I purchased a T/C Omega X7 .50 cal inline after the end of the 2008 blackpowder season as I liked the extra power and range over my old .45 cal sidehammer, and I really liked the X7’s design features of the shorter/lighter weight. Through much trial and error, and some fun, I found it liked Harvester’s Crush Rib Sabots the best, and the accuracy with Hornady XTPs or Scorpion PTs was great. I was then ready for the 2009 season. I carried it several weekends last December, but while I didn’t get a shot, I sure did learn something valuable… That shiny laminated T/C stock sure was “slickery” -- which is a dangerous combination of slick and slippery! Even gloves with those l'il "rubber dots" were no match for that slick stock... I had to be real careful to carry and hold it.

I didn't do anything about that all spring or summer, but as this summer ended, it was time to consider some means to "get a grip" on this stock. Ideas I'd considered but discarded included:
* Checkering -- Could look nice, but I was told the glue dulls the tools and the plywood diamonds won't sharpen up like a good piece of walnut. Plus, it could be expensive to have done.
* Rubber Grip pads -- Pachmyer sells stick-on ones. I had added some to my T/C Classic Benchmark .22 semi-auto (which also a slick laminated stock); and while they work OK, I really don't like the stuck-on look.
* Making a series of "V"-shaped parallel cuts with a file in a pattern to fill each area.
* Routing "U"-shaped grooves (like on a Swede or Swiss military rifle) with a Dremel/router to fill each area.

A buddy over on LeverGuns.com suggested Stippling to me and after doing some online research, that’s just what I did. I will give you some of the details on "how I did it" mixed in with the pix below, but let's jump right in and see the final results.

(Note: These pictures do appear a little "yellow", but I think that's due to the fluorescent lights down in the cellar. With long hours at the office, I won't see any daylight after work until maybe March or April now... Ugh… [Heavy sigh...] The colors are much better in person.)

To start off, this custom pewter grip cap was a gift from my identical twin brother for doing him a favor. As you'll see, it was the inspiration for the pattern that I chose:

First step was to sand the shiny/slippery hard finish off the stock. That went pretty well, but I did use a sanding block to back the paper, as I was concerned the glue lines would be harder than the soft wood, and I wanted the finish to come out as even as possible. (That combo of soft wood and hard glue is one reason I'm told that checkering doesn't take well to laminated stocks...)

Well, here it is -- the port side view. The same patterns are also on the starboard side, which I did by reversing the paper pattern to get a mirror image. I used a small sharpened nail and tapped holes every 1/16" to 1/4" to outline the pattern onto the stock. The stippling covered those when I was done.

I placed these where I typically hold my left hand, and it works great with my thumb on the front track, and fingers curled around the rear track of the other side. I am pleased with the feel of the stippling, it's not too sharp or aggressive, yet it gives me a solid hold -- with the benefit of the unique pattern.

Here's the pistol grip area. I will say the stippling, which was done with a small ball cutter in a Dremel Tool, adapts easily to the curved surfaces. I did wear a 5X headband magnifier when I did this, and I brushed the dust off frequently. It was really easy to do, and all the layout, stippling and final staining were completed in just under 3 hours.

Just to show you that I was somewhat careful in the layout, I think this picture shows that I did pretty well getting it to be symmetrical on both sides. I thought about adding "something else" on the bottom, but I ultimately decided to do just the tracks here. I did add small rectangular "pads" of stippling on the top and bottom of the pistol grip, and those really help there -- as the grip was one of the slickest areas when I was hunting last December.

Here's a close-up pix... Now you'll see it is not perfect, but I am happy with the overall design and results. Some stipplers add a border around the pattern first -- or last -- but I decided not to add one. When we see old deer tracks in the mud or snow in the woods, the edges aren't always perfect, and I like how these look as-is. I have another slippery T/C stock on my .22 semi-auto Classic Benchmark, and that stock will be done next. I just may use a border on that one, and I haven't selected a neat pattern yet -- but it won't be anything like deer tracks that's for sure.

Once I was satisfied with the stippling, I brushed some thinned Walnut Danish Oil into the tracks and finished the stock with 3 coats of hand-rubbed Danish Oil. (For giggles some time, Google what "Danish Oil" really is -- or most Tung Oils for that matter! -- and you just may be surprised…) Anyway, whatever Danish Oil is, I really like the low-sheen hand-rubbed finish it gave, and the walnut color did darken up the stock for me like I wanted. But I admit the yellowish pictures don't show you that as well as I'd like.

I don't consider myself a stippling expert, and this was my first ever project, but I'm really pleased with the unique design and results. It looks and feels "just right" on a muzzleloader that's made for deer hunting -- so maybe it will bring me some luck later this fall!

Hope you guys like it!

Old No7

That looks awesome and thanks for the idea.