Accurizing a wooden stock

[tucansam]

Gang,

I have an old Mauser action (WWII donor action) with a very thick (1.5" or so) profile Hart barrel in .308. I got it from a smith who cobbled it together using left over parts years ago. It actually shoots fairly well given everything, but I'm looking for an evening project and would like some advice. Its got a cheap, standard wooden/black/white accented stock on it. I don't have a lot of disposable income at the moment for a new stock, nor do I know if sufficiently accurate (not tupperware) stocks even exist for this type of rifle. So I was playing with the idea of trying to squeeze every available ounce of accuracy out of it as it sits.

I was thinking of sanding and then sealing the stock 100% with polymer varnish, in the hopes that this would make it less prone to changes in shape and size due to moisture. I suppose I'd bake it in the oven for a few hours first to eliminate all moisture, then seal it.

Possibly pillar bed it. For sure bed the action. Currently free-floated, but play with shims under the barrel to see if a full bedding job would do it any good.

I realize cheap wooden stocks aren't ideal (are they better than tupperware?) but, as I said, I figured I'd spend some time playing with it a bit. I have plenty of bedding compound laying around, and have enough meager reloading supplies to try to work up some decent loads.

Any suggestions or advice?

 

[roggom]

You can try to bed it, the Mauser is not that difficult to do. Just do all the measurments ahead of time, dry fit a bunch and go slow.

Timney or Bold trigger and you are good to go.


If not you can go with a B&C for $250 Bell & Carlson Varmint / Tactical Medalist - Mauser 98 Large Ring

 

[sawcut]

I picked up a commercial mauser and refinished the stock, added pillars, and bedded it with devcon (I think JB weld would work fine too). I liked how mine turned out, the bedded action and floated barrel made it reliably and consistently accurate.

I never developed a particular load for it, but with an average load and a 4x scope it was getting reasonable groups. I think if you seal the stock and bed it you can make a wood stock work fine. A dedicated laminated or fiberglass stock may be better, but that does not mean you could not make a wood stock work.

The thread below was mostly about how to finish a walnut stock, but I did bed and pillar the action. You can find plenty of information online how to bed a rifle action. I like a traditional looking rifle sometimes too, and the wood stock on that 30-06 FN mauser came out pretty good.


Surplusrifle Forum ? View topic - discolorations on walnut stock - updated with finished stock

 

[jarhead_h]

Look up Richard Franklin's website. He has a dvd about beddding wood stocks that is second to none.

Stress free pillar bedding
http://store.richardscustomrifles.com/

As for finishing the stock out:

How to do the World's best oil finish (using Miniwax Antique Oil finish)
How to do the World's best oil finish - THR

Also you might want to try checking length of pull because some spacers and a new buttpad could be something to think about. The bedding will be the most important thing.