Stock for bench work and the occasional varmint/predator hunt?

[benzy2]

Well the money has came in and it is time to move on my first build.  I am going off of a Stevens 200.  Right now I am stock.  The first thing that is going to change is the trigger.  That is for a different section though.  The next item that I will be ready for is the stock.  It seems to be a huge weak spot currently.  The stock barrel may not be a killer group wise but I think it has enough ability in it to work for a little while.  So here we are at the stock.

My main use of this gun is going to be from a rest.  I was thinking something with a 3" forend would be best from bags.  This leaves me with a narrowed selection.  The first I was looking at was the Stockade Benchrest stock in the money saver form.  I have the time to finish the cosmetics on the stock myself though some of their finishes look a lot nicer than I plan on doing myself which may be worth the extra money.  So I am looking at around $200 to finish myself or $330 finished.  The other option here I was looking at was the SSS BR stock for around $300.  Both of these options would work fine on a Bench only gun but the more I thought about it the more I thought I might want to use this in the very limited varmint hunting I do.  As such the next stock I looked at was the B&C Medalist Varmint.  I can get this one for around $200 through a deal I personally get.  These seem like decent stocks though I haven't handled one in person.  They seem to have a few minor things that need worked on by the end user but it won't be as much work as the Stockade stock nor the time to finish the SSS stock so it isn't a big deal.  The real thing I liked was that it looks much more field friendly.  I was wondering if anyone had used this stock how it rides the bags.  It seems like it would be a bit of a compromise for the bench work to be a bit better in the field.  Most of my shooting in a year is from a rest at paper so if it really isn't near the stock on the bags as the other two options it isn't worth it at any price.  On the other hand if it isn't that big of a draw back for the level of shooting I do I would love to be able to hunt with this as well.

So if you were looking at shooting say 99% of your rounds from a bench and potentially the other 1% in the field what would you go with?  If you decided to use a different field dedicated rifle for the hunting situations, which is something I am seriously considering, which stock, of those listed or not, would you buy?  I would love to have an amazing stock but I realize this gun is limited being built on the action it is and will never be a top competition rifle.  That said it seems to win at the local matches you only need to shoot about 1/2MOA out to 187 yards.  More than a few stock Savages have been shown able to do this and I do plan to rebarrel to a Shilen or McGowen before long.  While it will take work on my end that should be something reachable without killing myself.  So what would you do?  What is the best bang for the buck when it comes to benchrest stocks for the Short Action stagger feed Savage/Stevens?

[kslefty]

A factory VLP takeoff would be my first choice. They are made for the varmint contour but if you are going to rebarrel I figure this is what you will go with anyways. These stocks can be had for right under $200 usually and they are ready to screw on and use. I feel they are a perfect compromise from sandbags to packing around hunting with.

[MrFurious]

Factory VLP, Stockade Woodchuck, SSS LVT, etc. would all be better choices IMO.  The 3" forend on benchrest stocks is nice for shooting from the bench, but they're impossible to use in the field unless you're toting your bench and/or a rest along.  The ones mentioned all have a 2.5" forend with a rounded bottom perfectly suited for a medium front bag (#2), they're slim enough to shoot off-hand, and you can even slap on a bipod if you want.

[tykemp]

If you shoot offhand like I do (elbow tucked in and fingers on the bottom of the fore end) then the fore end width shouldn't be a problem unless you're shooting a hard kicking rifle that needs to be held onto.

[benzy2]

Well you guys talked me out of it and into a different stock.  I think I will be going with a Stockade Woodchuck.  What all is required to finish their stocks?  Is it basically trimming mold lines, filling any voids with filler, sanding smooth and then painting?  I would love to go with a Money saver with the price they run but Im just not sure what all needs to be done.  If that is all it doesn't seem like something outside of my ability but if it is much more than that I may be in over my head.

On the other hand I really don't mind the idea of a factory stock.  Both the BVSS stock and the VLP stock seem like they would do ok.  What are your thoughts on the BVSS stock compared to the VLP stock?  I don't think I will ever take this rifle in a situation where it would be anything I shot offhand.  The more I think about what I hunt the more I realize how the .223 I have now fits so much better for it.  As such I think this rifle is going to be a bench only gun.

[#40Fan]

Give them a call.  They will be happy to answer your questions.

[82boy]

I would love to have an amazing stock but I realize this gun is limited being built on the action it is and will never be a top competition rifle.  That said it seems to win at the local matches you only need to shoot about 1/2MOA out to 187 yards.  More than a few stock Savages have been shown able to do this.

Actualy the gun is limited by the user. Your action can be built to be a very competive gun, could it win at top levels, who know no one has tried it. The problem with the Savage platform is weight. I have built a dedicated bench gun out of a Savage action, ( identical to your Stevens) and I am on the fine line of the weight limit 10.5 lbs.

At the local matches I shoot at there is alot of savages that are winning in a factory or modifed classes, and are shooting well below a 1/2 moa. I cant say I have ever had a savage/Stevens that would not shoot under 1/2 MOA, if I did my part.

[tiny68]

Just a suggestion.  Take a look at one of the Sinclair BenchRest Forearm adapters.  I think that is what it is called.  I called one a month or so back.  Bolts on the forearm and give an adjustable tight fit.  Smooth 3" base to ride BR bags well.  I am highly impressed with it for the investment.  That way I have the best of both worlds and I can field hunt as well.

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