shops. I saw one at the last gun show in Irving, by the vendor would not take bank cards for purchases under $100. I am hesitant to buy a used wood stock online. I am still up in the air on the Varmint. On another note, I spent the afternoon installing a drop in free float tube on my ar. Drop in.... ok, I guess it dropped in eventually. Looks cool, got the bipod mounted where I want it now. The old bipod mounting point was too far back. It was almost at the center of the rifle with the available mounting options. The new location is just forward of the front sight. I sighted out the back door here at home. I think my point of aim moves around much less. We will see.
Well, I still am kicking around options for the adl. Looking for a stock maker in DFW to make a stock from a piece of walnut from family land. I did buy a b&c medalist for my 700 varmint 308. Big improvement. Shot many 1/2" groups yesterday. No groups over 1". 3 groups with a single ragged hole. Much more consistent overall. I had to get new rings, and I put a 20 moa base on it. Between my eyes being very close together,(I can't see through most binoculars), and the comb height of the new stock, something had to be done. It seemed ok at home before my first trip to the range. The added height seemed to make all the difference. The first trip to the range with the same rings and base I used with the old stock was cut short as it was very uncomfortable to shoot.
A neighbor bought a used 7mm-08, Rem Model 7 in the factory synthetic stock from a friend and asked me to check it out. I found that the stock was split at the front screw from over-tightening. The cure was to Dremel a deep groove across the crack, install pillars and add a piece of a 1/8" bolt across the crack with epoxy in the crack. The stock was placed in a vise to cure the epoxy. I think I used JB Weld.
After the epoxy cured, I finished the bedding job, making sure the barrel had plenty of clearance in the channel.
When we tried shooting the rifle, it grouped under 1/2" at 100 yards with Remington Core-Locts. I couldn't believe it!
After the epoxy cured, I finished the bedding job, making sure the barrel had plenty of clearance in the channel.
When we tried shooting the rifle, it grouped under 1/2" at 100 yards with Remington Core-Locts. I couldn't believe it!
Wow, I have never had or seen the core-locts (sp?) group smaller than about 1.5" in any rifle, even occasionally. Took me about 10 boxes of different flavors to figure that out. I am now determined to find a stock maker to make a stock for my 243 out of a piece of wood from a family farm. Looks like all of the stock makers are at least 250 miles away from me.
That really doesn't add any strength to the stock, since it's just "floating" in the epoxyThe cure was to Dremel a deep groove across the crack, install pillars and add a piece of a 1/8" bolt across the crack with epoxy in the crack. The stock was placed in a vise to cure the epoxy. I think I used JB Weld.
It could concievably even weaken the patch by making the epoxy thinner
A "U" shaped piece forced into a groove, that actually spanned and contacted both sides of the crack might add some strength, but I suspect the epoxy alone is still stonger, and easier too
steveNChunter
New member
I am now determined to find a stock maker to make a stock for my 243 out of a piece of wood from a family farm. Looks like all of the stock makers are at least 250 miles away from me.
Get a price quote before you get dead set on that idea. I realize the sentimental value there but custom jobs like that are pretty expensive. A $100 laminate aftermarket stock makes alot more sense to me and will be much more weather resistant. Once you've done a proper bedding job with epoxy and pillars, the rest of the stock isn't as big of an issue.