Help me build my own ultralight rifle

[Jim N]

My own experience with the MPI stocks was not good. I ordered up a graphite / kevlar stock for my Lilja built 7mm Mag model 700 and was not impressed. Now I'll start with pointing out my experience was about 10 years back and maybe they cleaned up their act in that time - hopefully so.

First it was unbelievably rough. Rough to the point where I actually had to add layers of glass and fair them down to avoid deep, unreinforced fill. The barrel channel was not glassed in and because of that, lacked the structural integrity you get with a layer of glass completely wrapping the foam. I ended up laying up a glass channel using the barrel as a mold and then glassing it in place.

Finally I sent the finished stock back to them for painting and they did it in the wrong color - still looks good but not what I asked / paid for.

In the end I got a stock which does the job but I would not repeat the process when there are better options available.

One last issue with MPI which concerns me. The place is an unbelievable dump. The times I have been in their shop it was unheated and they actually were doing much of their work outside in the damp, Portland weather. If you know anything about laminate work you will know that the environment must be controlled to achieve consistent results. I have done enough glass work, including building my own 35' sailboat & working on others, to know that the situation that existed at MPI at that time, was not conducive to bringing out the best in the medium used. Hopefully this situation has changed.

I am just now working on a Bansner for a model 70 and it is pretty well done for a rough blank. My experience with Rimrock (4 stocks) and McMillan (2) has also been good. I understand Manners also puts out a good stock.

[scothill]

I figure you are right, but I wasn't sure if there was another issue that made him want a new stock and didn't want to assume it was all about weight. If you are on a budget does it really make sense to spend several hundred dollars to cut 0.5-1lb? Heck even if you aren't on a budget. If the stock doesn't work in another way fine have at it, but personally I would adjust length of pull and add a pachmyr decelerator at the same time for less than 100 and just drive on. He is a young buck they are supposed to be tough.

[Big W]

Jim, what did your MPI stock end up weighing? I also heard some negative things about MPI but I decided to go with them anyway because they had the stock design that I wanted.

Here is the one they did for me. It weighs 24 oz's, was supposed to come in between 16-20oz's but they did not charge me for lightweight so i cant be to mad about it. Mabye their shop is so disorganized like you say they just made a mistake. BTW it is OD with black webbing, i just have a cheap camera.

[colohunter303]

Scott- the main issue with the stock currently is that I bought a youth model. Before you start laughing. Most model 7's have large contour barrels and a youth model comes with a 20" light contour barrel. No need to replace the barrel for a long time if at all and that is by far more expensive than most stock options. Being a youth model, with the 1" width pad that I installed LOP is only 13" I can shoulder it comfortably but ideally need 1/2 to 1" more. If you remember from the summer I amnot short in the height or arm length department.

Being a lightweight though I will be looking at the "custom" composites and will likely not shy away from a little work if it saves me some money. We'll see though. The scope should be in by the end of the week.

[Jon S]

Any thoughts on saving the money and having a guy fit a 1" spacer to the buttstock?
I love the synthetic stock on my model 7, it is the original factory that the previous owner bedded and floated. Works great.

[scothill]

Sounds perfect to me except your barrel is to long. My prefered length of pull is 13", and I am not what you could call short in the arm or shoulder department. I am slowly getting all my rifles cut to that length or doing it myself. That is a result of what I learned in the Cain class and more shooting since. For reference Evan likes 12.75".

[Take-a-knee]

Sounds perfect to me except your barrel is to long. My prefered length of pull is 13", and I am not what you could call short in the arm or shoulder department. I am slowly getting all my rifles cut to that length or doing it myself. That is a result of what I learned in the Cain class and more shooting since. For reference Evan likes 12.75".

Yep, Randy likes his rifles' LOP to be 12 5/8ths IIRC. He and I are about the same size so that's what I've adopted. That's what my Steyr Scout measures with all the stock spacers removes. I ordered a stock from Greybull Precision for my 308 Varmint 12 3/4in and I've shot it in the prone a bunch with a 4-14x MKIV with zero issues. Most guys have stocks at least an inch too long.

[colohunter303]

It might be just cause its what I am used to but shouldering this 13" lop rifle feels less comfortable than shouldering my other 13.5" lop rifles. Not anything too significant. My marlin 1895 has a 13-13.25 lop (cant remember off the top of my head) and it is very quick to the shoulder and perfect for what it is. I think for a more precision rifle I will like a 13.5" lop like my other bolt guns. I will play around with it though and decide what feels right before I get a new stock.

[chippewawarrior]

A friend of mine went with the Lone Wolf Summit XL II. It is nothing short of awesome, but cost a pretty penny! The uber-lightweight stock and bedding work was north of $800??? He swears by it, and his rifle is 6lbs (w/scope) and accurate as all get-up... To quote Ferris Bueller, "It is so choice. If you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up."

[elmbow]

...... Most guys have stocks at least an inch too long.

Not to argue with you TAK, nor the Hill brothers, nor (heaven forbid) Mr. Cain, but this premise isn't gospel. LOP is an individual adjustment, and in large part will be determined by how the rifle is utilized. Can I go out on a limb and suggest that Cain's purposes are about 90% tactical? Rifle carried a lot in the "low ready"? Brought up to the shoulder like an AR? A lot of prone shooting? I don't do any of that with my hunting rifles. I don't try to build one rifle do it all "practical/tactical" rifles. I shoulder my hunting rifles in a traditional high strong elbow position, and I shoot mostly from sitting or supported standing. I'm 6'3", and use a 13 1/2" LOP. It is not too long for me. Repeat, it is not too long for me. Were I to try going down to 13" or shorter, I'd have permanent magnum eyebrow or I'd be leaning my head backwards trying to get a good sight picture through my scopes, and that would be after trying to push scopes forward with cobbled up extended bases and the like.