Winchester Model 70 New Haven CRF Synthetic - Can you improve this stock?

[flyingagg]

I don't remember if I asked this question before. I did not find what I was looking for with the search.

A while back I had picked some Winchester Model 70 New Haven CRF Synthetic stock. At the time I was planning on replacing the stocks with something better, but right now I am not in a financial position to do so. I checked and all rifles are "free floating". Can these stock be improved with a bedding job (or something else) or would it be throwing good money away.
I know there are a couple of Winchester experts here (Scotty?). Any suggestions short or replacing the stocks are welcomed.

Thank you all in advance

ASD

 

[SJB358]

I don't remember if I asked this question before. I did not find what I was looking for with the search.

A while back I had picked some Winchester Model 70 New Haven CRF Synthetic stock. At the time I was planning on replacing the stocks with something better, but right now I am not in a financial position to do so. I checked and all rifles are "free floating". Can these stock be improved with a bedding job (or something else) or would it be throwing good money away.
I know there are a couple of Winchester experts here (Scotty?). Any suggestions short or replacing the stocks are welcomed.

Thank you all in advance

ASD

I would absolutely bed and float it myself. They are relatively great feeling stocks and if you prep it correct, a bedding job makes them darned good.

 

[RL338]

At the bare minimum bed the recoil lug to stop movement of the action. It is simple and should show some improvement if you’re up to try it.

 

[DrMike]

Indeed, bed the stock. Winchester bedding consists of a strip of hot glue, which is mighty close to nothing. I believe Scotty is correct in this case to advise you to bed and float.

 

[flyingagg]

Thank you all. Any preferred bedding compound since it is the factory cheap synthetic?

 

[PJGunner]

First of all I would shoot the rifle(s) some to determine how they shoot. I bought an M70 XTR in .270 Win. and that rifle is amazingly accurate. half inch groups with Winchester 150 gr. Power points. I don't shoot 130 gr. in .270. personal preference. My .270 has a solid synthetic stock thais a McMillan and came from the factory that way. I also have another M70 in .300 Win. Mag. with a factory supplied McMillan stock Both rifles are very accurate as is so I've don nothing to the stocks. I'm a firm believer in "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."
If the OP's stock(S) are like most factory stocks, hollow like a canoe, then I'd test fire them. If OK, leave alone for further testing in the field and then try bedding. One thing that may or may not help is if a hollow stock with open forend channel then it might help stiffness if one fills the hollow segments with an insulating foam. You have to move very fast, especially in the barrel channel as the foam expands rapidly. I did this one time on a Butler Creek stock that I used on an FN Mauser action I laid an aluminum hollow arrow in the channel and filled the hollow with about half the foam and quickly dropped the barreled action onto the stock. Good thing the barrel had several layers of electrical tape to heel the barrel free floating and also masked off the rest to keep the foam off. A few days later I used the rest of the foam to fill the hollow butt of the stock.
One does have to be careful as some of the expanding insulating type foam product can literally disolve a synthetic stock.
Anther was you can stiffen the forearm is use plain old epoxy with all the parts properly masked. I did it that way on another Butler Creek stock but it ended up much heavier and I did not fill the hollow butt area on that one.
Paul B.

 

[SJB358]

Thank you all. Any preferred bedding compound since it is the factory cheap synthetic?

I'd simply drill some small holes around the recoil lug recess myself in order to let the bedding get a good grip on the plastic. Degrease the plastic, and put a good dab of bedding in there. You can also do the same to the tang, but I have mostly seen the recoil lug help the most.

 

[flyingagg]

Thanks Paul. They are the cheap Hogue stocks USRC had in the 1990's. The .243 and .270 shoot well enough to be left alone for now. The 300WM is the one is needs improvemnt. The "hot" glue at the recoil lug is gone on that one. So, recoil lug bedding for sure. The other magnums, I have not tried yet.

 

[flyingagg]

I'd simply drill some small holes around the recoil lug recess myself in order to let the bedding get a good grip on the plastic. Degrease the plastic, and put a good dab of bedding in there. You can also do the same to the tang, but I have mostly seen the recoil lug help the most.

I understand about the "holes" and degreasing. I watched a couple of videos, something I have been thinking for a while, but is there one compund thats better than the others? Devcon 10110? Marine Tex, or such?

 

[SJB358]

I understand about the "holes" and degreasing. I watched a couple of videos, something I have been thinking for a while, but is there one compund thats better than the others? Devcon 10110? Marine Tex, or such?

I use Marine Tex myself. I have cheated and used the better JB Welds in the past along with Devcon and Accraglass Gel. They have all worked really well. Marine Tex if I have a choice though.

 

[truck driver]

I've gone as far as to get scrap carbon arrow shafts and put in the forearm to stiffen it. But in the long run I think it is best to get a Bell & Carlson stock with a full metal bedding block, bed the recoil lug and watch it shoot nice tight groups.

 

[flyingagg]

I've gone as far as to get scrap carbon arrow shafts and put in the forearm to stiffen it. But in the long run I think it is best to get a Bell & Carlson stock with a full metal bedding block, bed the recoil lug and watch it shoot nice tight groups.

That was the original thought when I bought them, (few years ago) not in the plans now, life happens.
The stock actually is not that bad, pretty rigid. Those 1990's synthetic are not as bad as some of the new you get today.
It definitely needs the recoil lug bedded. Debating on pillars. (if it was just one rifle, I could manage to buy the stock, but its more)
I am just a M70 CRF USA Made nut, and to lesser extend, Weatherby

 

[truck driver]

That was the original thought when I bought them, (few years ago) not in the plans now, life happens.
The stock actually is not that bad, pretty rigid. Those 1990's synthetic are not as bad as some of the new you get today.
It definitely needs the recoil lug bedded. Debating on pillars. (if it was just one rifle, I could manage to buy the stock, but its more)
I am just a M70 CRF USA Made nut, and to lesser extend, Weatherby

Yeah I can understand the cost . The ones I bought all had blind magazines so it was either wood or a good synthetic stock to replace them I also put ,375 H&H mag box and followers in them.
Don't turn your nose up at the push feed M70s because they will shoot.

 

[flyingagg]

Yeah I can understand the cost . The ones I bought all had blind magazines so it was either wood or a good synthetic stock to replace them I also put ,375 H&H mag box and followers in them.
Don't turn your nose up at the push feed M70s because they will shoot.

My Weathebys and 1 remington are push feed. It's just that I like those M70 Classic Stainless. I am also one of the of handfull of people that like the BOSS.

 

[SJB358]

My Weathebys and 1 remington are push feed. It's just that I like those M70 Classic Stainless. I am also one of the of handfull of people that like the BOSS.

You'll be good. Bed them, at the recoil lug and float them generously and try your handy work on paper. Nothing wrong with the stock if that is what you have.

I also liked my one rifle with the BOSS, I just didn't like how it looked on the rifle. It shot though, man did it shoot!

 

[wvbuckbuster]

I've used Accraglass on a couple of Remington plastic stocks with good results. Probably bed this SPS I've been playing with. Do as Scotty said and drill some holes for the bedding compound to get a hold of it and it will work. Dan.

 

[jimbires]

I can't remember how hard this stuff got . it's for use on that slick feeling plastic . I used it on the stock I cut down for my grandson . I bought it from my local NAPA store . it's the first pic in this thread . I roughened up the stock a little , wiped it clean with windex , and put the glue in . it seemed to bond well to this stock .

cutting the stock , the one I couldn't pass up part 3

here is parts 1 and 2 on this rifle . viewtopic.php?f=9&t=32610 viewtopic.php?f=9&t=39051 I decided it's time to get this rifle so the grandson can start to shoot it . a few years ago I bought a used Hogue stock to cut down . I didn't want to cut the B&C stock that I bedded , it shoots to...

forum.nosler.com

 

[Yoteklr]

I use Marine Tex myself. I have cheated and used the better JB Welds in the past along with Devcon and Accraglass Gel. They have all worked really well. Marine Tex if I have a choice though.

I agree.
I used to use Devcon 10110 now I'm all MarineTex. I think it's more user friendly, it stays where you put it and it doesn't go bad in a year like Devcon.

 

[RL338]

I’ve always had good luck with JB Weld. A good prep of the stock by degreasing and roughing up the stock to give it something for it to bite into.

 

[flyingagg]

I use Marine Tex myself. I have cheated and used the better JB Welds in the past along with Devcon and Accraglass Gel. They have all worked really well. Marine Tex if I have a choice though.

Scotty, just looking at Marine Tex, it appears there might be different "versions". Should I be looking for 302K or something else?
Thanks