Love my 70's but don't like the weight of the wood stocks. Want to get a Mickey. Hoping to be able to swap it out among several guns. Thinking about going with a Classic, Featherweight or a Super Grade. All are factory barrel contours. Calibers range from 270 thru 338 mag. Thinking pillars without bedding to aid in swapping? Will call McMillian but looking for your opinions.

There was another thread on that topic approx 6 months ago:

http://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/9273258/1

An Echols Legend (made by McMillan)is also a good option if you can snag one...

That's a concept I've been thinking about lately also. I have several LH M70 Classics, all long actions and same barrel contour. I'm fine with the wood stocks for most of what I do with them, however if I ever get to do a more remote hunt again, a tough synthetic would be a benefit. Since I'd only take one rifle, what's the sense having the rest of them sitting back in the safe wearing $500 stocks? A single McM stock swapped between the different caliber barreled actions makes sense to me, especially from a monetary standpoint. As a matter of fact, a couple years ago I bought a Stainless Classic barreled action in .300 Win Mag that was at one time part of a two caliber "kit". The fella had two barreled actions and one stock (don't know the brand) fitted into a ZERO aluminium case.

I can't speak to the classic or featherweight but I really enjoy my supergrade. It is currently installed on my 26" barreled .264WM and it is great. I do plan to build a .338WM in the near future and it will be built using another supergrade.

My only other M70 Mickey is a Compact Hunter's Edge...totally different rig (20" barrel) and purpose but I love it just as much.

Scott270,

If you like the overall feel of your factory wood stock(sizewise) but just want a lighter weight stock in a McMillan I'd suggest thinking hard about the Echol's Legend(made by McMillan) as has been suggested above. Make it "edge fill"(Graphite) to keep it light. I own three and they are fantastic stocks. Much classier than any of McMillan's Win 70 patterns and custom made(with cast on) for a left-hand shooter. Cast on is a subtle curvature of the butt end of the stock specifically for a left-hand shooter(allows you to get behind the scope more easily...really a nice feature usually found only on nice custom built rifles.

Leftybolt

For LH M70s I have owned the Supergrade, the classic, the featherweight, the Legend and the compact. The classic and the featherweight have too much drop for a good cheek weld with a scope. I like a compact with a light/short barrel, but really really like the Legend for anything about 7 Mag in recoil and 24" in barrel length. I still have a magnum fill Supergrade on my .416 Rem, and find it to be a bulkier stock than I would want for versatility.

Compact or Legend for me also. I have owned the Supergrade and the fwt. And you couldn't pay to take either one again.

Scottf270,

I am in the process of getting a Sako Hunter installed on my 300wsm fwt. I would be surprised if you actually see much weight savings since you would have to get a fill that can handle the 338 win (if swapping).

Swapping is a decent option and will keep costs down.

Now that everyone has professed their love of a particular style McM, does anyone have any experience swapping between barreled actions? As Scottf270 asked (and I'm interested), what type of bedding would work best for that application? As ejo brought up, a fill to handle the .338 may negate any weight savings?

I have spoken to several people at McMillan that said they work fine with no bedding. The military issue sniper rifles are not bedded. I think when they are used for competition then they do bed them.

I checked accuracy before and after on a feather weight edge stock and if there is a difference then I can't shoot well enough to tell.

I wished I had checked out repeatability when the action is removed before and after but I didn't. I think bedding will increase the consistency but haven't proved it.

Either pillars or solid glass and a torque wrench could improve repeatable point of impact, but I would always check it after each swap.

Cant see one stock for all rifles if you want the best in accuracy and repeatable zero. Might work if rifles all are machined exact.

But every time I swap a stock it takes me a while to find right load.

Not sure what model I had, but I sure did like it.
Ordered it with an extra long LOP, sure made my 338 feel good both in weight and recoil.
Sold both here, most $$ I ever made on a gun ;>)

Ditto, then I always seems to take about a dozen shots to get the rifle settled in.
I just can't fathom a bolt rifle shooting it's best unless the stock was glassed to the barreled action it was holding.

I've not called anyone, but can you buy a "Legend" stock thru McM with a call to Dick Davis or someone else, or is this a call to D'Arcy and he orders one to be built thru McM?

I have or had 2 Supergrade McM stocks. Nothing wrong with them, and I am not nearly as stock picky as most.....but I'd like the highest comb possible for a 500mm obj.

Thoughts?

Has to be Lefty as well

Call D'Arcy... It was well worth my time and effort to call, talk with him for a minutes, explain what I was after. I found him to be knowledgeable, down to earth, willing to provide "helpful" insight and input.

If anybody wants to try a LH Legend, I have an unaltered blank in my project pile. Standard fill--just like it would come from D'Arcy. I'd ship it to you to handle and decide if you like it. If not, send it back and pay shipping both ways. If you do like it, call D'Arcy and order one, but tell him he owes it to me when it comes in.

"I'll Take It" oh' wait--------