Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Bell & Carlson Stocks

I know the Medalist doesn't have checkering, but the description of the Carbelite say's "hand-placed layers of Kelvar and fiberglass over graphite" and " checkering on the grip and forend area". So what is the stock really like? I'm seeing all kinds of descriptions here.

The Medalist has checkering on their website. I think they put aluminum bedding in stocks without checkering for a few manufacturers though...

Depends on which model medalist. My M700 version has checkering, my Tikka version does not.

Ti stocks have no checkering. I have a Medalist without checkering and a carbelite with checkering. I think they are they best bang for the buck out there. YMMV

I ordered one of their ultra-light MR stocks a couple months ago. Very interested to get mitts on it. The rifle shoots extremely well in the laminate stock so I've got a fallback if there's issues.

Just got an ultra-light in the mail the other day. Fit was good, a little clean-up in the barrel channel and it shoots well. Like I said before, if I had the money all of my stocks would be McMillans. Since I don't, the Bell and Carlsons work just fine.

The Medalist for a Mauser has classic lines, shadow cheek piece, checkering and Decelerator pad. It has aluminum bedding and is well made.

The Mark V Medalist has the Wby. shape and no checkering.

Both are nice stocks and at $217 wholesale thru Brownells, the Medalist is always available without a wait. Stocky's on line has them, but not always in stock. Brownells has the black color, only.

I have an Ed Brown Damara with light fill McM, much like an Edge. It's a real nice stock.

With the wait for McM and the extra cost, I like the B&C Medalist.

DF

I picked up a couple B&C Medalist lately. One for a Remington 700 Mountain Rifle. Dropped in nice. Then I picked up a Medalist for a small ring mauser. Took me several days of grinding and filing on that aluminum block before I could get it to drop in right. But for the price they are a nice stock.

I have a Carbelite for a Ruger LH MK II as the options are limited for lefties. When I opened up the barrel channel I had to re mold with graphite cloth so it wouldn't just be glue over a sponge. It always seemed too floppy so I put in an aluminum bar but it was still soft through the action and grip.

Now I think I am going to put it back in a wood stock and wished I had skipped the learning curve.

Should have added, the Duramax fit quite well.

They do take some fitting. I use my Dremel a good bit, then skim bed. The final product isn't bad.

Not a drop in, for sure.

DF

I stand corrected on the Carbelites-they are fiberglass layups per B&Cs catalog! Thank you for the correction.

Good to know. I assume there's a pressure point up there? I left the PP with my lammie stock since the rifle shoots so well with it in place.

IIR there is no pressure point. The mauser stock I picked up was used and it already had the barrel channel opened up some. The Medalist I got for my Rem mountain rifle was the Alaskan and it was free floated the whole way with no pressure point.

Brant

Interesting! Well, we shall see.

I liked the feel of my factory Browning Stalker stock but it had flex and I learned later a poor fit. I replaced with a Ba nd C and at first missed the skinnier grip of the factory. It did not take long at all to warm up to the B and C and I love it now. Some folks with skill will reshape them. It weighed about the same a the factory stock but cut recoil way down. The rifle cycles better and is much, much, more accurate and repeatable. It dropped in without any tinkering needed -except that the trigger guard screw (non action one) is a little too short after the swap.

In my experience, the Medalist forearm is not as stiff as McM or HS Precision. Thus, a pressure point wouldn't be that consistent, IMHO. I free float and with these stocks, a larger gap is needed to keep the forearm from touching the barrel, especially when using a sling.

The Medalist on my Mark V .257 Wby. had a small free floating gap. I missed a 200 yd. shot at a doe, using a sling from a box blind. I went back to the range and the gun was printing dead on, as before. It was quite evident that the sling tension caused the stock to touch the barrel. I opened the gap such that the forearm wouldn't touch, even with a tight sling. With the McM, and HS, a small free float gap will work, because those stocks are much stiffer than the B&C Medalist. I'm not familiar with the other B&C stocks but would think the Medalist, with aluminum bedding, would be as stiff if not stiffer than the others.

Otherwise, I rate the B&C Medalist as very good, a lot of stock for the dollar. I find HS to be pretty heavy, although a solid stock. McM is the Cadillac, IMHO, but I don't like waiting and Brownell's has a good selection of B&C's in inventory, just a Brown truck ride from your location.

DF

Any of you guys buy the Maxxguard finish?

Do McMillan do a soft touch finish, i cant see one on their site?

You can buy a B&C, grow disgusted with it, and order a McMillan,
or,
you can buy a McMillan to begin with.
Your choice.

Lesson learned after buying two B&C Medalist stocks.

2 issues with McMillian

no edge for the t3

and no soft touch, i would LOVE an A-bolt titanium in 338 win mag, cant get one so a T3 with a new stock is the next best IMO