I figured adding weight to both end of a rifle stock should make the rifle steadier in offhand shooting because the weight will reduce the angle of wabbling caused by trembling or muscle spasm(but will not reduce wobbling caused by gross body movement) . I am on my way to test out this idea. Anyone with any experience or thoughts?
Posts: 638 | Location: O Canada! | Registered: 21 December 2001
I don't know about adding weight to both ends, but I added a good bit of weight to the butt end of my target rifle because it was so barrel heavy and I wanted more weight in order to minimize felt recoil. The barrel was already plenty heavy for anybody smaller than a professional linebacker.
Wher you add weight to a rifle depends a lot on the purpose of the rifle and what you are after in the way of handling characteristics. For instance a prone rifle may work well with weight added to the butt to balance so that the weight is carried at the ends of the rifle. For most hunting rifles I prefer to try and have the weight concentrated between the hands because a rifle with the weight at the ends is sluggish to handle. In other words a rifle with a heavy barrel and weight added to the butt to balance will feel much more sluggish and heavy than a rifle that is lighter in the barrel and butt and carries the weight in the center portion of the stock. Regards, Bill.
I have a savage 112 fvss 25-06 the stock on that rifle is so so light and the 26 inch bull barrel is so heavy that when the rifle recoiled it nosed dived so to cure the problem I added 3 pound of #6 shot in the stock my groups went 1.5 inches higher and the rifle recoils a little straigher back I think I will add about a pound to 1.5 more and stop. or it will end up over 15 pounds
I am a proponent of off hand shooting, and I have found for me a 26" medium weight barrel that is muzzle heavy is the tremor settling factor in off hand shooting...I do not want weight in the rear of the rifle and I want the gun to weigh about 9 to 9.5 lbs.
Many of the old big bore English rifles are the ultimate off hand stocked guns..They are slim and muzzle heavy and long...I have noticed that muzzle loaders hold well for off hand shooting. these old timers who "used" rifles knew a thing or two, but what they learned got diluted by modern stock designs and hype...A properly built rifle should not need weight adding: Its stock should allow comfortable use of scope and irons and most stocks have to much wood left on them and are bulky. Any rifle should handle like a sidelock 28 ga. shotgun in MHO....
