Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats Lightweight Stocks

Planning on building a lightweight .223AI and am trying to decide on a stock. An Edge would be nice but I'm going to try a cheaper alternative. Looking at Bansner or Wildcat composites.

Anyone have either of these stocks? How is the grip shape/size. I really like the McM Mtn rifle grip, are these close to this or more open like the TI stocks?

I have a Bansner on my 700 long action. It saved about 1.5lbs off a beautiful walnut stock and is great for all weather heavy hunting. Now I am thinking of going back to the walnut for purely aesthetic reasons. I just like the look and feel of wood over plastic. I'm a little strange in other ways, just ask my Wife.

Bottom line is I'd like to sell the Bansner. PM me if interested.

Ti

I have 2 bansners/hitech specialties. No problems.

Thanks for the offer but I need a short action stock.

You saying the grip is similiar to the TI or to use a TI stock?

I think I'd spend the money for an McM Edge before I got a TI. I just can't like the grip at all. It's to open and thick for me.

An Edge built and shipped to my door is $518 and will bolt right to the rifle, ready to shoot. I have used Brown Precision and Garrett in the past.(think 25-30 years ago.) No experience with any of the other brands. But at the time the other brands required the services of a gunsmith, or a lot of finish and fitting work by me.

I've also played around a bit with HS and B&C. They are significantly cheaper and do pretty much bolt onto the gun, but neither offer a really light stock.

What price range are we looking at with Bansner? Do they come ready to bolt on the rifle like McMillan, or do you have to do a lot of finish work? Just asking. Trying to decide if they are any better value than McMillan.

the bansner is a good deal if you can roll up your own finish work and pad install as you can order it and finish it in a week

if you take the hours invested on finishing a bansner and convert them to some overtime pay it may look like this:

$518 for mcmillan. drop in. done. months wait

$265 for bansner.
$ 25 materials for finish
$ 30 pad
$100+ in overtime pay
------

your easily within' a c'note of a mcmillan. probably much less if you really get down to it. the biggest hurdle in your decision would be time considerations..

JMO but if i had the time i would roll with a mcm..

woofer

Maybe, but....

Are you taking time off from something where you actually WOULD be making overtime (or even straight) pay? If not, it's not a valid argument.

I don't get paid to reload, or mount my scopes, or anything else. I do it on my own (unpaid) time, where I'd be working around the house, cutting the grass, washing the truck, or whatever, anyway. My "free" time is just that, free. And I happen to enjoy spending some of it on gun related stuff.

i do too but he was comparing the "cheaper" of the two. IF he had the chance to work some OT he could get the mcm for similar money. i like doin' my own. i think most should at least try it once... but, if you have never bedded a rifle or finished a pad it could turn out to be not what you want and a big disappointment, especially on a custom.

rolling up a custom and learning stock prep and finish 101 at the same time may not fly... i for one would like some practice on some pieces that i have nothing invested in first... JMO....

i cant afford 5 bills for a stock. $250 i can and would do 100% of the time. like the TI's a bunch for even less.... bed and fly..

woofer
woofer

I dont think your going to get away with a wildcat for less that a Mcmillan, I may be wrong there, but they are not to much cheaper, and some models are more $$. They make an awsome lightwieght stock and they are VERY well built.
A summit ultra light is going on my next rifle!

Look at the MPI banks, they are available in ultra lightweights

This is my lwt 223AI..


SS Rem 700
Rifle Basix Trigger
#1 Lilja 1" Shank. 23" Barrel 1-8 Twist. 3 groove.
McM Edge in MR
Modified Mag box for 75 Amax
Lwts
6x42

Perfection, IMO.

I have a Wildcat stock on my .280AI,it is a first class stock but unless you do all the finish work yourself(just like a Bansner) you may as well plunk down the cash for a McMillan.While that's probably what I'll do I will also be looking at Robertson Composite stocks,another Canadian company.They are big in F class stocks but are starting to offer hunting stocks.Unfortunately for our friends in the States right now there are no huge savings on exchange on Canadian stocks,the two dollars are very close to par. Monashee

No wait for some McMillans just buy here:

JW Precision

I just bought an HTG RH in Forest Camo yesterday, for my Rem 700 HB Varmint in 7mm-08. It will be delivered next week.

Bob

I have a Bansners on my LA M700. I needed to do way more work than I expected to the action and bottom metal inletting to get everything flush. I purchased a VLP spray gun, hose, pressure guage, filters etc, to paint it (I already had a compressor), purchased paint, thinner, etc from Arma-coat and then spent more time getting it all right. On top of it, the front sling stud was and still is slightly off center. I bet I didn't save $20 over a McM Edge when its all said and done. It did turn out nice, though I doubt I would go that route again.

that kinda' sums it up right there.........

woofer

Nice, Calvin. What's it weigh in at? That's real similiar to what I was planning.

I'm not worried about the work to finish it. I have no problem running a rattle can for paint.

What I really want to know is what is the grip shape like. Anyone got a McM & a Bansner or Wildcat they can compare & maybe take some photos?

Not for nothing but for just a tad more than a micky you could just send the barreled action to Mark B. and he'll do it all for you and give it a paint job too. Pretty much all comes down to how deep is your pocket and how handy you are at that stuff. I pretty much suck at it , so you know what boat I'm in .