Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles How good are the Ruger laminated stocks?

I'm looking hard at a Ruger Hawkeye Sporter model with the laminated stock as a nasty weather rifle (.30-06 of course). I really like the handling of the Hawkeye stock and wish McMillan would duplicate it. I'm not crazy about the standard plastic stock on the Ruger All-weather.

I'm thinking that a properly pillar bedded Hawkeye laminated stock would be a nice option until McMillan starts duplicating the Hawkeye. Unfortunately, a few months ago said there were no immediate plans to do so.

Thoughts or comments on the Ruger Hawkeye stock? Thanks

Ken

I had a MKII stock that was lam. SS/Lam. 30-06 and 300WM.

Stock never gave me any issues. Used it in the UP, one particular hunt, started the morning with rain, ended the hunt with 6 inches of snow and a dead buck. No issues like I said.

You could try Manners stocks as an alternative???

IMHO pillar bedding a laminated stock is unnecessary. If it make you feel better go for it. I have no field experience with Ruger's laminated stocks but they do feel good.

I have a laminated stock on a MKII 7mag and have never had issues with it. It is pillar bedded. I have hunted in rain and snow with it and it worked perfect.

My ruger m77 laminated stocks have held up very well. I usually glass bed them just because, haven't really needed to pillar bed any. I've had about 5 now with no complaints. These were on MKII rifles and not the hawkeye, but I'm sure the hawkeye laminates are pretty danged tough too. I'd probably prefer one of those to the plastic all weather stock too.

I changed my plastic to a laminate. It was a good move, except for the weight, which I would gladly carry in lieu of the plastic stock that was about as stiff as a wet noodle.

I have also owned one of the stainless/laminate compacts, and it was very stiff/stout.

If you don't mind the weight, the M77/laminate is a robust package.

Your definately right about that. Sometimes weight is a good thing (to a certain degree) when we are talking magnum calibers. I forgot to mention my laminates have been on a 300 wm and 338 wm and a couple of 30-06's. You will notice a difference in recoil when you replace a boat paddle stock on a magnum with a good factory ruger laminated stock. Been there and done that. Much prefer the laminates, bsa.

Wish I had a better picture, but here's my 300 sporting its newer pepper laminate stock.

It's still most likely a chunk of Rutland Stratabond Plywood, as are most laminated stocks made in the USA. Nothing wrong about that, I own - gosh maybe 8 or so (?). Great stuff, stable, harmonically dead as a lump of lead, moisture resistant from the bonding resin, and easy to work with. All mine are pillar bedded and glassed. I use different colors to code which rifle is which, but still haven't found the cajones to buy anything pink or electric blue.



A nice little Savage I built in .243 WSSM on a Precision Target Action. Kills squirrels like a Klingon disruptor.

I posted this over on the Ruger Forums in March of last year...it is about a .308 Ruger Frontier I bought..

"Had a major meltdown with the .308 the other day... Had shot the gun once, about 15 rounds of Federal 150 FMJ ammo just target shooting at some steel targets at 200 yards. Was real happy with the gun so I had a local rifle smith add a ramp front sight base and a New England Custom Gun clamp on peepsight. Went back down the range with a XS test post to see how high a front blade I needed to order and on the 7th shot I noticed my right hand get a little "prickly".... Looked and the LAMINATED STOCK HAD SPLIT!!!! Right behind the bolt all the way around back to the tang.... Packed it up with a note to Ruger last Tuesday and a brand new stock showed up today...dropped the action back in and it looks good as new... But WHY would a laminated stock split across the lamination..."

When I mentioned this to the dealer who had accepted/transferred the gun to me he stated that another customer of his just had one just like it split in the same place...

Have put about 50 rounds through the gun since the new stock was put on with no problems so far...

Bob

I've never had one go bad...

I own a batch of them, plus Boyd's laminate stocks..

I use them in Oregon rain.. and you don't know what hunting in the rain really is, until you hunt in Oregon rain...unless you are from WASH, BC or Alaska... then we are comparably dry compared to on up the Coast....