The first (not shown) configuration was way too fat, thick and clumsy.
The second look. Here's an attempt at improvement including a major slim down, original length retained. In a word ugly. Put it way in the back of the closet. Not even worth the cost to have it checkered.





After, with a slightly trimmed recoil pad, fore-end substantially shortened and new ebony tip added. Re-checker job exposed one of my dowels. (live and learn) Had to shorten again and add a new ebony tip, this time with one dowel for support. Ready for finishing up of the lost checkering done by Tim Smith-Lyons using my cut borders. Cheek piece re-shaped. Grip re-shaped to a more swept look and shortened with a new ebony grip cap with a wild cherry inlay from some of the 50 year dried lumber that came from my Dad's estate. Smoothed out the impressed cheapo aluminum alloy bottom metal and coated it with Alumahyde. Better than a cast sheep image anyway. Had fun doing it.

Might keep it a bit longer. Nothing fancy, but at least it isn't butt ugly.

The end result isn't recognizable as the same rifle. What a transformation! The work reminds me of another Pennsylvanian, John Hearn.

Congratulations on a beautiful accomplishment!

All part of the learning curve, make mistakes, fix them, be disappointed then make the next one better. Just keep going.
Well done.

Thanks gents Those were the goals.

Looking good but don't quit now...

Really nice. Big investment.

Looks like a totally different rifle and bet it feels the same way!

Thanks again gents. Yes. Much better feel. Points well, better balance.

Sure worth a checkering job and metal grip cap to top it off..Nice work..

OK. I may end up having the checkering finished. Couldn't bear to get rid of the cherry dot I inlaid into the grip. Sorry about the lousy picture of that. Time to give it a final smooth out and polish.
My stockmaker is swamped for now.

Now if I could only get the thing to shoot factory loads well. It seems to hate everything except Core-Lokt 130's and even those only group a couple inches. Hornady 140 supers were terrible.
May give some Remington Managed Recoil CL 115's a try. Twist is 12/1.

What caliber is it?

.270 win

Your twist is a little on the slow side for 130-140 grain bullets, Berger says theirs require a 10 twist. You could try something in the 115 range if you can get your hands on something there and try those. You may have better luck.

My thoughts exactly. Just bought a couple boxes of 115's with my favorite Hornady bullet from Buds Gun Shop yesterday to see if the barrel likes them.

Hornady 80526 Custom Lite SST 270 Winchester

oooops. I meant 120 grain.