Two rifles, both in .458 WM, equal in all respects except for the <B>mass of the stock</B> - rifle "A" has a 'normal' wood stock and weighs 8.5 pounds.<BR><BR>Rifle "B" has an identical stock ballasted with lead in the forearm and buttstock to reduce felt recoil, and weighs 11 pounds. The barreled actions are identical and weigh exactly the same, and both are bedded the same.Rifle "A" will be exactly as prone to (or safe from) splitting as rifle "B".Rifle "A" will be less prone to split.Rifle "B" will be less prone to split.

What is the beer content of the shooter's belly?

quote:

Originally posted by 1 Shot Hunter:
What is the beer content of the shooter's belly?

Undoubtedly greater than the respondents capacity for comprehension.

Let me put this a little more simply..

I picked up a .458 that that has 2.5 pounds of lead in the stock. If I take all or some of the weights out, I know the felt recoil will be greater, but is the stock more likely to split?

quote:

but is the stock more likely to split?

No...the stock will split as a result of the forces placed on it by the barreled action. Not by it's ability to trasnsmit that weight to the shooter.

Some will agrue that the weighted stock will be less able to recoil away from the shock but IMO this is a small effect.....the forces of the recoil lug are what's gonna get ya.

Glass bed the stock and put in a couple cross bolts and get on with life.

The lighter rifle will be less prone to split. If you take the weight issue to extremes and make it so heavy that the recoil can not move the rifle then all the force resulting from the shot goes into the fiber of the rifle in an very short time. The lighter the gun, the faster the gun can move backwards and that delay in time regarding the impact softens the damage the stock.

The differences are minute and relative to the weights of the rifles but there is a difference.

let me start this is like discussing a 1x9 vs a 1x8 twist in a .308 barrel. sure, there's a difference, but it's NOT huge

assuming a baseline, 50% of the weight in the stock and 50% in teh action, if you alter that, by adding weight to the stock, you DO increase the risk of splitting the stock. The issue is that the stock now has a higher inertia, and will take more of a beating than a lighter stock...

in other words, more energy is required to MOVE the stock, therefore the stock takes a higher battering

only slighter

jeffe

quote:

quote:
Originally posted by 1 Shot Hunter:
What is the beer content of the shooter's belly?


Undoubtedly greater than the respondents capacity for comprehension.

Let me put this a little more simply..

I picked up a .458 that that has 2.5 pounds of lead in the stock. If I take all or some of the weights out, I know the felt recoil will be greater, but is the stock more likely to split?

Tumbleweed, my friend - I was responding with humor, but with great comprehension!

To wit, the more inertia the stock/shooter has to resist the motion of recoil, the greater will be the splitting force within the stock.

I was not trying to be offensive!