Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Hogue OverMold

I know folks say they are heavy and, to some people, feel bulky, but has anyone used one in the field? Especially the full bed model? What is the texture like? And is the recoil pad similar to a Decelerator or hard rubber?

Thanks.

I've purchase 2 TC Icons both of which came with the Hogue fully bedded stock. The feel is the best of any synthetic stock I have. I prefer the softer texture rather than the harder, slicker finishes on some others. I've used both Hogue and BC Medalist replacement stocks for the full alum bedding systems on other rifles as well. Medalists are stiffer, heavier stocks and 25% more expensive. Both will add significant weight to the rifle. Each stock weights 2-2.5 lbs. Both have good recoil pads but the added weight should reduce recoil just by the change in physics alone. There are no guarantees accuracy will improve(not in my case anyway), but it shouldn't hurt. With the Hogue you may need to enlarge the barrel channel at the forarm end as shooting off a rest or bipod may cause enough flex to make contact with the barrel. This is easily done with a wood dowel and some sand paper.

You'll be handling a heavier rifle either way.

But yes, I do prefer the Hogue texture grip. Recoil pads are similar and recoil is almost negligent on my .308 and 30-06 set-ups.

Rev: I spent 2 weeks in Zim with a Ruger Alaskan that came with a Hoque overmold from the factory. It has a tackiness to the stock that while providing a secure grip in wet weather, allows the rifle to hang up on your shirt while mounting. This tackiness disappeared after a day on dusty roads. You could also treat the top of toe of the stock with the slick coating that skeet and sporting clays shooters used before the gamesman took over the sport and allowed a premounted ready position. The rubbber coating is very quiet in brush and deadens the hollowness of the plastic stock. The dust became imbedded in the surface causing a blotchy appearance and scratches from brush are permanent. Phil Shoemaker did not like the covering so he removed it with a small plane and used the shavings for fire starter. I was going to do the same but am keeping it because of sound deadening. Mine is a working rifle and will never look pretty even if Al Lind stocked it. The stock is heavy and this coating may be part of the reason.
I believe that the "bulky" adjective is partly caused by the pistol grip area of the stock but I have small hands and have no problems with the grip. The palm swell at the end of the pistol grip insures that the rifle does not slip in recoil from the 416 Ruger chambering.
While there is no full length aluminum bedding block the metal pillars prevent compression of the stock. I travel with the action out of the stock for the convenience of a shorter overall length. I am sure the reason the rifle returns to zero after assembly with a torque wrench and firing one shot to seat the action is due to the aluminum pillars.
In the immortal words of Forest Gump, pretty is as pretty does.

I really appreciate both of your replies. That's the sort of first hand experience I'm looking for. But I am surprised that the full bed model still has a lot of flex. The pillar bed model I can see, but am surprised about the full bed model. I'm thinking about putting one on a Zastava Mauser for use in bad weather and harsh environments. And I sort of like the tacky stock, especially in rain or sweaty hands. Thanks again.

Rev,

I have one of the Howa/Hogue stainless combos in 30-06 and really like it. It may be a hair fat but like said before, don't find it a problem. The grip is sticky and the very soft recoil pad does a decent job. It's a working gun stock IMO that does the job just fine.

MGunns

Thanks for that. I've been fighting the urge to buy a Howa/Hogue in 6.5 Swede for a long time. If I pick up another Mauser for the Hogue it will be another 7x57. And it'll be a working gun, banged around a truck and stand, as well as dragged through places chasing pigs.

I hear ya. Been looking at the Swede myself. They also have the barreled actions for sale if you wanted to go a different stock route. The Hogue is my rainy day rifle that I don't worry about scratching up etc. Has performed just fine for me.

I have a Mtn rifle barreled action screwed in a Hogue with pillars and it is one of my most accurate rifles. I've had a few rifles setting in them and they all shot great..

The old rifle you bought from me shot damn good too. That 300 wsm wore a Hogue overmold stock and it was very comfortable to shoot as well...

I've had them on a couple of rifles. They shot fine, but no better than any other plastic stock. In my experience most any of the cheap plastic stocks shoot better than most shooters can. And that coming from a guy with 3 McMillan Edge stocks. I like my McMillans better, never have claimed any of my rifles were any more accurate after changing. They were about 1/2 lb lighter, looked and felt better which is what I wanted.

The weight and fat grip are deal killers for me. While I never had any complaints about accuracy, I never felt they offered any improvement over the factory Tupperware stocks either. Just emptied my wallet and added a lot of weight to the rifle.

I bought a Hogue overmold with the aluminum bedding channel for my Ruger Hawkeye. I was having some accuracy problems, which turned out to be a bad scope and not a bad stock. The Hogue is probably better for accuracy than the original synthetic Ruger stock, but it is heavier. After a year or so, I put the original stock back on the Ruger. It just feels better to my hands and it's much lighter. Which brings to mind that I have an extra stock I could sell - the Hogue stock. It's for a Ruger Hawkeye (or MKII, I guess) in short action.

It does have a darn good recoil pad, though I didn't need it with the 223.

Let me clarify my comment about Hogue flex. This is only a concern at the bench. There is very little flex (if any) on the TC Icon set-ups as each of these rifles use a regular contour barrel. However, I've tried the Hogue full bedded replacement stock on heavy barreled weatherby/Howa 308s and potential flex became noticeable on those applications to the point I felt increasing the barrel clearance at the forearm tip was necessary. The Howa came with a pillar bedded Hogue stock, which flexed as well and it was altered the same way. The weatherby heavy barrel is only a #3 contour and has a smaller diameter than the Howa. This rifle now sits in a B&C medalist replacement. B&C offers a medalist stock that is a drop in fit for weatherbys, and does not flex at all; but the grip's a bit slicker.

Thanks for the clarification. If I buy one, it'll be housing a M98 with standard hunting contour (#2) barrel. I don't think flex will be much of an issue, if at all.

Just order one from Legacy Sports Int. in a youth version for my son's Vanguard 2. Hope it does its job.

Let us know what you think.

Thanks

I just bought a howa with the Hogue overmolded stock in 6.5x55 and it got here two days ago. I have not put it through its paces yet but I will agree with what others have said. The forearm portion does seem a little thick and the rifle in general is on the heavy side. I do like the texture and grip of it though. The forearm does appear to flex a little up towards the barrel as well but overall it feels solid. Should make a nice rifle for my son when he grows into it a little more. If weight is an issue then I would probably consider a different stock. Any idea how much weight could be saved from going to a different aftermarket stock on the howas?

I have had 2 or 3, and I like them!

Mike--I do not own a Hogue Overmold stocked rifle but have shot two that a member here owns. One was a Ruger Alaskan, I loved the feel of this rifle and I think the stock helped tame the recoil (I'm recoil shy), I liked the rifle so much I'm looking for one NIB. The other rifle is a Ruger 77 rebarreled to 358 Norma Mag and a green Hogue stock, love this set up also. I can't comment on the forearm flex. Buy one, you will really like it. I'm also looking at a Howa/Hogue rifle in 6.5x55. Good luck.

The fit was real tight, had to mess with a bit go get the mag box to sit in correctly. not sure yet if I will have to re work the loads for the rifle due to the new stock.

I have two of the piller bed only versions. One is on a 98 Mauser rebuild and the other is on a Remington 700 SPS.

The one on the Mauser actually touches the barrel all along the sides but that little .308 will still shoot sub MOA so it must not hurt.

The one for the Remington I got off of ebay for $49 and it is actually for the Varmint SPS so my .270WSM with sporter contour is very free floated. Rifle shoots Sub MOA like it was built to do it.

I have no complaints with these stocks.