I'm looking to have a left-handed .458 Lott built on an "extra" .375 that I have. I like the factory .375H&H stock that came on the Winchester, but the comb is too high to comfortably shoot with the iron sights. What do you guys put on iron-sighted big bores?

Do folks full-length bed them? Or float the barrel?

Or just put on taller iron sights?

Thanks,

Steve

I suppose you can either take the comb of the stock down, or as you suggest - get a taller sight. Do you want to have to re-finish the wood? that would dictate your decision i'd think.

As for bedding. I have my big-bore guns full-lenght bedded. never had a problem with one that has been and they all have shot well.

Make sure that you have a recoil lug on the barrel, also. The action recoil lug won't be enough.

Steve,

Put taller sights on it. The stock on my .375 works so well for me, I would not modify it for the sake of using the factory sights.

George

George,

Thanks for the reply. Good to hear from you. I really like the factory stock, too. I believe it reduces felt recoil over the ones with more drop. I might even break down and just put a scope on it, but I've had bad luck with scopes here lately.

Is your Capstick glass bedded?

Steve

i sent one to McMillan. they bedded the action and did some other work. i have never had a stock that feels better than the one they made. the dimensions just seem to be perfect for me.

My own Lott was left handed on a Dakota action made over here in the U.K (simiolar in design to the Model 70 pre- 64)

It also had a high comb, termed an assymetric stock, favoured as it keeps muzzle flip to a minimum.

My own rifle had both action recoil lug and an under barrel lug glass bedded with 2 cross bolts to reinforce the stock both fore and aft the magazine box, with a Lott you will need an adequately reinforced stock.

As for the sights, a high comb is often designed for use with a scope and as such represents a compromise for use with express irons.

Personally I used a Q/d scope in side lever mounts and only relied upon the express sights as back up, I did however fully practice for such an emergency and got moderately competent to ranges of no more than 50 yards.

With a low powered scope (my own being a Burris Full-field 1.75-5X) the Lott became a real 150 plus yard rifle and a very versatile one, this is not too large a calibre to scope and to do so will offer you tremendous flexibility.

If reliability of the scope troubles you simply use Q/d mounts, I have found Talley to be as good as anything, and mount a second and zeroed scope, a good insurance as and when needed.

I would cut the comb down and rematch the finish or completely refinish the stock....I would add an additional recoil lug, cross bolt it twice, and glass bed the rifle from tang to forend tight, perhaps a better recoil pad...

These changes would not apply to a lesser caliber, but the 458 Lott is a stock and scope ripping beast...actually I don't trust but one scope on a Lott or larger caliber and thats the 1.5X Leupold compact...

The fact is I prefer a ghost peep (.125 hole) on a real big bore. as opposed to a scope, or even a good shallow V rear sight suits me fine..A Williams or Redfield does a good job with the disk out...

I have never seen the need for a scope on the real big bores, they have limited effective trajectory and the animals they are used on are shot at under 200 yards and that would be a very rare shot distance, mostly they are used at 50 to 75 yards and the target is pretty big..

Another option is the pop up peep on Talley mounts as produced by Jim Brockman, 208-934-5050 and that gives one the best of both worlds.

I also like a low comb on a big bore rifle set up for iron sights, and using a scope on a low comb rifle is not the big bad problem that some make it out to be...All my rifles have low combs and scopes...the reverse never worked for me...I grew up on old M-70s with low combs and then Bill Weaver gave us some scopes, we used them and never knew it was vorbotten, it worked and still does...

quote:

Originally posted by skl1:
George,

Is your Capstick glass bedded?

Steve

Yes, both recoil lug mortises are bedded.

George