Rimfire rifle stocks

B

BR50

Guest
What’s more important in a Rimfire rifle stock, stiffness or vibration dampening? If you had to choose between the two characteristics which would you choose and why? I would be interested in hearing opions from any DIY stock makers out there who may have given this matter some thought.
Regards
Allan
 
Br 50

The preferred stock for benchrest rimfire rifles seems to depend on where you live. In the east most have gone to wood stocks. The guys out west/mid west seem to go for fiberglass stocks. The guys in the east that do have fiberglass stocks tend to paint them, the guys out west usually don't.

I really don't know if stiffness is an issue with a rimfire but many think the wood stock takes out a lot of the vibration.

I've seen both work extremely well. Go with what you like. You will be happier in the long run.
 
BR50 said:
What’s more important in a Rimfire rifle stock, stiffness or vibration dampening? If you had to choose between the two characteristics which would you choose and why? I would be interested in hearing opions from any DIY stock makers out there who may have given this matter some thought.
Regards
Allan
Click to expand...


Both stiffness and vibration dampening. It has to be stiff enough so it won't flex but it really helps to have some sort of vibration dampening, and wood seems to work the best for that. Allan Hall told me once that he had some stocks that were made so stiff they would not work, but it was my understanding, they were hollow because he said you could hear the stock "ping" when the rifle was shot.

IMHO, the best of both worlds is a wood/carbon/glass composite with a covering of either glass or carbon on the outside as a skin. You get the stiffening of the carbon with the dampening properties of the wood inside.

apexb1.jpg


The above stock is a balsa/carbon composite and that particular rifle has a pretty good track record.

The wood/carbon stocks are pricey with some going for over $1000US.

Mike
 
While waiting to see the doc today I was messing with a tuning fork that is always on the exam table. If you touch one side of the fork the tuning fork stops resonating almost instantly.

My Hall RF has a Bruno Edge LV stock and to balance the rifle I added loose #8 shot to the butt. I have a 30BR with the same stock and used the same ballast when I first got the rifle a few years back. Both shoot very well.

I also have a 30BR with custom designed metal BR stock that is extremely rigid. It shoots amazingly well. Since It is always shot off of sandbags any vibration would be completely deadened by the bags.
 
Thanks

Keith and Mike for that information. What prompted my enquiry was a stock I saw made from Balsa wood and fibreglass that was reinforced with Aluminium strips running down each side and I wondered if it was necessary to make the stock rigid enough.

After reading your comments I have decided on a Balsa wood and Carbon stock similar in appearance to the photograph posted by Mike. I'm toying with the idea of a chamber under the action filled with Geltec’s shock absorbing gel. Hopefully I can organize it so that when the action is Pillar bedded it is in contact with the Gel and just started to compress it. That the plan at the moment anyway.

Allan
 
Allen

Please let us know how that stock works out.
I'm thinking you are doing an original experiment. I've not heard of using gel under the action. Should be interesting.
 
Tuning fork

Ray,
Thanks for that if I understand you correctly what you are saying is that something softer placed against an oscillating metal object kills the vibration. At least I hope that is what you are suggesting as that is what I have in mind to help control vibration in the receiver.

Allan
 
Allan, I can tell you right now the gel will not work. I remember reading years ago about guys that was in the original BR50 expirmenting with bedding the barrel in silicone to dampen vibrations and basically decide it did not work. I have hard bedded about 4-5 inches of a rimfire barrel and floated the action and the balance of the barrel with real good results. It was an old Rem 513T that had the horrible trigger, but that little gun would shoot. I wish I still had it.

Two questions....or three? Do you have anyone to make the stock, or are you going to make it, and if so, do you have the equipment? Pm your email address to me as I might be able to help you with a carved blank but no covering. Don't have the time currently but have 3-4 of the blanks nearly ready to carve.

I also have a new "untried" idea for the action area.

Mike
 
It will work. Even on something like a windchime. If you lightly grip the metal tube it won't chime. It's dead. It may have one cycle but it won't develop a harmonic.
 
oops sorry. Re read your post about chamber. When I first read it I "assumed" you meant to bed the action in the jel.

Sorry!

Mike
 
i like wood myself. i have shot several other peoples rifles on synthedic stocks and they just seemed to be different for some reason. i could hear the thud in the stock it seemed like to me.

i have 2 don stith stocks and each seems to be doing very very well for me at the moment. no odd sounds when i the gun goes off like i hear on others.

i have several centerfires in synthedic stocks. i just have to wonder what the would do in a custom made wood stock. my .308 shoots in the .1's now. i hate to redo it, but would a wood stock make it any better?

the thing is if it works for you don't change it!!!!!
 
Rimfire stock weight

Another question that should be asked about RIMFIRE stocks is are they too heavy. In Centrefire heavy is good but all Centrefire practices don't work with Rimfires. In the past Rimfire barrels were relatively short and as thick as we could get them. Heavy stocks worked well with this configuration, but in this day of longer smaller diameter barrels (with tuners) are we shooting ourselves in the foot with heavy stocks. I suppose my question really is does increasing the inertia of a stock add to vibrations in the Barrel?

Allan
 
Allan no email recieved. Send a pm here on the site.

To answer your question about weight, most of the balsa/carbon stocks weigh in the 18-22 oz range or 510-625 grams. I think that conversion is correct or close to it.

The real issue I see with the weight, is that everything has to balance. If you assemble your rifle and it is so bad barrel heavy, it is not going to recoil correctly, and the same if it is too heavy in the butt, but the effect will be less in the butt than in the barrel. A good mid rifle balance point is what I belive you should be looking for, or maybe just a little to the rear.

Mike
 
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