Looking for recommendations for a stock maker preferably someone who specializes in stocking big bores. I have a friend who's rifle stock is cracked from recoil and he is looking for someone to make him a new stock.

I have no first hand experience with John Ricks or Mike Brown yet, but they will be starting a varmint stock for me next month. they have some outstanding looking maple and other wood available.
Go to "maple anyone" on the 2nd page on this forum and you can get their e-mail addresses. Mike sent me some pictures of his work and it looks sweet.

If you really want a first-rate stock, get in touch with Joseph Smithson, 286 East 4695 North, Provo, Utah 84604 (801) 227-0409

I've examined a number of truly fine big bores stocked by Smithson, and his work is absolutely first-class. He's a young guy with a great future ahead of him. He apprenticed under Jerry Fisher, which should tell you all you need to know. Smithson's work is masterful in all respects.

Allen

Roger Biesen of Spokane, WA is the one I can recommend w/o reservations. Nothing he's ever built for me has came apart and his checkering is beyond compare.

John,

Do you have contact information for Mr. Biesen? I have always heard good reports about his work. My stock problems have multiplied as I cracked the stock on my Rigby this morning at the range. Matbe I can get a volume discount. LOL

Thanks for the help!

The phone number for the shop is:
509-328-6818
This will put you in contact with either Roger, or his more famous father-Al Biesen.
Roger is usually in the shop during the afternoon.
They do great work, and big bores pose no trouble for them. They've built several.

Thanks John,

I will try and call them this week; however, since I will be on the road it may be next week.

Thanks for the plug Dave C. You should be out whacking P-dogs by now I suppose. I went out and ran 45 hot rounds through the Marlin 45/70 we restocked with Tiger Maple and she held up just fine(better than my shoulder).
I should have put the "Decelerator" pad on the damn thing instead of the original Marlin pad, but Brownells sent the wrong one and I was tired of waiting.
Dave is correct in that John Ricks and I are getting into the bigbore guns almost exclusively. We have Wiesners carver from Chehalis Wa. A big heavy steady machine made for carving 4 stocks at a time, along with about 700 patterns.
I`ll be stocking a 404Jeff and a 416 Rem Mag in about a week, both with highly figured Maple. The intertwined twisted grain lends itself well to bigbores as it is very stable once dry and is very hard to crack. We fell, saw, and dry our own Maple, so elliminate a few of the middlemen, and some of the costs, and have better control over the way the wood is dried.
Good luck on the trip, Dave, and be safe.
Mike Brown
motavia@olypen.com