Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Express Rifles and Big Bores Only Lighter stocks for .338 and up?

Friends:

I hope the new year finds you well and purposeful for the upcoming year.

An idea I'm wrestling with is lighter-weight stocks for larger caliber rifles in the .338 to .375 range.

What lighter-weight alternatives might a person have to something stock (tupperware or something more robust/heavier), that will still hold up to the recoil of a larger caliber?

My particular application is not really hunting. And certainly not benchrest, or whitetail deer blasting out the back 40. It will be as something I can sling on my back while salmon fishing in Alaska, for bear protection. So the lighter the better.

But I don't want the thing so frail that it will come apart in the critical moments while I'm being stampeded.

Thoughts? Options?

I have not bought a spendy stock for quite a while. The last one I bought is light and strong. It is made with Kevlar. I paid about the same for the stock as a new Remington 700 at the time. I have used this stock on everything from a 6mm on up to 338. It’s probably the strongest and lightest stock I have, for such things. It should work fine for your application. I personally feel the need for added weight, since I have different needs than you on heavy recoiling rifles.

I have a Bansner on a Mauser 338 that fits your criteria... it's holding up fine after 15 yrs

I'm partial to the Brown PoundR myself. Because of it's strength and weight. It is also built with kevlar. I don't know if I'd put anything bigger than a 338wm or 375H&H in one though. An echols legend would be cool too, for that application. However, they are much heavier than a PoundR stock. Echols does not recommend edge fill for anything bigger than a 300 magnum (I believe). So there's that. Kevlar is the ticket as far as I'm concerned.

Blu_Cs, Go over to the Custom Rifles & Wildcats part of our forum, there is conversation ongoing right now Brown vs. Bansner……it may give you some answers.

I believe that bsa1917hunter likes the “pounder”……I highly respect his opinions! memtb

McMillan wouldn’t EDGE Fill anything for me if I said it was for a 300 Mag. So I never said.

Echols’s had the options of an Edge shell standard fill, EDGE shell and fill and then a standard fill or magnum fill Legend.

Hard to beat a PoundR if they work for your application.

I'm running a Bansner Sheep Hunter on my 404 Jeffery (Defiance Rebel CRF / PacNor #5) and think it is perfect for the 22" barrel.

I also have MPI Rifles Inc style stock on a 375HH and 416 Rem, both on M70s. I think that it pairs perfectly with the 20" barrel of the 416.

For reference, the Bansner weighs 24oz with pad and the MPIs are 19 and 21oz respectively.

If considering the MPI route, contact Rick Steinhour at Extreme Rifle Works.

Bugger:

What was the maker of that particular stock?

FWIW my 30-06 Pre64 split the Edge fill through the action area of its Hunters Edge stock. They recommended a heavier fill in the front ring area for the warranty replacement stock. I was told it would add about 1.5 oz to the weight, which it did. I suspect this is why the reported weights of the Hunters Edge stocks has crept up.

Mike, was that one properly glass bedded? I've had a couple edge (hunters edge) stocks on fwt model 70's, but I glass bedded them as I always do. They held up fine. I just did not like the resonation I got when shooting the edge filled stocks. BobinNH also complained about the same thing, so I know it was not just me. Personally I'd just go with standard fill, vs. edge fill on any Mcmillan stock. You are probably right about the reason the weight on the edge stocks have gone up. Maybe others have had issues??

Marine Tex and the factory "pillars".

Regarding the "resonation", it may a piece of the glue holding the recoil pad came loose and rattle a bit inside the butt stock cavity that you are feeling. Lynn was bringing one of mine to their front desk when I was picking it up noticed that on it. She asked me if I wanted to have them remove and reglue the pad which I did . The noise was pretty subtle, but probably is amplified by recoil.

We ordered my brother a stock for his 6.5-300 Wby and when I asked for an EDGE fill they said that cartridge required an “enhanced EDGE”. I’m guessing that may be similar to what you’re describing Mike.

That's the term I was trying to think of earlier.

If you want something light, and weather resistant and are not opposed to a push feed, try and find a Rem XCR II in 375 H&H. Mine is 7 1/2 lbs with scope and rings. Shoots well, TryiNyte (super weather resistant) coating. Stock is sturdy, soaks up recoil, but rifle is accurate and holds zero well.

Colorado

What type of finish is that TryiNyte. I can't seem to find any info on it.

Hal