Found a new haven win 70 mag in 458winnie (more on this later). Getting it converted to 458 Lott at the moment.

Planning to get a McMillan safari stock and Sunny hill bottom metal for it next year, after some trigger time to finalize how I want the LOP and stuff.

Are crossbolts necessary for a 458 lott in a McMillan stock? Will the stock hold up without them? For shooting out several barrels and robotic shoulder replacements?

Let's just assume that I'm a multi-thousandaire who can afford to have such things done.

McMillan has stated for years that cross-bolts are not needed with their stocks.

George

I have a McMillian McWoody on order about 2 months now.

A Winchester Safari version for my .450 Ackley.

I love the looks of cross bolts for this type of rifle.
I asked when ordering if I could have a pair installed.
They said of coarse if you wish but they are not needed.

I decided not to get them.

Colt Commander,

It was your .450 Ackley that inspired this project for me. And made me choose a CRF Win 70 over a CZ. Made sense then because I wouldn't have to replace the safety or the trigger.

I wanted a NH one because I prefer the old style feed lips and trigger. But this 22" super express has a clunky barrel swivel block instead of a preferred barrel band on it. Removing it with heat might warp the barrel?

Meh... I think I can live with it, for now.

Probably going to get a McMillan stock in dark brown w/ a red decelerator pad.

Might ruin the classic safari rifle look with a DeltaPoint Pro on the rear bridge later.

Maybe refinished in Black-T for that "All Weather Stopper Rifle" kinda thang. I hear they even coat the springs.

A good friend has a custom shop 416 Remington Mag in a Model 700. It only has the factory standard Rem 700 recoil lug. No under barrel lug. No cross bolts . It has a McMillan fiberglass stock on it. He shot it a fair amount for several years then the stock broke in the action mortise. Yours will too.
If you have an under barrel recoil lug properly installed. Or much better yet have the barrel contoured with a large lug several inches forward of the receiver. And have both the rear tang of the action and bottom metal area of the stock air gap relieved. It may hold up with no cross bolts. But, why take a chance. Having busted several synthetic and wood and laminate stocks . I can say it's just a pain in the butt . And sometimes in the hand, having a stock that got split or shredded in the receiver area from recoil.

Cross bolts are cheap insurance against a broken stock. Sooner or later a .450 Lott or Ackley will break that stock. You pay now or later but you'll still pay.

Thanks gents. Good to know.

I will spend a little more for crossbolts when I finally order the stock.

Your crossbolts can be hidden steel allthread, buried in the bedding, fore and aft of the magazine box.
Stainless steel pillars too.
All this gives peace of mind even if the McMillan is a "magnum fill" version.

I felt more comfortable with reinforcing my McMillan stocks for the likes of this BRNO ZKK 602 barreled for .510/460Wby
(then re-barreled to .500/.338LM shown below, then re-barreled to .408/.338LM where it currently resides).
Ditto on a Winchester-Sunnyhill on a .500/.338LM, shown below
(WinM70 above BRNO, both in .500/.338LM, aka 12.7x68mm Magnum, aka the "49-bore of 2010"):



Look Ma, no crossbolts visible on those McMillan stocks!

Next: Naked baby picture of the newborn McMillan Winchester-Sunnyhill, born with correct LOP,
needs no slip-on pad/diaper:



The McMillan CZ/BRNO stock so reinforced has survived 3 barrels and no signs of problems.

The .510/460 JabberWeatherby had a secondary recoil lug on the barrel and had a hidden piece of allthread backing that up too, plus a muzzle brake
(shown below with Ruger No. 1 of same chambering, same weight, and same length):



The .500/.338 Lopwah Magnum BRNO ZKK 602 had no secondary recoil lug on barrel, but did have a muzzle brake (shown in topmost photo).

The .408/.338 Lopwah Magnum (10.4 Spiridon Moor), CZ/BRNO-McMillan-stocked, has neither barrel lug nor brake, just hidden crossbolts and pillars:



The Winchester .500/.338 Lopwah Magnum also has no barrel lug nor brake.
Just two pieces of hidden steel allthread fore and aft of magazine box and pillars.

Nice combo, Winchester-Sunnyhill action and bottom metal plus McMillan-Sunnyhill stock:

D'Arcy Echols synthetic stocks are made by McMillan. For 375H&H and up he fits cross bolts - threaded rod.
He did this to the stock I bought from him. You wouldnt know they are there.

RIP,

Awesome pics, Winnie stock looks nice. I guess I'm getting steel pillars too along with threaded crossbolts.


Is that their standard dark brown color? Might get a lighter brown with 40% black swirlies. Look like real wood from far away.

Rockdoc,

Good to know. Thanks.

Quickstrike,
My Mark X 458 WM split the McMillan stock that had been glass bedded lengthwise from the recoil lug to the tang. McMillan replaced the stock and I had it rebedded with no further problems but if I had it to do over I'd definitely add the crossbolt.

Mark

Quickstrike,
My solid-brown-colored McMillan stock was ordered back around the turn of the century.
I thought it was a medium brown back then, but it sure looks more like what they are calling dark brown now.
It is "moulded-in"/"molded-in" (molds belong to the fungus family that also includes yeast and mushrooms)
into the outer layer (gelcoat) of the stock, not painted, though painted finishes are still offered.
Here are the current colors listed but the digital picture of the colors seem to be a bit weird:



They do a marble with two shades of brown and black, or any two or three shades of their brown if you like.
I am guessing the one below is medium brown, light brown, and black:



https://mcmillanusa.com/colors-and-finishes-tab/

My marbled Winchester-Sunnyhill was done with olive, medium gray, and black, FWIW in comparing the color choices as shown above.
I could sure go for a three-color marbled with two shades of brown and black.
Maybe the trifecta of dark, medium, and light brown?

As I stated previously, I would have liked exposed cross bolts on the McMillian I ordered.

Since I have never seen a synthetic stock with them I assumed it would not be needed.

But if you gentlemen suggest it would be a good idea I'll contact McMillian and have them throw on a pair.

I'm glad this thread was started.
Thanks!

Mark H,

Sounds like their customer service is pretty good at least. Don't know why they insist on not needing crossbolts after fixing stocks like yours? Maybe it's not that common?

Good to be on the safe side anyway imo.


RIP,

I was thinking black, med. brown and golden brown. If the browns kinda blend in to each other, it would look pretty nice imo.

Or I can get a black molded/moulded stock and hand paint it myself later to imitate some ironwood burl sort of effect. Then a clear coat over it. A po' artists attempt to pretty up his bolt action trash!

I wonder what kind of paint would be best?

Quickstrike,

Yes. Great customer service. I'm blaming the initial bedding as I've shot the 458 a lot since that happened 20 years ago. Still like I said if I was putting together a new one I'd add the crossbolt.

Mark

I like the look of cross bolts, and I believe them to be needed on calibers over .375 but I have them on all my guns 338 cal. and up..

Maybe D'Arcy Echols will chip in here as I know he has had issues with McMillan stocks on heavy recoiling calibers.

Phil, how has your 9.3 in that Echols EDGE stock held up?

RIP that is a lot power you have pictured here.

Chuck, the 9.3 in the Edge stock has held up wonderfully. But the 9.3 is not what I would consider a hard kicker.

there is no real need for cross bolts on a "properly inletted rifle" until you get beyond a 375 H&H, that said I always play it save and cross bolt my .375s needed or not, but then I like the look of exposed cross bolts, and Im not sold on threaded screws as the equal to headed cross bolts, its the head that mostly keeps the magazine from expanding at each shot...