I just bought a full bed Hogue stock for $200 and am waiting on it in the mail.
I was wondering how people like or dislike these stocks for their rugers.
is the full bed any better than the pillar bed?

I have a Hogue stock on my Ruger, but that's the way I bought the rifle. Just the pillar bedded model. The stock seems to fit me well and it definitely has a better "grip" than a standard synthetic stock.

quote:

Originally posted by gohip2000:
I just bought a full bed Hogue stock for $200 and am waiting on it in the mail.
I was wondering how people like or dislike these stocks for their rugers.
is the full bed any better than the pillar bed?

I have had one on my MK-II 338WM for 6 yrs now & love it. I had to inlet a little for the Timney trigger on mine, other than that was a drop in. I have 1 full bed on a 458WM & I don't think it is necessary.

Any Ruger "canoe paddle" rifle I get, I replace with a Hogue.

crap, I ordered it from midway, but it's back ordered

quote:

Originally posted by gohip2000:
crap, I ordered it from midway, but it's back ordered

I would see if they have a piller bed in stock?

I have two of them, that I put on the rifles when the weather and environment are going to be real nasty.. otherwise the rifles wear laminate stocks...

I look at putting the Hogues on a rifle, like putting snow tires on the 4WD....definitely work well when the weather and environment get nasty...

OK, I got the full bed stock. Is the barell supposed to be free floated?. Mine isn't. It is actually held snugly by the rubber of the stock. I was just wondering if this is the way the hogues stocks are supposed to be. I do like the feel and the feel of the wider forarm

While not on a ruger. I just purchased and installed my first Hogue on a MKX. Except to clear the locking safety it was a drop in. I'm very happy with the fit and feel.

Per the question of freefloating. I have the pillar and a MKX factory barreled action is free floating.

I'ld like to know wether other's are free floating or not.

FWIW, I just put a pilar bedded Hogue on a VZ24 with a Douglas #4 barrel and it's free floated. At first the left side of the channel was touching but after being assembled overnight it apparently moved.

I did have to relieve the stock at the end of the trigger guard slightly.

Feels great and seems to have halved the recoil on the rifle which is chambered for .376 Steyr.

hmm, Mine isn't even close to free floating the stock makes very stiff contact on both side and the bottom of the barrel. I think I'll see if I can exchange it. Hogue's website also stated that the stock is supposed to free float the barrel.

Hey Gohip, I have a pillar bed stock on a FN Mauser that I had barreled to 264Win. It is free of the barrel, but that doesn't always determine how a rifle will shoot. If I were you, I'd take the rifle out and see how the shots group before deciding whether to change anything. You may be surprised! Let us know what you and rifle do.

Wrap a piece of sandpaper over a section of PVC pipe or wooden dowel and free float it yourself. It doesn't take that long to do.

I have a shilen barrel in a #5 contour (I think is what it is, haven't had coffee yet) and I called up the Hogue tech line to figure out which stock I could purchase, the vey helpful and knowledgeable guy suggested I get the smaller barrel channel and open it up myself. I did and am extremely happy with the result.

thanks for all the replies. I'll try it as is, and see how it shoot. Don't fix it if its working good to begin with, right. If I think it can perform better, I'll try free floating it my self.
The only other thing I noticed was that the floor plate barely will close. I tryed moving the trigger gaurd back as much as I could, but I think after some recoil, it will slide forward again and keep the floor plate from functioning

Just a follow up.
I went to a range, but only had 50 yards of usable space.
I was able to get a 150 gr FMJ load to group at .480 at 50 yards on a really windy day and 3 other loads to group just above half an inch. I think I'll leave the hogue stock as it is and test this load at 100 & 200 yards on a calm day.

This stock really does make the 300 win mag feel like a 270 winchester. I feel like I made a good purchase this time.
The trigger does need some work though. sometimes I have to pull hard and sometimes it barely takes any pull to set it off