Butt stock design

[Bo Petersson]

I have a few questions regarding the butt stock design in Light- and Heavy Varmint.
As described in Ratigans book, Extreme Rifle Accuracy, the modern design trend is to lower the centre of gravity a bit more to increase the recoil stability by reducing the butt stock taper to the minimum allowed by the rules.

The rule regarding the angle of the butt stock is complicated and makes it hard to control the rifles during a match but it’s possible. A rifle with a long butt stock and a longer action is slightly favoured if a butt stock parallel to the bore is better. Why?
Why not define an angle close to the standard of today but rewrite the rule so it can be checked easily?

Second, you can also lower the centre of gravity by cutting of a parallel piece from the butt stock.
I have always red the rules as this is not allowed. I have red the rules as you have to have the butt plate toe 4” low compared to the bore. If not, you can not make a mark on it.
Later I have discussed this with other shooters and I have found out that some read the rules differently.
Is it OK or not to take off a parallel piece from the butt stock, say an inch, from a stock with an angle that complies with the rules having the toe 3” under the centreline instead of 4” under?

As I am interested in making a bench rest rifle stock of my own design I need to have everything within the rules. I don’t want to redesign the stock when the mould is already made.

Bo Petersson

 

[Don]

I have a few questions regarding the butt stock design in Light- and Heavy Varmint.
As described in Ratigans book, Extreme Rifle Accuracy, the modern design trend is to lower the centre of gravity a bit more to increase the recoil stability by reducing the butt stock taper to the minimum allowed by the rules.

The rule regarding the angle of the butt stock is complicated and makes it hard to control the rifles during a match but it’s possible. A rifle with a long butt stock and a longer action is slightly favoured if a butt stock parallel to the bore is better. Why?
Why not define an angle close to the standard of today but rewrite the rule so it can be checked easily?

Second, you can also lower the centre of gravity by cutting of a parallel piece from the butt stock.
I have always red the rules as this is not allowed. I have red the rules as you have to have the butt plate toe 4” low compared to the bore. If not, you can not make a mark on it.
Later I have discussed this with other shooters and I have found out that some read the rules differently.
Is it OK or not to take off a parallel piece from the butt stock, say an inch, from a stock with an angle that complies with the rules having the toe 3” under the centreline instead of 4” under?

As I am interested in making a bench rest rifle stock of my own design I need to have everything within the rules. I don’t want to redesign the stock when the mould is already made.

Bo Petersson

Hi Bo,

You can make your buttstock height any dimension you wish, shorter or longer than 4", but it will be a compromise of rigidity and weight.

The 4" rule dimension, as you said, is only a theoretical length used along with a barrel intersection requirement to determine heel angle ruling.

You are correct that the rules could have been made more understandable by simply stating a degree angle requirement perpendicular to the boreline, but our forefathers described it differently, and trying to get an equipment rule change that is very seldom if ever checked is nearly impossible to have done.................Don