Boat Paddle 77??? - 24hourcampfire

Why do the Boat Paddle 77's command such a high price?

Because they're aesthetically unique; durable; and most significantly, no longer made.

Plus they are very stiff for a factory plastic stock.

Boat paddles are in, man

same as a nylon 66 mystique! although I wish the value of my 223 would go that high.

Mine shoots great

No longer made/collector appeal.

I have two and while they are ugly as a crack whore, they just plain shoot. Dropped a Timney in them both and love them.

As others have pointed out, they are a stiff stock, durable, and they work. Mine have gone elk hunting 6 times and brought down 5 elk. Would have been 6 for 6 but I fed my .338 WM with .280 Rem ammo this year. The shot was about 100 yards and I doubt the bullet made it that far. Ended up taking the same bull a moment or two later with my buddy's 7mm RM at 411 yards which, for a variety of reasons, was very fitting.

Left to right:
.338WM (semi-custom), .300WM (factory), .30-06 (changed laminate stock, which I kept, for boat paddle)
[Linked Image]

You could run over these rifles with a truck and the stocks would survive.

CrowRifle's "ugly as a crack whore" is a little over the to. different, yes. Highly utilitarian, yes. But they grow on you.

If I ever sell the .30-06 the laminate stock that was on it will go back - I'll keep that boat paddle and mount one of my other Rugers in it.

They're so ugly you can't make them worse with use and they're tougher than woodpecker lips. I like my boat paddle stock! I call that rifle my "ugly stick".

The "Boat Paddle" was the only rifle that seemed fit to get rid of as it kicked like a mule and wasn't as accurate as I wanted. I don't miss it.

I love mine, my shooting partner hates it. It's a 7Mag and I got it cheap. $450 with sling, slip-on Limbsaver, and Simmons Aetech scope. I sold the scope for $100 so that put me at $350 in the gun.

Pros:
Tough as nails - I know it's capable of surviving any hunting conditions that I might ever be in.

Plenty of power - a 7Mag will handle any animal I plan to hunt

Accurate - Easily sub-MOA, with a few 1/2 inch groups to it's credit with both regular and reduced loads.

Cons:
Recoil - That boat paddle stock doesn't absorb much of it, even with a Limbsaver!

Aesthetics - Some call them ugly, I kinda like the look. You'll definitely never mistake it for any other rifle!

Have to agree with you on all counts on the stock! But the thing that I like most about the boat paddles is the quietness in the brush around here. The hollow bass drum sound of many of the synthetics is totally gone with the boat paddle stock. It is as quiet as a wood stock when going through the brush.

For all the reasons aleady posted
Plus your 416 can have the same feel as your 22

Because the stocks are made from Zytel nylon, same as hammer handles. You can pound a fencepost in with it, then use the fencepost as a rest, afterward taking a picture to post on the 'Fire.

What's not to like?

i missed the boat on them. i passed on a bunch years ago and now want a SA stock for my Frontier and find the price is about the same as a mcmillan.

I like them on the smaller calibers, but the 338 Win Mag that I once owned really pounded my shoulder! Used to call it the "Splitting Wedge".

Yall can have them all. I went down that road. Once.

They do kick. The biggest one I have is a 7mm Rem Mag. I wouldn't want to shoot a bigger one.

Originally Posted by dogcatcher223

Plus they are very stiff for a factory plastic stock.

The stock on the Scout is superior in every way.

Limbsavers do help. I am glad I bought mine when they were not popular. Since I hunt where 200-250 yard shots are about max there is no need to load to the max. That helps too. Mine is a keeper.

Some guys I know carry their rifles to the field cased. I know that sounds strange, but true. A rifle in a boat paddle is sure not that kind of rifle. And gladly I am not that kind of hunter.

the tire tread recoil pad is a big factor in the recoil. a couple of companys make a soft and squishy pad that helps.

Originally Posted by longshot3

I like them on the smaller calibers, but the 338 Win Mag that I once owned really pounded my shoulder! Used to call it the "Splitting Wedge".

My .338WM got a Limbsaver pad as part of the build, before I ever shot it.

The .300WM and .30-06 don't bother me. They have the original tire tread Ruger pad and can leave marks if shooting in a tee shirt, but in the field I'm usually shooting with 3-4 layers. At the range I normally use my PAST shoulder pad when shooting any of my big game centerfires to simulate the thickness of cold weather clothing - unless my girls are with me in which case they use it.

If I find another one at a gun show at a decent price it will follow me home.

Yes, Limbsavers really do make a difference with felt recoil with this stock.....

I never felt they were any stiffer, accurate or durable than the stock that replaced them. The boat paddles are heavier, slick as snot, difficult to put a sling on, and the tiny hard butt pad concentrates recoil into a narrow section of your shoulder. I spent $85 for a better replacement stock from Ruger and sold my boat paddle to a Loonie for $100. Truly a win/win situation for both of us.

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Gave this 7RM to my son. The LOP was too long for me and had to crawl the stock to get good sight picture. Plus, it kicked like a barnyard mule and the bursitis in my shoulder said no more.

Originally Posted by longshot3

I like them on the smaller calibers, but the 338 Win Mag that I once owned really pounded my shoulder! Used to call it the "Splitting Wedge".

As I recall, My nickname for that combo was more colorful.

Originally Posted by rahtreelimbs

Why do the Boat Paddle 77's command such a high price?

My only gripe with them is the sling attachments can be noisy at times. Otherwise I'm happy with the 4 that I purchased. My 22/250 was the most expensive at $425 (used). Wish I'd have bought a few more while they were still cheap. Definitely wish I'd have bought more of the take-off stocks when people were offering them for $30-45..........

Kaiser Norton

Cuz I never bought any when they were all over the place up here...ScottyO

Originally Posted by CrowRifle

I have two and while they are ugly as a crack whore, they just plain shoot. Dropped a Timney in them both and love them.

I see your opinions differ greatly. I really like the looks of the boat paddle stock. It's the good year tire tread they use as a recoil pad that I hate. The trigger is also very useable with a little tweaking. I would not use a Timney on a Ruger m77 when the factory trigger is so easy to make nice. However, I don't like throwing good money away..