"But certain aspects of shooting lie outside the realm of practicality...."
John, you said a mouthful there!
It's best to follow your bliss and not your brains... in the end the outcome is usually more satisfactory and long lasting.
Speaking of... I'm a complete sucker for Mannlicher stocked rifles some of the guys here are touting. I've only had the Ruger 77 version, a 250 Savage, 7x57 and 308.
I wish I had all three back and especially the 7x57!
That cartridge in a FL stock just go together.
Gee, I wonder why...?