Anyone use the Aluminum bedded Stocks made by Bell & Carlson?
I am considering one of their models for my .404 Jeffery.
Would appreciate any pro's or con's.

Look to McMillan and Bordens. You could also look to Brown Precision.

Also consider laminates if you wish to avoid fine walnut.

Vapodog,
I take it thats a thumbs down on the B&C?

And if so, why? Doesn't a glassed in action fit better than a piller bedded one leaving a smaller gap around the metal? And what is with this piller bedding unless one is building a precision varminter? I should think that steelglass was a lot stronger.

I thought the same.

Carmelo,

I have one of the old B&C Carbelite stocks on my .300 H&H. It is the old model that has the built in sling. I like it and would like to get another. It is somewhere around 20 years old and other than some minor surface scratches it is as solid as the day I got it. B&C makes a good stock. If I could offer one bit of advice. Contact B&C and tell them what you are going to use it for and make sure it will hold up to the recoil. Good luck.

Thanks Joe!

That sounds like good advice.

I am building on the Montana Long Action, the guys there also mentioned that B&C made a stock that specifically fit their action.

I plan to call B&C to verify.

I have a B&C stock that came with my factory Remington 700 Titanium. I prefer checkering on my stocks, and will be replacing this unit eventually with one of the McMillian Hunter's Edge units, but that is a personal preference (which I see as function, but others may differ). One other person complaint: I think the wrist of the stock is too beefy, but that is for a lightweight mountain rifle - it may be preferable on the harder kicking rifle. Other than that I have no complaints - the stock is stiff and has held up well through 6 hard hunts in 4 years and my gunsmith said he was impressed when he first saw the stocks on the Remington rifles. Their camo colors are interesting to me as well.

Thanks Mac,
I am leaning in the direction of B&C for a stock but am back to the drawing board on my choice of action.....

Found two mauser actions a chilean and a 1909 dwm that I forgot I had...
Now I am debating the whole process all over again

Maxman:

I based a good part of my decision for the B&C Medalist on the full length aluminum bedding. I liked the fact that it extended into the wrist/grip of the stock and not just the action and forearm area. My VZ 24 action fit like a glove. You could still glass bed it, I suppose, but my gunsmith and I felt comfortable with the construction and the barrel recoil lug that he created that was glass bedded in the forearm.

I had a matte black finish put on the metal and it looks real good with the tan web stock.

RCG

I have heard a lot of good things about the aluminum bedding and that is what generated my initial interest. I was going for a McMillan originally but prefer to explore all options.

Carmelo

A mate of mine has 5 of the HS Precision stocks for the Rem 700 action. These are all accuracy based rifles with Jewell triggers and match barrels that very in contour from about a Rem 700 factory sporter contour up though to Heavy Varmint contour.

As an experimented I bedded two of them for him and the other 3 were left.

All 5 are now bedded

It does not matter how well made the stocks are because the actions vary.

By the way, of the 3 that were not initially bedded 1 did not shoot that well (considering the known accuracy of the barreled action) and the other 2 shot well but the accuracy did not last. In all cases the calibre was 264 Winchester.

Mike

Mike,
Interesting point.
I am one of those guys that is partial to Stainless Steel and Synthetic stocks.
I know a lot of guys love fine wood stocks and they are definitely beautiful but It would kill me to invest in a top quality wooden stock, I would want never want to shoot the rifle! Haha I would spend my time holding it and getting a little too "overly famliar" with it, and it might cost me a marriage!
I hear what you are saying about actions. To date of the 9 rifles I own my Browning A-bolt 06 shoots the best of them all. No matter what I put in there I get 3/4 to 1 inch groups every time, have gotten 1/2 inch with Nosler Ballistic tips and H4350.
I just sent my Ruger .338 to the smiths for a Timney trigger and bedding job. I can't wait to get her back.

Carmelo,

I have never seen the B&C stocks except on Weatherby Accumarks. I am told that Remington Sendero is now B&C as well and both rifles were originally HS Precision.

The HS Precision stocks that my mate has are beautifully made and the fit of the action is superb.

I have been told that the HS Precision stocks fit the action better and are a superior stock for the shooter who just wants to drop a barreled action and go shooting, whereas the B&C is a better deal economically for the gunsmith or the Wbys or Remingtons and the have controll over the fitting.

I stress, this is what I have been told

Mike