Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Pre-64 in a Banser/Hi-Tech Spec

Looking to put my old faithfull Pre-64 M70 .30-06 in a synthetic stock. I've had McMillans on my M70 classics and liked them alright, but sometimes they required some fitting and touch up (Barrel channel straightened, etc.) Was thinking of going the Banser route and was wondering what those who have done the same think of them as far as stock pattern, fitting, etc. I dont mind doing the recoil pad install and some fitting /bedding etc.

Also what did you do with the barrel boss.

Bansers take more work the McMillan by a fair bit, though I prefer them as well by a fair bit.

I've had a few pre 64's stocked by Bansner but they did the work and every one came out great.A friend has several also and they are a great way to go.

I placed an order for a McMillan Winchester New Hunter style stock in Edge fill on Dec 31st for my pre64. Looking forward to trying it out 4 months from now, and will post my results.

Still waiting to try a Rimrock one of these days!

I like the Micky Edge and discontinued Rimrock stocks for P-64s, have sold most of mine and have only a dozen now. For magnums, the Rimrocks are about "perfect" for ME and the original "MC" pattern Micky on my 20" P-64 .375H&H works just fine.

I have three Bansners, I bought them for rifles I will not use much as the cost is much less than Mickys or some others and I like them, except the "fat" grip section.

I would go with a Micky IF you can afford it, use the Edge fill and just inlet for the boss and bed around it, I have done this at least 20 times, in both synthetics and original wooden stocks and it works very well.

I would try to keep your P-64 as original as you can, as these are now becoming quite rare in fine shape and will appreciate in value as time passes. I have four of the original Alaskans in .338 and I shudder to think what it would cost to replace these now.

A very good rifle and one you can depend on in rough circumstances.

we've got our pre 64 M70's stocked in mcm compact edge(s), a rimrock, an echols legend and now my 7x57 in a bansner. I think the bansner is a good stock and a fair value, but with most of our rifles sporting fwt barrels, the fore-end strikes me as thick... the mcm compact gets high marks. Since you have a standard weight barrel the bansner might be just right for you depending on the personal fit. By design, I think my 300 H&H (#2 barrel) in the legend stock is best of all. I'd give D'Arcy a call and talk to him about a legend stock, just to make sure you've covered your options.

For the M70, I've had 3 McMillan Compact Edges, 2 Rimrocks, and 1 Bansner with another soon to be ordered.

The Compact Edge, while light, svelt, and stiff, has a low comb and really doesn't work for my face.

The Rimrocks are really too big for anything other than a no.2+ contour and they have a lot of drop in the comb.

For anything in an M70 with a sporter weight contour or larger, and 24" and longer I'd go with the Echol's Legend stock... a brilliant design. IMO there's just no need for the Rimrock with this stock out there.

For the M70 Fwt I prefer the Bansner over anything McMillan offers.

Would add, it's shocking in this day and age McMillan offers so many low comb/drop comb stocks for the M70.

A Complete zero...

I hear ya Brad...why won't Mickey make a decent updated design for the Winchester?!

What's your take on the Brown Precision in comparison to the Bansner?

This is just me but I find the McM Hunter Edge compact to be a really nice stock. So much of this though is just like women, boots and bins. It's not a one size fits all world.

I've run 3 Browns for years, one of them was slimmed down by a smith, one is a bit on the chunky monky side and one was nice and trim from the get go.

The stocks that to me are a bit on the chunky side, are also very shootable for me. In that group is some of the Browns, the Bansner that I can recall and the Ti take off stocks for the 700's. To me these stocks have a fuller fit and aren't as svelte as some others but are like a said really shootable.

Long and the short, I feel that people need to handle some of the stocks and see what feels good to them. Then get it set up and shoot the living dog beanos out of it.

Dober

The Brown is a skosh slimmer than the Bansner but has a longer forearm. Definitely more expensive too!

I had probably the first Legend stocks in Canada, in my gunroom several years ago and I found, as did my best buddy,( whose these were) who sometimes posts here, "free-miner", that the Rimrocks work better for me. We are both a tad shorter than "average", stocky and short necked and the Legend's comb is just a mite too tall for my ancient square head and dim eyesight.

So, as he oftimes is, young Dober, is right on this and after about 30-35 synthetic stocks on P-64s, Classics, ZG-47s, Brno 21s, HVAs and Mausers plus a Remmy 600 and a Remmy 7, I also think that handling as many as one can is the best means of finding what works best for an individual.

Even then, for example, I have a "Hill Country" Micky on my Dakota 76-.338WM, installed by Martini Gunmakers and it is ALMOST perfect, except for a ridge on the upper surface of the grip, that, for ME, should be lower. Yet, shooting "freehand" last Oct, at a ranged 100M, I could keep my four 250NP handloads under the palm of my hand, so.......it works!

I also had, come to think of it, a Clifton Arms stock, which I installed on my first and much loved P-64 Alaskan-.338WM. I loved it and shot very well with it, whacking one Elk precisely where I held at well over 200 yds, freehand, due to the dense willows at waist height. But, it was HEAVY, did duty on my old "lookout gun", a re-blued P-64 .375 and finally went away.

I will soon have one of AHR's discontinued Micky stocks on my CZ-550 9.3x62 and I love this design, one of the best, again,for me.

All this said, I am sending some beater Brno stocks to Wildcat in Alberta and hope, after a phone call we had, that he will produce a light classic handle for various Mauser types. Variety being the spice and all that.

Mac, which rigs did you have the Rimrocks on? Perhaps b4 we met?

Dober

Low Zees.

Rimrock comb has far too much drop for my face, though its cheekpiece helps offset its drop.

Other thing, the McMillan Compact, Hunters Edge, Whateveritscalled, doesn't have so much drop in the comb as it has a low comb. Important distinction IMO. It does have a bit of drop, but mostly it's just a lower comb than, say, the Bansner.

That's some damn good advice right there about getting your mitts around a couple of handles and "feeling "them out. The "friend" that BobinNH is referring to to is my bro' and he is real happy with his Banser's. The "infamous" drug down a barbed wire fence .270 Pre 64 that my 'bro talked me out of in a weak moment, and still shoots sub moa at way out there yardages, is currently residing in a Banser.....
YMMV,
BD

Well I guess I am the odd man as I am really liking the Express I just bedded to my 416 Rem M70. About the ideal "in-betweener" for scope and open sights, just as I wanted.

EdM--I wouldn't say that you're the odd man. IME there are no rights and or wrongs in the world of gun fit. There's only what works for one's self.

Like I said b4, much of this is like picking the perfect glass to fit your or my eye's. Chances are our eye site will be different, just like our body builds.

Find one that fits you and hunt the heck out of it I say!

Lifes short, hunt hard!

Dober

Blackdog: Yeah that old rifle still shoots...I flopped prone with it at 300 yards to check zero a couple months ago and it still lays them in there... Bro always has it at the range and he wonders why he owns anything else.

Guys I have or have had them all and right now I have here the Brown(shaped like a Bansner except slimmer through the grip),the Compact Edge in a 270FW,the Borden Rimrock(like that REAL well),and the Echols Legend.Both the Bansner and the Brown could be slimmer though the forend.

I hunted and shot a 7 mag in the Bansner so much I wore it out,snent it for rebarrel and it did not come out the way it was before,so dumped it...but it was a great rifle.

The Bansner, Brown, and Legend all have higher straighter combs;the Borden has a bit more drop but a great cheekpiece...I like it and would use another in a second.Like the Echols, I like it best on a magnum rifle...the Compact Edge has a lower comb but I really don't mind it and have killed with it under "urgent" conditions so know it works for me.

Since I was one of the first kids on the block back here,in the 70's to have a synthetic stock,I have owned and hunted with a fair number of them,multiples of each actually.In a light rifle,standard caliber(270,280,and 30/06,) with 22-23" tube my all time favorite is the Brown Pound'r...still the lightest and also stiffest synthetic I have worked with,(but more expensive).Mine was purchased so long ago back in the 80's I really can't remember.The Bansner is a thin whisker behind that,and kinda tied with the Compact even though they are different.

For magnum calibers the Echols Legend tops my list;Edge for a 7mm Magnum and standard fill for a 300 magnum and up.Close in second is the Borden Rimrock and I wish they would make that one again.Its a really great stock also.Hard to wrong with any of these IMO.

Thanks for all the input fellas.

I prefer a pure straight comb stock like those found on Ruger stocks. I also prefer my stocks to be a little chunkier. I really like the lines of the winlite stocks except for the drop comb. I had a supergrade, which I liked, but wouldnt use for anything except a Magnum application. Guess, Im gonna try the Banser, if it doesnt work out, I'll look to the Legend.

Bob, I've always adapted to any stock I've used, but starting fresh I can't see any reason to not go with something that's more ideal to ones physical build and preference. I have little meat in my face so a lower comb, or comb with a lot of drop isn't ideal for me.

Still, I just can't fathom why McMillan can't build a svelt M70 stock with a higher, straight comb.

I agree with you Brad. I've had three different mcmillans (on model 70s)(supergrade, fwt and compact) and none of them fit particularily well. Next synthetic for a model 70 will be a bansner.(slightly bigger than needed for my hands, but the closest to ideal that I have handled).
One of the main reasons I am slumming with a 700 right now is the fact that the stock fits me quite well, and it is quite accurate as well.