thumbhole vs classic stock?

A

axis223

New member
I am torn between a boyds varmint thumbhole and a boyds classic for my savage axis heavy barrel. I have never used a thumbhole stock before and from what i read they seem to help stabilize for bench and varmint hunting. I mostly bench shoot and woodchuck hunt with it.

My main concern is i will get a thumbhole and it will be uncomfortable for me to shoot and im out $150.

anyone not like thumbholes and prefer a classic stock for comfort?
 
I'm mostly a hunter. My limited experience is that it takes a bit longer, more hand motion, to cycle the bolt. Sometimes a "right now" second shot is needed.

That should not be a detriment when paper punching or for shooting woodchucks. Although I've only handled a few, I found the style to be comfortable.
 
Art

I was a little worried about the not being able to take a fast follow up shot. Even though they are mangy woodchucks sometimes they move or the hit doesnt put them down right away so ill put another one in them so they dont suffer. I watched a few videos and the safety and bolt movement seem to be very limited.
 
My experience is that thumbhole stocks fit pretty much the same as others. The hand still wraps around that core. Different designs of standard stocks may be better suited to you than a badly fitting thumbhole.

Are bowling balls universal? Guns aren't as personalized, but hand size and shape matter.
 
This is a question I've thought about. I like the way some thumb-hole stocks look, but affraid to buy because of the concerns of the OP.

I've added cool synthetic stocks that ended as miserable examples of poor ergonomics.

The Boyd's stocks looks nice
 
I like mine !!!

anyone not like thumbholes and prefer a classic stock for comfort?
Click to expand...
I really like my thumbhole stocks, especially on the bench. I have had many shooters ask me to let them fit and then shoot my stocks. Most came with rifles and others were after-market. In either case, most are Boyds. Besides getting a better grip, I also get a tighter cheek-weld. I really like mine. ...... :)

Now then, the only limitations I see, are the hunting environment when you have to thread your thumb and anchor, on short notice and they are just a little more cumbersome to carry but you will have to make that measure. ... :confused:

Be Safe !!!!
 
I have 2 boyds thumbholes and a browning x bolt with a thumbhole, I hunt deer (out of a stand) with one of my thumbholes but would not hesitate to still hunt with any of them, its all a matter of getting used to shouldering the rifle. I find I am more steady off hand with the thumbholes. My vote is for the thumbhole!!! See if you can find a couple to try at a local gun shop and see for yourself.
 
A thumbhole stock just changes the angle your hand is at on the rifle. Makes it like a pistol gripped rifle. Actually more natural than a regular stock. It won't make cycling a bolt any faster or slower.
Shouldering the rifle is different too. Slings that aid that can be had.
Mind you, a ground hog, even when wounded, is lightning fast disappearing.
 
some big people with big hands and small actions can cycle them pretty fast with still having the thumb in

when shooting precision I have my thumb on the finger side anyway so don't get pistolgrip stocks
 
Stock Choice

Personally, I'd go for a classic or standard style stock. I recently got into a custom stocked Kimber 22. The wood was great. On the down side this stock had a huge roll over checkpiece. From the set up it was made for a Cone Head (SNL characters). That's not what I had in mind. All this is about choice and personal taste. On some stocks from the Bubba Custom Shop it hard to tell if its a thumbhole or not.
 
I was thinking about it today and i have a few buddies who shoot it also and one is a lefty. classic or prairie would have to be the stock.

a question. i noticed that some pics show the prairie hunter with a cheek piece on both sides of the stock and some pics shows one side smooth and one raised. any clue whats with that?
 
For shooting off a bench, or bipod thumbhole style stocks are more comfortable. The hand sits in a more natrual position. But from other positions, or to carry the rifle conventional stocks are easier to use. Thumbhole stocks are easier to break too.

I'd pick a conventional stock design 10 times out of 10 over thumbhole. If I want a more straight grip style I'll go with the chassis system stocks that use an AR style grip.
 
Two Cheek pieces

My recall on this topic is foggy. One of the ancient notables of the late BP era had a rifle with right and left cheek piece. Seem like he had inconsistent eyesight and could shoot either right or left handed. The choice was a creature of his eyesight that day.
 
I only have one rifle with a thumbhole stoke. It's a Steyr Mauser .308 with the Lawson Mountaineer lightweight stock, pencil barrel and with scope, sling and a full magazine weights 5 pounds. The stock handles recoil quite well from the bench and the very light weight make it a dream up over 8 to 9,000 feet MSL. It does take concentration to hold steady in field positions but that's due to the very light weight.
Would I build another? Probably not. At my age being only a year and four months to reaching my eighth decade, new builds and not something I contemplate. Probably will go about thinning a very large herd and keeping only a very few treasured firearms. None of the kids like shooting or hunting so no one to give them to.
Paul B.
 
well i was able to try all 3 stocks over the weekend and the thumbhole was nice and handy but my thumb doesn't go all the way through making it rub and push on my bone closest to the hand. now torn between the monte carlo and classic.
 
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