Gentlemen,

I have a Mauser I've been working on for sometime now and I'm to the stage that its time to put a stock on it and get it blued. I actually posted a few pictures of it a while ago.

Anywho, I presently have a Boyd's laminate I picked up fairly cheap as a "seconds" stock. The inletting stinks and now that I'm at the point where its time to do something with it, I find myself asking if I really want to invest anymore time in this stock than I really have? If I proceed with it, I have around a month of sealing and finishing to do along with all the glass bedding I'll need to get done.

-Or-

I could pick up a synthetic stock, drop it in and be done with it; barring some minor tweaking of course.

So, to get to my question, what is the consensus on Ramline, Hogue, Corelite, and Bell and Carlson stocks for the M98? This action is a Turk and wears a Rem barrel. Are any of the aforementioned stocks worth the money for a budjet-minded sporter? I have run across some good deals on Corelite stocks in particular - should that tell me to leary of them?

Money is very tight right now, but I hate to get have the all work I have invested in the metal work and half-ass the stock. And I hope to have everything buttoned up before deer season starts too.

Any suggestions or advice is greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Tex

I've had two Hogue "over-molded" stocks and like them a lot. One on a 700 Rem and the other was on a Mauser. Might require some fitting depending on what kind of trigger you have.

What I like about them (besides the bedding block) is the "feel" you get with them.

I have a Bell and Carson on one of my 98's. Don't recall which exact version, but I do recall it was at the time I bought it (6-8 yrs back, I think), one of the lower priced versions. It's a good stock for the money, I have no complaints.

if money is tight and you want a syn. get the Hogue, its the most bang for the buck and they do feel good and I don't even like syn stocks. I have one on a 375.

I'm going throught the same thoughts with how to stock Shilen barrelled FN action. I have been hitting every aftermarket stock site I can find. Right now sort of leaning towards a B&C but there are lots of pretty good buys on a variety of wood and fiber stocks on ebay.
Good luck,
BJB

If you want cheap and don't mind the painted look of synthetics, why don't you glass the Boyds all around to "fix" the inletting and paint it? You can do a pretty good job at home.

Also, I wouldn't spend the same time finishing a laminate that it takes to do solid wood. First, the lamination controls warping and second, there's just nothing to "beautify". Any good spray poly will work in a couple of coats.

just send your stock to mc millan and they have got a nice classic stock which they can fit to most M 98 ..you can have it in fiberglass or carbon fibre ...may be expensive initially but in the long run it will be REAL CHEAP and money spent well ...if you cant afford it wait till you can and DONT take second best
regards daniel

Hogue!

Well, I have rifles in Ramlines, Butler Creeks, early H&S Precisions and McMillans. McMillan is probably the best, but they are a bit heavier than the others. The H&S Precisions were purchased when they still were located in Prescott Arizona, so that has to be the early 1980s. The Butler Creek was apparently for a totally military rifle, so I had to do some serious glass bedding to make it work, but os all the synthetics I have, I like the feel of the Butler Creek the best.
Most of the synthetic stocks I have are Ramlines, and they aren't all that bad. LIke the Butler Creek though, they are hollow and "boom" like a bass drum everytime you bump into something. Real easy fix though. Remove the buttplate/recoil pad and use that expanding foam insulation stuff to fill the hollow butt. You have to move fast getting the buttplate/pad back on because that stuff expands real fast. Masking off the butt would be a darn good idea. For the hollow forearm, I maske everything off, them kamke a clay dam to keep the stuff out of the action. With thes tock held level in a vice, I apply the foam and very quickly drop the rifle into the stock and then quickly wrap masking tape to hold the gun in the stock. I let is sit and cure overnight, the with careful knife work I remove all the masking tape, take the gun out of the stock to remove the clay, and reassemble the gun. If you want the barrel free floating, use two layers of plumbers tape, and don't forget to use some kind of release agent. I'm not sure it is necessary, but why take a chance? It's a lot easier to do than describe, and it is no substitute for glass bedding. It's just a sound damper. Done right, I'd estimate you will eliminate 90 percent of the "boom".
I will say this for the Ramline stocks. They are tough. One is on a Ruger 77 tang safety model chambered to the .375 Taylor, the .338 Win. Mag. necked up to take .375 caliber bullets. It's been on the gun for about five years now and is holding up just fine as are all the other stocks I've mentioned.
Paul B.

Ok guys,

Thank you all for the opinions. I'm going to look into a Hogue stock.

I may also try what Tiggertate suggested. The stock already looks like crap and painting it may be a quick way to get into the woods. If I do take this route, I'll restock later with something better - like a nice piece of Circassian walnut.

Thanks all!

Tex

There are a number of trade offs with stocks, but for me there is the cost-weight-rigidity trade off being the most important.

Cheap synthetic stocks are flimsy.
Getting glass to stick to injection moulding is problematic.
So the synthetic made of laid up fibers is light, rigid, and glass sticks to it, but it is >$200

Tex.....

You've got some great responses here but I'll add my $.0.02 worth too, especially since your query mentioned $$$ is tight. You obviously want to get it right the first time or you'll end up incurring more expense.

Alot of work into getting a wooden stock right whether straight wood or laminate, plus any glassing required to get the action fit but as mentioned you can be pretty creative with a laminate as a base stock and add plenty of extras, the finsih you use can be as creative as you'd like to go.

While the over-moulded are spiffy, offfer a great feel and are getting to be a better value any additional work required could perhaps detract from the overall appearance since matching the over-moulded rubber will be difficult unless all the work is done insideand invisible to the exterior of the stock.

I've got several synthetics, HS Precision, also from when they were in AZ - a great stock that has held up really well for over 20 plus years and a B&C for a Mauser which is also VERY good.

Having said that I've hauled about 15 inexpensive Ramlines to Africa for various friends that have been installed on countless Mauser variations, civilian, military, Musgraves, etc. and with just a minor bit of a inletting have made up very servicable stocks that they are all using with great satisfaction.

Tex,
Here is an auction for a Hogue going on right now. Might be in your budget. No affiliation.
BJB

http://cgi.ebay.com/HOGUE-MAUSER-98-RIFLE-STOCK-MODEL-9...QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem