Carbon fibre frenzy

ejg

Well-Known Member
Finally I got around to get my rifles sorted with stocks.
Since a few months we have been working on making lighter and lighter hunting stocks. Question is, where is the limit? Then..everytime I had made a nice stock someone wanted it and I ended up with the old walnut stock again. I decided to make an experimental stock for my remmy 243. Can’t sell “experimental” and I have an excuse to keep it.
The stock came out of the mould at 580 grams made of tweed woven aerospace quality Carbon fibre and a bit of Kevlar in some areas plus internal carbon pillars.
With the buttpad , swivel studs and duracoat it all added up to 674 grams.
The rifle is transformed. 2 shots to find zero and 2 to confirm then I dropped a 304 yd small rabbit.
This rifle is sorted for now….. really looking forward to going into the hills after does with it.


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Only finished today, my old sako L579 custom in 308 that Roedale Precision did for me a few years ago. The rifle has been in our family since around 71-72. Before that it had accounted for over 1000 kudu in the hands of a PH.
The walnut-carbon stock I had made a few years ago weighed 980 grams and I wanted to get a bit of weight down.
Problem was that I only have moulds for howa short action or remmy short action.
The howa shape was closer to the L579 so I opted to use that. Once again almost
100% carbon used for the stock with internal carbon cross-members to take the compression forces of the action and lead the recoil directly into the stock shell.
One week of dremel work, fitting, filling, action bedding and it was done.
I wanted a little Kaiser grip on this stock, also 4 swivel studs to be able to choose
in which way I want to attach the sling. Of course in my favourite colour, PSE Green.
When fitted and painted the final weight of the stock is 740 grams.
The sling is the original that came with rifle… mid sixties.



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edi
 
Nice, particularly in the 'kinder' calibres where you are walking a lot & shooting a little.

At this weight they'd be a bit lively in a .338 Lapua for a day on the range!

One question however, how does the raw material cost compare with the established fibreglass stocks etc? I ask because of the huge difference in the cost of carbon & glass fibre fishing rods when both were being marketed by the same manufacturers many years ago. I was never sure if this was down to increased materials/ production costs or to a bit of clever marketing & increased profits as a result.

Best wishes, Tyke.
 
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Rooster got a pic of your rifle?

Jack, Roedale Precision in Germany sells the rails.

Tyke, mainly aimed at stalking rifles...but! If accuracy and weight is an issue, I believe
that one rather invests the weight in a slightly heavier barrel and fits a light stock.
Overall same weight as a standard sporter but more accurate and reliably accurate.

A carbon stock could be around 50 Euro more expensive than a glass stock.
I like working with carbon, getting better at it.
The glass I use is also not cheap either because it is an aerospace approved quality and
made to work with epoxy resin.
Compared to fishing rods the price increase for carbon at under 10% is peanuts.

edi
 
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