The New Huntmastersbbs!: It's here! It's here!

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Posted by Cdog911 (Member # 7) on September 12, 2005, 07:05 PM:

Well, I made a fly by thru my house today after work and before the realtors pushed me out to show the place and there, just inside the front door, sat my new rifle stock from Richards Micro-Fit. I ordered it clear back in late June. They told me it would get here around 10 weeks, which meant August 18 on my calendar. It's most of a whole month later and I was starting to get pretty antsy - like a taxidermy customer - since I knew I would have a lot of finish work to do on it.

Long story short - it's rough. Lots of burr marks all over and needing a lot of sanding. I tore the Howa M-1500 down and dropped it in. Action drops in perfectly, but the barrel's being squeezed. I did a lot of sanding and finally got it so I can slip that dollar beneath it for the entire length. Sanded the entire stock with 100 grit and filled my fully cleaned, packed up and ready to move to the new place shop with about a lungful of sawdust. Oh, well. I'll go at it tomorrow night with 150, then work my way thru 400, 600 and 800 grits, give her a buff with 000 steel wool and start in with the Tru Oil. I'll post pics when she's done.

Oh, BTW, the ergonomic fit of this stock is very, very nice. I know some of you don't like the thumbholes, but I really like this one so far. Looking forward to shooting it.

[ September 15, 2005, 06:34 PM: Message edited by: Cdog911 ]

Posted by Leonard (Member # 2) on September 12, 2005, 07:59 PM:

Happy for you, can't wait to see the finished product.

Hey, wait. Is this a wood stock? How retro! [Smile]

Good hunting. LB

Posted by Jack Roberts (Member # 13) on September 12, 2005, 09:15 PM:

When free floating a barrel you need a lot more clearance than a $1 bill or even a $100 bill.

With a stiff stock and a bull barrel I like at least .040", with a flimsy stock or barrel you may need 1/8" or better. Fortunately there is a very simple test to see if you have enough clearance; Firmly smack the stock and then the barrel with the palm of your hand. If you can make one contact the other, you do not have enough clearance.

Jack

Posted by Leonard (Member # 2) on September 12, 2005, 10:17 PM:

or, at least a business card.

Posted by Melvin (Member # 634) on September 13, 2005, 12:28 AM:

[ September 13, 2005, 12:39 AM: Message edited by: Melvin ]

Posted by Cdog911 (Member # 7) on September 13, 2005, 02:38 PM:

I'll clear it by the thickness of two business cards and call it good. Thanks for the advice.

Posted by Cdog911 (Member # 7) on September 15, 2005, 06:33 PM:

Got her all finished up and put together tonight.

Overall, I'm really happy with this stock. Fits my cheek perfectly and it was drop-in ready. Again, the only area where anything touched wrong was the line of the barrel, and I ground it out to give it good clearance all the way out. Can't wait to get out and shoot it now.

Posted by varmit hunter (Member # 37) on September 15, 2005, 06:44 PM:

Lance. From one Howa thumbhole fan to another. That's a might purty piece you got there podner.

Posted by seeinspots (Member # 676) on September 15, 2005, 07:11 PM:

looks great lance, if it shoots as good as it looks you should never miss again [Wink]

Posted by Leonard (Member # 2) on September 15, 2005, 09:25 PM:

You work quick, Lance. I'd be sanding and deburring for weeks.

That is an unusual cheek piece, or maybe it just looks different because it's a left hand stock on a right hand action?

I don't seem to recall the chambering? 243?

Good hunting. LB

Posted by Crow Woman (Member # 157) on September 16, 2005, 02:24 AM:

Doggonit Lance... that's beautiful [Wink]

Posted by Cdog911 (Member # 7) on September 16, 2005, 02:05 PM:

Leonard-

.22-250. Of course. The cheek piece is specific to this particular model of stock and sweeps up toward the butt end of the stock. That's one thing I like about it. You shoulder it and your left eye, left cheek and left hand/ thumb form something of a three point system to check your anchor, like shooting a bow. Puts your eye right behind the scope everytime. Very comfortable.

Thanks, CW. Looks even better in the sunlight.

Posted by Baldknobber (Member # 514) on September 16, 2005, 02:51 PM:

Lance, thats a mighty nice stock. Looks almost too pretty to carry. I got a Howa like yours two weeks ago. Like everything about it except the trigger. Can't get the slack out of it. About the time I'd get it about right then the safety wouldn't work. Took it to a gunsmith and he's having the same trouble. His recommendation is a Timney. Hope your trigger is better. The gun shoots good, and I like everything else about it. Can't wait to shoot a dog or two. Todd.

Posted by Kokopelli (Member # 633) on September 16, 2005, 03:22 PM:

I was thinking the same thing as Baldknobber; Almost to nice to take out and chance putting a ding or a scracth in it.

Posted by Cdog911 (Member # 7) on September 16, 2005, 03:32 PM:

For me, guns are like calls. No such thing as "looks to nice to take out hunting". It's all utilitarian.

That stock is Tru Oiled which is handy because when it gets scratched, all you have to do is give it a light buffing, then swab on a couple new coats of oil over the patch area and you're good to go.

Posted by Cdog911 (Member # 7) on September 18, 2005, 06:58 PM:

By golly, guys, I got her out today and got to see what all I did to mess my go-to gun up with all these "upgrades". After about a dozen fouling shots thru a sparkling clean barrel, it settled into doing pretty well and my last group of four shots at a hundred had three touching and one "wild" one about a half-inch to the left of the others. Pretty danged good for my shooting.

DucknDawg and I got to talking there about how some guns are more fickle than others about shooting clean versus dirty. This rifle just doesn't like to be spit shined inside. It would rather be a little dirty if you want it to shoot clean. Anybody else have a gun like this? DnD said he had a 25-06 that was exactly the same, while one of his 223's needs to be cleaned between every shot to ensure maximum accuracy.

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