Composite stock recomendations???

What do you folks here look for and recommend in a replacement stock? I've got a Sako model 75 in a .375 H&H that I'd like to replace the stock on with a lighter weight composite stock. I love the fit and feel of Sako's wood stock that came on this rifle (length of pull, raised comb monte carlo, palm swell, etc... fits me to a "T") but this serves as my brush gun and probably sees more scabbard time, rain, snow and abuse than anything else I own. Would like to swap it out with something a little lighter and more resilient w/o compromising fit or accuracy (it's currently a legitimate 1/2 MOA shooter). Thoughts on fiberglass vs fiberglass/carbon/kevlar mix, aluminum bedding blocks vs no bedding blocks, stock makers to think about or stay away from, etc??? Thanks in advance.

McMillan makes stocks that are a copy of a Sako stock so would seem to be an obvious choice. They make very good stocks that cost a bit but are worth it. For a 375 I'm not sure how light they will make it for you but it doesn't hurt to ask.

https://www.mcmillanusa.com/mcmillan-ri ... 75-hunter/

Mpi is another very good stock in several patterns

I've read a little about the McMillan, as well as Accuflight, and Pendleton aftermarket stocks for Sakos, so know a little about each from their websites, but that's about it. (I know nothing about MPI...) The McMillans seem to be fiberglass, the Accuflights are Kevlar, and the Pendleton's are a fiberglass/Kevlar/carbon composite. Would like to get some feedback on the pros/cons of each type of construction and/or company's products if I can. Seems like McMillan has more stocks out there than anyone else , while Accuflight specializes in Sako (and is going to be the most expensive), and Pendleton is the smallest (with significantly less info out there) but is about 3 hrs from home so is an intriguing option...

Doc at mpi has done several custom stocks for use over the years if you have anything special in mind other than that mpi has more and different styles than anyone else out there.

Their construction varies as to your intended weight from all Kevlar 8 oz ultra lights to 22-26 oz normal weights

http://www.mpistocks.com/availablestocks.htm




This is an MPI mountain rifle stock on my lightweight 375 H&H. I have used a couple of the mpi stocks and have always been happy with the finished product.

Thanks for the info. I've never put an aftermarket synthetic stock on anything before, so pardon my ignorance -- is weight savings the primary differentiator behind selecting a specific stock material (fiberglass vs kevlar vs carbon fiber) or do performance aspects (stock stiffness, affect on felt recoil, accuracy, durability,...) come into play as well? Weight savings isn't my primary goal with this stock (but if I can shave 1/2# off with it I'll take it) rather I'd like to get something that is going to be a little more resilient to weather and abuse (horses and river crossings,...) w/o compromising the inherent accuracy of this rifle, nor making it unpleasant to shoot.

A recommendation for McMillan. They supplied the stocks for the legendary USMC M40A1 sniper rifle. In two decades of HARD service, not one stock failed.

Marines can break ANYTHING, except apparently a McMillan stock. Worth noting.

With McMillan, each stock is laid up by hand, and in that way is custom built. The customer gets to choose the fill weight, as well as things like length of pull, number of sling attachment points, pillars or not for bedding, finish of the stock with molded-in colors or painted on.

I have but one McMillan, and it's been a great stock. I custom ordered it with a special length of pull, a target shooter's rail built in, and the fill weight & finish I wanted. It turned out perfectly.

They offer a lightweight stock, the "edge" - and I think in some cases "edge" technology can be incorportated into many of their hunting rifle stocks which were previously all offered in fiberglass only. Fiberglass is not noted as being particularly light weight.

Weight is NOT the primary factor in an aftermarket stock for me.

Correct dimensions for the shooter, style of the stock, precision inletting, strength, resistance to the elements, all those are more important to me than a half-pound one way or the other, of stock weight. Even so, McMillan does offer some ways to change the weight of the stock, when ordered.

Regards, Guy

The very light all Kevlar stocks are more brittle and can crush easier. The Kevlar are stiffer than fiberglass so better for accuracy. The best is probably a combination of the two. If wieght isn't a big issue a Kevlar reinforced Fiberglas stock will be stiff enough for great accurAcy and strong enough for rough use while still light wieght.

Another good stock is wildcat composites. They have an ibeam style carbon reinforcement in a glass shell, This makes them a bit stiffer while being comparable in weight to high tech specialties, another good synthetic.

I don't think high tech or wildcat has anything that matches up to the sako style.

The downside to the lightweights is durability. The are much more susceptible to being crushed or breaking from lateral pressure. I broke my 375 run stock this spring when it ran into a tree on my 6x6 and crushed in the wrist. It was unsalvageable. Another buddy of mine broke his right at the wrist when he swung it like a golf club at a red fox that wasn't quite dead. Both of those were high tech specialties stock. I'm not sure if these might have broken anyway even if a different material but I suspect mine wouldn't have if it was wood. A solid stock would probably resist crushing. My buddies, well there is a reason they don't make golf clubs out of rifle stocks, I suspect it would break either way.

Maybe a little late :wink:. I have a Mc Millan stock on my 35 Whelen & placed a Manners stock on my 280AI. Both are very good the Manners stock is lighter than the McMillan, the Manners has a titanium rail in it instead of an aluminum block.
I am not sure how recoil would be with the Manners if it was a heavier calibre. The recoil using the McMillan is more than manageable.

Blessings,
Dan

I think I would get a good laminated wood stock and pillar bed it and seal it up with a good satin urethane finish to keep the weather out.

laminates are HEAVY!!!!! And they are not all that much stronger than synthetics. I have seen more laminated stocks crack along a glue lamination than I have seen broken synthetic stocks.

I agree that the mcmillan and mannors stocks are very nice but not really that much lighter than the wood stock you currently have, unless you get the edge fill. I would look good and hard at the MPI stocks, maybe give doc a call and ask him about thier stocks. They aren’t cheap, not really any cheaper than McMillan unless you do all the bedding and finish work yourself but you can select the weight you want from light as a feather to heavy as wood. The turn around time is likely a lot quicker than McMillan, last I knew McMillan is 6-8 months out.

There are a ton of good stocks out there. The Bell & Carlson are heavier and not quite as well finished as the more expensive options but the medalist is a nice stiff stock and shouldn’t require any special bedding, a light skim coat should be about perfect.

The new to me Laminated stock I just got weighs 4# and I believe my B&C Medalist is heavier. 22oz stock on a .375 H&H would not be my cup of tea unless it had a muzzle break on the barrel and a good recoil pad on the stock to calm it down.
Thebear I have read where there has been some separation of plies in laminated stocks that were made by Richards that weren't properly sealed. I watched one gun Smith take a laminated stock and glue fiberglass cloth on it to make it stronger for a customer who had broken stocks while on horse back and crushed brown precision fiberglass stocks. But then anything can break if it's stressed hard enough :grin: .

at 48 oz your are probably close to twice what the average bell and carlson weighs. Even thier heavy medalist usually weighs in around 38-40oz with most of thier stocks closer to 28-30 oz and lightweights around 24-25oz. The high tech specialties are around 23-25oz, wildcat composites 17-23 oz, McMillan depends on style as there is quite a range 21-23 for thier lightest stocks and probably average 34-36oz for standard fill, MPI are 24-28oz.

The biggest issue I have seen with laminated stock swere usually from lateral stress. I have seen more muzzle loader stocks cracked than rifle, probably due to lateral strain while trying to load the rifle. The others were either atv related or mountain tumbles. I had a tikka T3 in 338 win that was a laminated stockd rifle. It developed a crack at the recoil lug (or crude joke of a recoil lug tikka employs) and followed a glue line back thru the wrist. SInce that rfle I have yet to see a laminated T3 in 338 win that didn’t have a crack in some form of development. 4 so far, I blame this as much on the recoil lug setup on the T3 than laminated stock sin general.

I have a McMillan on my do it all rifle, the 338 Win Mag. It's a standard fill and an exact copy of the wood stock that came with the rifle in 1959. I have no complaints about the stock, weighs a little less than the wood did, but since McMillan just copied the original, nothing changed.. They even put a red pad on it for me! HA!

I have two McMillan stocks, one of a Ruger M77 .358 Win. and the other on a custom Mauser 30-06. I have two Winchester M70 push feeds, one in .270 Win. and the other a .300 Win. Mag. that have what appear to be McMillan stocks which brings forth the question, did McMillan ever make stocks for Winchester? Both stocks have Winchester logo butt pads.
Paul B.

Bell & Carlson does not appear to make a stock for your rifle, so they're not a consideration.

As others mentioned, I would look hard at McMillan. You many not save weight, but you gain strength compared to your wood stock. I have played with several of their stocks on rifles as well as at the SHOT Show, and though you can have some made with the lightweight EDGE fill, it does change the balance of the rifle. If you don't have a muzzle brake on your 375 I would not recommend going with lightweight filler. I don't think you will like it.

I keep looking at a McMillan for my7mm Weatherby Mark V, but I'm going with a Bell & Carlson for now. My 257 ULW has a McMillan, and it really is a nice stock.

PJGunner":3wcjqyfk said:

I have two McMillan stocks, one of a Ruger M77 .358 Win. and the other on a custom Mauser 30-06. I have two Winchester M70 push feeds, one in .270 Win. and the other a .300 Win. Mag. that have what appear to be McMillan stocks which brings forth the question, did McMillan ever make stocks for Winchester? Both stocks have Winchester logo butt pads.
Paul B.

Click to expand...

They sure did Paul. I think they called them Winlites...

I have several McMillan synthetic stocks, all of which have molded in colors. These stocks are rugged and look the same now as they did when I purchased them many years ago.
Here's one:

Thanks for all the info -- extremely helpful!