Stiffening a Ruger American stock

[TauPhi111]

I'm thinking about getting a Ruger American compact in 6.5 CM as a beater/loaner gun for when I take my brother or gf hunting or if I just need a light deer rifle that I don't mind getting banged up. I know from experience with a friend's gun that the stock's flimsy fore end can be a problem for accuracy, so I plan on stiffening it up by filling the front with a rigid epoxy like Devcon plastic steel and maybe even milling out a channel for a steel or aluminum rod and epoxying that in there. For those of you that have done this, what did you do and did you find it satisfactory? Does the epoxy alone suffice or would a rod make it much more stiff? Also, does the butt of the stock need any stiffening and how did you do that?

 

[2Stamp]

I used brownells bedding epoxy. I drilled lots of interconnecting or angled holes in the plastic webbing molded into the stock. It did help. definitely made the front end more stable. If you can spend the case, a Magpul hunter stock would be a better option all around. But you said this was a beater/loaner gun so maybe not worth it.

 

[16Bore]

Shoot first, analyze later.

 

[5MilesBack]

Shoot first, analyze later.

Yep. I have a Ruger American .270 that shoots extremely well.

 

[TauPhi111]

I used brownells bedding epoxy. I drilled lots of interconnecting or angled holes in the plastic webbing molded into the stock. It did help. definitely made the front end more stable. If you can spend the case, a Magpul hunter stock would be a better option all around. But you said this was a beater/loaner gun so maybe not worth it.

With my buddy's gun I was referencing (American Predator 308) he did put it in the Magpul stock and now it shoots sub MOA. That thing is HEAVY though and I'm looking to keep it lighter

 

[TREE ‘EM]

I used aluminum rod and devcon on mine

 

[Blockcaver]

Carbon arrow shafts are stiff and light and can be epoxied into channels cut into the stock.

 

[2Stamp]

With my buddy's gun I was referencing (American Predator 308) he did put it in the Magpul stock and now it shoots sub MOA. That thing is HEAVY though and I'm looking to keep it lighter

Got it, makes sense.

 

[16Bore]

I think this is why there’s such an anti-Tikka crowd. Nobody wants to buy a rifle that doesn’t have to be monkied with.

 

[HiMtnHntr]

Anti-Tikka crowd? That's a pretty small group... I second the carbon arrow shaft if you're looking for a lightweight way to stiffen a stock.

 

[Felix40]

I tried it using an aluminum rod and fiberglass resin in my model 70 plastic stock. The rifle shot awesome off a bench but in the field or off a bipod it still wasnt good enough. It was so bad it embarrassed me shooting with a friend at 200 yds off of the bipod. I bought a boyds stock and bedded it myself. Now the rifle shoots well under moa from any rest or position I want. I was able to hollow out the butt of the stock and make it fairly light too.

 

[TauPhi111]

I tried it using an aluminum rod and fiberglass resin in my model 70 plastic stock. The rifle shot awesome off a bench but in the field or off a bipod it still wasnt good enough. It was so bad it embarrassed me shooting with a friend at 200 yds off of the bipod. I bought a boyds stock and bedded it myself. Now the rifle shoots well under moa from any rest or position I want. I was able to hollow out the butt of the stock and make it fairly light too.

How did you go about hollowing out the butt? I am looking to do that on a Savage I have in a Boyds stock to lighten it up a bit for a mountain rifle

 

[Felix40]

Just drilled a half dozen holes in a straight line. Then used a dremel with a sanding drum to work more material off as even as possible.