You are getting there Even. Keep it up. When I finally get my correct scope rings for my 40X rimfire, I will post photos and let the guys admire the stock that you did for me.

A M-70 .270... Jack O'Conner would be proud.

You done good.

Nice work all around.

Novice question, whats the black stuff on the stock in the pictures during the shaping stages?

Hey thanks all, I appreciate the comments. Butch I am really looking forward to seeing that completed rifle too. Dick I am learning why Jack was a fan of the M70 .270 too.

quote:

Originally posted by bt8897:
Novice question, whats the black stuff on the stock in the pictures during the shaping stages?

That would be the inletting black that gets on my hands and then all over everything that could possibly be touched. I've since learned that you can stay a lot cleaner if you jam a wood dowel into the rear end of the receiver to act as a handle, and mark with tape around the barrel where the fore-end of the stock will stop so you know where to stop painting on inletting black and where it is safe to grab it too.

I buy the gloves they use in hospitals. A big box is cheap and they keep the inletting black pretty much off your hands. I've got a wood dowell that has been stuck in Mauser and M-70 actions a gazillion times.

You've made an elegant rifle with which you can hunt the rest of your life. It should be good for any North American big game except very large bears that think of you as lunch.

Really nice looking rifle. Smart move using Waterlox for a finish. I have it on my floors and on a few of my rifles and shotguns. It really is a tough finish with a nice color. I don't know why they don't market Waterlox in small bottles for stock finishing.

A wonderful rifle project. I chequered a stock with a tradtional point pattern not too long ago,spent some time learning how to do it on a couple of old stocks and then jumped in on my fancy wooded stock...I had some nervy moments but made it through by the skin of my teeth...so I appreciate exactly what you did there. I think you did a handsome job of it.

Very nice. My one suggestion is to put a barrel band swivel on it. A short forend needs a barrelband or soldered on sling fitting to allow the rifle to sit properly on the shoulder. Provided sling is slack when you shoot it will have minimal accuracy impact.

Thanks all!

quote:

Originally posted by Heym SR20:
Very nice. My one suggestion is to put a barrel band swivel on it. A short forend needs a barrelband or soldered on sling fitting to allow the rifle to sit properly on the shoulder. Provided sling is slack when you shoot it will have minimal accuracy impact.

The next one will have a barrel band swivel. I want to keep this barreled action original.

Lil update on this rifle and what I've been up to with it. I finally checkered the fore-end and then glass bedded the stock per W. Hambly Clark Jr's book Centrefire Rifle Accuracy. This seemed to unlock the accuracy of the rig and it started slinging bullets into cloverleaf groups at 100 yards and opening up a little more to 1-1.5" at a 220yd/200m range. Helps that I also mounted a Swarovski Z5 3.5-18x44 in Talley steel rings. Its photographed with medium height rings but I've since swapped them out for lows.

https://i.imgur.com/XnYBHux.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/Vp6jxom.jpg

Looking through the scope at 220 yards. The light gathering ability in the field is absurd.

https://i.imgur.com/EcFoTBF.jpg

Still hunting with it and I've now taken four deer over 200 yards with it. This was a clean 230 yard poke, which is rare distance for MN.

https://i.imgur.com/oaYGu9K.jpg

Most recent one ended up being a 25 yard shot. Switched from 130gr Sierra Gamekings to 130gr Federal Trophy Copper after some bad bullet fragmentation. My wife was approaching 9 months pregnant as deer season rolled around this year so she requested I don't wait too long. I don't mind shooting does anyways.

https://i.imgur.com/XXA68qK.jpg

Great looking, and shooting classic custom rifle, glad to see you continuing to hunt with it!
I'll be organizing and announcing Stockmaking and Bluing Seminars for 2021 shortly after the first of the year.Contact me if interested.
Steven Dodd Hughes