Flex in a Howa stock

night stalker

Well-Known Member
Hi, My mate has a very heavy barrel Howa 1500 blued with the basic plastic and rubber over moulded Hogue stock in 22-250 that shoots really well off one of the big full length shooting bags but all over the place off a bipod.

On looking at the stock there is loads of flex in the fore end so we are looking to try to do something about it by filling it with something and re bedding including about an inch and half of the barrel.

Is is there anyone who has done this to a howa stock to stabalise it? What was the end result and what did you use in the fore stock? We intend to use acraglass gel to full length bed it.


Thanks
 
Hi, My mate has a very heavy barrel Howa 1500 blued with the basic plastic and rubber over moulded Hogue stock in 22-250 that shoots really well off one of the big full length shooting bags but all over the place off a bipod.

On looking at the stock there is loads of flex in the fore end so we are looking to try to do something about it by filling it with something and re bedding including about an inch and half of the barrel.

Is is there anyone who has done this to a howa stock to stabalise it? What was the end result and what did you use in the fore stock? We intend to use acraglass gel to full length bed it.


Thanks
before you spend a load of time and money, take a look at the Boyds laminate stocks, cheap and easy to get, fit from the box and/or glass bed at your discretion :D
 
I use a Howa 1500 with the Hogue standard stock and when shopping around for the best price was told by several retailers (who were selling them, you wonder why if they are that bad...) that they were 'no good' due to the forend having some flex.
My Howa 1500 Sporter in .243 is very accurate off bags, stiks and bipod and holds its own against 'custom' rifles at 4 or 5 times the price.
I find it hard to believe that the accuracy of a heavy barrel will be efffected by a few mm. flex of soft rubber that doesn't actually touch, or hardly touches, the heavy barrel.
Maybe you should diplomatically suggest to your mate that his shooting technique could be causing the issue, not the stock?
 
I had howa with a bell and Carlson stock best value for money rifle I've ever had and shot real well part ex d it for custom and let it go to cheap wish still had it as spare
 
Hi. It might be his first rifle but his shooting defo isn't to blame as this was my first though so I shot it for him. I put 20 rounds of Hornady 50 v-max factory through it using a Harris bipod (shoots that ammo great off the big bag) and couldn't manage an inch group as I would get 2 out by about 2.5" in every 5 shot group.

If you stand the rifle on the bench using a bipod but no back bag and wiggle it side to side holding it by the rear scope mount the fore end swing all over.

Rick
 
the fore-end on mine used to flex and touch the barrel slightly (standard sporter), so I took a dremmel to the stock! theres a mark all round it for varmint barrels, I took it to that line and filled the bottom of it with resin - it doesn't touch now! :thumb:
 
before you spend a load of time and money, take a look at the Boyds laminate stocks, cheap and easy to get, fit from the box and/or glass bed at your discretion :D

Hi Rick this is the answer . £140 to your door I got one for my 204 would let you try as I live not far from you but your mates got the heavy barrel and mine a spoter barrel atb craig
 
before you spend a load of time and money, take a look at the Boyds laminate stocks, cheap and easy to get, fit from the box and/or glass bed at your discretion :D
Thats what I did with my first one(223) and it cured the flexing problem. My second one (6.5x55) doesn't have the problem. I don't know if its because its a long action or whether they've modified the stocks but its fine.
 
Hi Night Stalker .. I know exactly what you mean .. I once had a Howa with the
green hogue stock .. the stocks to my mind are cheap crap and are better replaced
I had mine bedded and had a trigger job done which did make a big difference
to its accuracy .. they are very good rifles and strong actions though.
 
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hi i had the same problem with flexing on the hogue stock from bipod ang bought boyds laminate thumbhole stock lighten the trigger myself(you tube) and its great little rifle (223)if i do my part got half inch group of bipod now with norma 53g.want nothing more now:D
 
Chuck the Hogue stock straight in the bin and go buy a better stock, i tried to make one more solid by filling the hollow stock with fiber glass and a steel rod with no difference to how the stock flexed !
 
I think the thing to remember is that it is being sold as a budget hunting rifle not a target beast, the Hogue stock is perfectly adequate for hunting using sticks,fenceposts,trees,cattle whatever as a rest, it only flexs badly when loaded onto a bipod, swap the stock and what have you lost? £35 worth of plastic ! mine as it is now

DSCF4818800x600_zps2db9a8e5.jpg
 
I think the thing to remember is that it is being sold as a budget hunting rifle not a target beast, the Hogue stock is perfectly adequate for hunting using sticks,fenceposts,trees,cattle whatever as a rest, it only flexs badly when loaded onto a bipod, swap the stock and what have you lost? £35 worth of plastic ! mine as it is now

View attachment 33948

Your spot on.
 
I have the Hogue stock on a Howa .308 Varmint which was touching the barrel when a bipod was fitted. I have just bedded the stock to the rifle action and also fitted two stainless rods from under the recoil lug to the forend. I has increased the weight considerable, but I'm not worried about that as want it for target shooting, to see what can be achieved from this 'cheap' setup. Bedded with Devcon Steel Putty so could have used something lighter.
The barrel doesn't touch the stock now.

Cost, rods £8, putty half a tub £15, plus time and effort

Will find out this Sunday how it shoots, although the weather is going to be blowing me all over the place, so probably not a good test day.
 
Looks like that is the next job for me, I have a ProHunter as well as a Howa. Didn't want to touch the ProHunter stock and make it heavy, but the carbon and fibreglass idea sounds ideal. Thanks for that link fizzbangwhallop
 
i dont normally use a bipod
I can see the flex in my howa fore end
but it does not bother me I can get eight thicknesses of printer paper
between the barrel and the stock. and correct style of holding the fore end does not
flex it enough to touch the barrel,. It must be a peculiarity of shooting off a bipod

However I agree the rubber stock does not inspire me and I like the Boyds stocks so I think Ill get one
....see if I can improve my grouping too... Do you get them shipped direct from Boyds USA?
 
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