Recently purchased a 416 Ruger Alaskan. I will be taking off the Hogue stock and replacing with either a Zytel/skeleton stock or the regular synthetic stock from a Hawkeye.

Search results lead me to believe that the zytel is strong enough but the synthetic may not be without the addition of crossbolts and careful bedding...

Looking for an easy option. Those with these stocks on bigger bore rifles; how are they holding up?

i've done some pretty terrible things to rugers, in specific .. i've seen the stocks accordion flex . well, more felt it, at first, from just plastic fantastic through pillar bedded hogue stock .. the full length ones are more accurate in big kickers, in general.

cross bolting nylon stock? it's been done, but it's odd to do so, as the molding portion.. well, it's early for me this morning.

my advice, if you want accurate, consider a McMillan

I own a 416 Ruger Alaskan. Fine rifle (with the trigger fixed) and caliber. What isn't to like about the Hogue stock?

The Hogue is coming off because the LOP is too short for me and I do not care for the feel or grip angle when compared to the other factory synthetics.

I can get 14.25-ish” with a limbsaver on on the other two stocks mentioned. That is still too short but a good compromise in cold weather.

McMillan is always a consideration, as I have many and enjoy them all. That covers the LOP issue but the cheek piece on the Mark II McM catches my cheekbone the wrong way with my preferred long LOP.

I can't argue with LOP -- that's why i made a pantograph in the first place

Cross bolts and/or proper bedding worth considering. Knew of a Sako synthetic 416 RM without either that cracked its stock under recoil. No issues with my same caliber Sako Hunter model with walnut 2 cross bolt stock.

quote:

Originally posted by Haverluk:
The Hogue is coming off because the LOP is too short for me and I do not care for the feel or grip angle when compared to the other factory synthetics.

Exactly my preference too, plus I do not like the tacky feel of the rubber and the extra weight of the Hogue.

I can get 14.25-ish” with a limbsaver on on the other two stocks mentioned. That is still too short but a good compromise in cold weather.

I use a Velcro-fastening leather slip-on pad that only adds an extra half inch but then insert a cut-out-to-fit piece of 1/2" thick high-density foam rubber-- like from a thin exercise floormat.

McMillan is always a consideration, as I have many and enjoy them all. That covers the LOP issue but the cheek piece on the Mark II McM catches my cheekbone the wrong way with my preferred long LOP.

HS Precision (above) makes a good one for the Ruger Mark II and Hawkeye M77 models.
It weighs about 2.5 pounds with full metal bedding block.
About a half pound lighter than the Hogue I had on a .416 Ruger.



The Ruger Zytel boat paddle (above) is even lighter and just as strong, most likely.
It works on a .458 WIN.
Uncle Mike's used to make a kit to replace the sling hangers on the Zytel, did that (above).
Also had the factory buttpad replaced with a Decelerator (above).



Anything but a Hogue!

Rip ...

RIP,
I was hoping you would comment on this as I know you run a couple setups with the skeleton stocks. Do you bed the barreled action to the stock or drop in and go?

I put canoe paddle stocks on both the 375 and 416 Rugers as soon as they came out without any additional bedding and they have held up well and both shoot superbly.

Phil,
If I am not mistaken you messed with a regular synthetic Ruger stock for your daughter’s rifle as well. Can you elaborate what you did for that rifle as well?

I have a couple of the 416 Ruger Alaskans. I put a McMillan Classic on one and a H-S Precision on the other. Both have Decelerator recoil pads. I ordered the H-S because I did not want the wait time for the McMillan. I was pleasantly surprised, I liked the H-S Precision enough to order another for a 375 Ruger.

Haverluk,

I started off with a .300 WinMag in a Zytel stock that was
spooky accurate as it came from the factory with no bedding.
I still have that rifle as original.
I had a gunsmith glass bed one on a .338 WinMag once upon a time.
He drilled little holes in the Zytel to help the epoxy stick.
Not necessary. Accuracy was same as original.
I now use them with no epoxy bedding, just make the barrel channel fit the barrel.
The .458 WIN above has no glass bedding and it is accurate.

The Tupperware stocks also work well with no epoxy bedding, just drop-in fit.
I now have them on .30-06 and .416 Taylor.
No problems.
Might have something to do with the angled action screw.

A .416 Ruger Hawkeye stainless, 20"-barreled rifle in a Zytel stock
is very light, short, handy and rugged.
I have one of those too.
Next best thing to a .458 WIN.

Rip ...

quote:

A .416 Ruger Hawkeye stainless, 20"-barreled rifle in a Zytel stock
is very light, short, handy and rugged.

sounds very practical.

On Hogue stocks, they can be a nice back up after modifying the grip area. I had one on a Hawkeye 500 AccRel and my fingers kept getting whacked until I sanded down the bottom of the grip and shaped it more like a standard rifle grip and less like a 'pistol grip'. The result works well, although looking "personalized" and needing more LOP as you mention and . The Hogue was able to absorb all of the recoil while I cracked two laminate stocks because of underestimating what the 500 was generating. The third stock held after several crossbolts and bedding compound.

I have 4 Rugers two boat paddle two the newer style sty stocks 416 taylor new style, 2 338wm 1 each and 06 boat paddle all glass bedded.

I like glass bedding.

I just used standard sling studs in the boat paddles. Drilling appropriate holes. I did put glass bedding in the rear holes to fill in the space.

If doing a new one I would use the newer style from ruger and glass bed it. I put bedding in locks when bedding sty stocks.

I am happy with the HS Precision on mine.