i was wanting some help in what to look for in stock blanks for a big bore. do i just use the gunmakers help and pick one i like the look of???? im getting ready to start a rigby

If you haven't done it before, a good idea might be to get your gunmaker to select 2 or 3 blanks that have the proper layout, then you pick the one you like best.

I prefer quarter-sawn English for the big boomers...with a bit of dark black streaking and some fiddleback figure. Wood selection is highly personal. Good luck!

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Originally posted by ACRecurve:
If you haven't done it before, a good idea might be to get your gunmaker to select 2 or 3 blanks that have the proper layout, then you pick the one you like best.

I prefer quarter-sawn English for the big boomers...with a bit of dark black streaking and some fiddleback figure. Wood selection is highly personal. Good luck!

This is very true. For big bores though, I like straighter grain thru the wrist & forearm. The butt can have figure but I want strngth in the areas that can crack or warp.

Easy enough, just look for grain flow that starts at the heel and flows up through the grip and straight out the forend with a tad of upward flow...Look for dense wood with few pores, no sap wood (white wood)....Looking at the top the grain should be pretty straight from the butt to the forend or to where you intend to cut it off..Look at the back or butt and the lines should be close to horizontal..That is enough to get you off to the right track.

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just look for grain flow that starts at the heel and flows up through the grip and straight

Hey Ray, I think you mistyped. You meant to say, "Starts at the toe.."

I also like the lay-out you describe because it is the strongest.

I have noticed the old timers like Alvin Linden advised against your lay-out because it was more prone to warp vertically. They liked the grain to start at the toe, flow through the wrist and keep flowing out through the top of the forearm. According to Linden, this made it weaker through the forearm. But since extra strength was not needed in that area it was worth the trade off to get a stock that would hold zero. But he was bedding them with for end pressure.

Jason

JBrown,
Thanks for the heads up, my mistake, age and all that you know!!

I concur with your posts completely..When I do a big bore stock I fully bed it completely and then at that point I go back and releive it and glass the barrel lug in the rear, and the action lug in the rear and the tang, add two cross bolts regardless of the wood or layout or I may just glass it from stem to stern..I dont' want it to go sour on Safari where I cannot repair it. I do this on my personal rifles, I do the client rifle however they want it done.

On ocassion with a big bore I may use and aluminum forend rod of some sort, combined with heavy pillers, but I'm not sure this ever gained anything.

You can also call some of the blank suppliers and talk to them about your plans. They are a great resource for information, not just wood.

I have a piece of Bastogne with straight grain all the way.....only reason I'd let it go is that I like fancy wood and this has little of it....it'd make a fine stock for a heavy kicker.

blank is 36" X 2.25" X 7 at the widest end

As you may know, the Biesens have a huge stock of wood, and I believe Roger will explain straightforwardly what you need for a big bore stock... Discussion above has you on the right track to question him and understand what he means by "straight grain flow through the wrist" and other terms of art.

Regards