I've done both my Howa 308s, I used a hot soldering iron and then trimmed it out for an aluminum strut made by cutting a corner off a piece of 80/20 before filling with epoxy (dyed black), and bedded the actions & DBMs with Devcon.
I just did this on my Howa 1500. I am happy with the results and it will get me shooting while I put $$$ aside for that HS Precision stock. Thanx; great video!
I did something similar with my factory savage stock. I cut those ribs out to fit two sections of carbon arrow shafts and epoxied them in. Then bedded the action in the stock.
Lightning Strike I don’t remember what I used. Probably JB weld or the brownells accu glass bedding kit. I had a bunch leftover and it was getting old. I probably used it.
Good job. I had done something similar to a 243 Savage Axis for my daughter. I dremeled the ribs in the fore end and put a aluminum rod down the length. I then poured in liquid epoxy and let it dry. It heats up, but there was no damage to the stock. I also scuffed it up so it would adhere better. I also bedded around the barrel lug to minimize movement, and filled the stock like you. With tuned reloads I had a subpar stock shooting moa at 200yds. She killed an antelope with it in one shot at 225yds. It was a perfect shot. These little fixes like yours will help greatly on cheaper stocks if you are not willing to spend $300 to $500 for an after market stock. Nice video.
Temperature effects the cheaper plastic stocks way to much to stay accurate. Just like moisture does to wood. Commercial gun stock epoxy glass bedding material is much more rigid. Which would give you better results. Chalk gun adhesives are made to be flexible. With one piece wood grain stocks, I found that you get better accuracy bedding both the action and barrel verses free floating.
I did this procedure using JB WELD (lots of it) Rock solid fore arm. I also used JB KWIK to bed the action to the mounting screws and a thin 1/4 inch spacer on the front mounting screw, where the recoil lug attaches to the stock, to float the barrel. Same hole @ 100 yds. off the bench using a bipod.
@@mikefinto4048 Mike I made about a 50c size puddle on a mixing cardboard (cut from cereal boxes) I used Popsicle sticks to mix and spread. I used WD 40 on the barrel and recoil lug and even beveled the recoil lug on one rifle. I filled the recoil lug hole in the stock about 1/2 way up and put some JB on the rear cut out by the trigger and mounting screw. I used the two oz ones. If you don't have enough mix, you can mix up some more. JB WELD takes about 45 minutes to set up beyond manipulation so you'll have plenty of working time. I mounted the action to the stock and tightened the mounting screws to finger snug. Do all your prep work before you apply the JB. Contact me if you need to. Have fun.
I use a two part epoxy designed for joining timber in external and internal applications. It has held up for decades on bar counters and in exposed situations. Good for timber and plastic stocks, in my experience. Important thing to remember ... if in doubt, use slightly less hardener, as with fiberglass fillers. Good introductory video. Thank you for putting it up.
Thats great advice, sounds like it's not your first rodeo. I will have to look in to the clear epoxy, as the one I used was the only one that wasn't going to cost me an arm and a leg (from the hardware shop that is).
Did a similar process only added carbon fiber arrow lengths between sections & J.B. weld. Cut the arrow sections just a tad longer than the section cavities & rammed em into the bottoms of the channels before burying em in the liquid weld. Started by sanding the hell out of the forestock channel walls for a BIG bbl to stock gap & rounded off the sharp top edges. On the bottom end put an inch of epoxy inside on the neck end & & packed the end w multiple arrow shaft pieces side by side then covered the top w the J.B. weld til it settled out level just below the recoil pad. Total, 2 cards of J.B. weld & 6 cheap carbon fiber arrows. Once set there is NO flex whatsoever. Could beat an elephant senceless w it & its still light for hunting carry. Can double a dollar bill & run it up/down the fore end bbl & not touch. TOTAL free flote. Used long slow cure J.B. weld. Its WAY stronger than the 5 minute set up junk. Once it sets up, NOTHING moves. Your silicone is always going to flex no matter how long it sits.
explain to me please. Why did you only fill the cells between the ribs with epoxy resin? Why didn't bedding? It is today that I am going to strengthen my new Ruger Rench rifle. Lots of videos and most shooters fill the box completely, including the place where the receiver is attached to the barrel
There is no way to fix the flex in a plastic stock. It can be improved but not fixed. I braced the fore stock by using an aluminum rod. Cut out a trench in the baffles and a shallow divot at both ends and then snapped the rod into the fore stock. I also epoxied it in place. Then I bedded the action area of the stock with epoxy. This eliminated fore stock flex and vibration around the action. Bullet groups did improve but ultimately there was no way to strengthen the grip of the stock where it whips. The grip is the weakest point and that is where stock whip happens. I ended up getting a Boyds laminated wood gun stock. A little heavier but it made a huge difference in my bullet groups.
I buy a barreled action then fit it to a Laminate stock. I have purchased a rifle with a synthetic polymer stock but ended up getting rid of the stock and going back to Laminate.
If this is a floated barrel, what is the point? Just adding weight! My Ruger American Ranch 5.56 NATO runs fine without the weight. Just a muzzle brake and I have a very light rifle that is still a pleasure to shoot.
I find this amount of flex really annoying and like you said, it’s a floating barrel. When the stock presses against the barrel due to excessive flex (especially up the fore end where it has the most leverage against the receiver and its bolts), it’s not a floating barrel anymore.
I’d like to see how this change affects accuracy. Real numbers. I’m not convinced that my rifle would shoot better if it were stiffer. Is there any evidence?
Seriously, I don't think so either. I have a Hogue and it shoots sub moa with a variety of good hunting ammo and there's a TON of space between the stock and the barrel and I've never been in any shooting position or grip that "flexes" the stock into the barrel....It's 3 for 3 in dropping white tail bucks so far the past 3 years to, so I still haven't figured out what all the 'hysteria' over a 'flex accuracy problems' in the stock are about, lol. But oh well, we all love to tinker. Maybe it's just people's desire to 'tinker' that causes the hyperbole....
If you'd cut out a notch in each block filled with epoxy and thus connecting them into one solid block it would have done better. Along with using carbon arrows down both sides like they do in usgi fiberglass stocks
I don't get why it's so hard for people to understand this. If I wanted to spend $1k+ I would have bought something else... Thanks for the AFFORDABLE help lol! What scope you using?
Problem is, a Howa deserves a much better stock, and for what Hogue charges for these things, it's insane. $170 for a stock that will destroy any chance you have at fully unleashing the potential of the Howa.
@@theindooroutdoorsman These Howa Hogues are still selling everywhere for $469.99, I have no idea what you are talking about with how much Howa charges....the rifle is an incredible deal even today in 2023's government inflated prices...
Fiberglass resin might or might not work with some stocks due to chemical composition of the particular plastic. I used epoxy on my 783 stock and it works just fine.
Martin Vernesk no worries mate :) didn’t listen to the music before hand so that’s my mistake but I have tried to change it on RU-vid so hopefully it’s better
Narration would probably do far more for this video than the really bizarre choice of music did. That aside, does this fix the issue of the stock contacting the barrel?
In hindsight the music was a bad choice, was all I could find that wouldn’t be copyrighted. To some degree yes it will reduce that, but it depends on your stock issue. Is it touching all the time or only when you place it on something?
@@theindooroutdoorsman What stock is on it? If it is touching on its own accord, separate the action from the stock. Find where the cerakote has worn and sand a few mm of stock material where the wear corresponds to. Hopefully that should fix your problem (IF IT IS TOUCHING ALL THE TIME)
@@theindooroutdoorsman weird. Try what I said take it out and sand down the contact points and see if that fixes it for you, if it does then try the epoxy as well so it wont touch at all
Did the silicone in the butt stock ever cure? Most stuff I've worked with needs to be exposed to air to harden. I learned my lesson trying to make my own 12ga practice shells.
I don't care what any other comments say, I love the background music! Sounds like the soundtrack to my funeral. Sums up plastic stocks. Bury them and buy a Boyd's
Didn’t here budget in the video, I shop EBAY for rifle stocks, I’ve bought BELL CARSON for $50.00 bucks, HS for $150.00, All have aluminum bedding blocks, To me that’s budget, Another tip next time you cut add 2 little pieces of metal, End to end works great.
Think this bloke is in the same boat as myself...on an island called Australia. Alot of rifle stocks are made in America, and a lot of them do not ship to Australia. The ones that do have incredible prices. I bought a Savage with a cheap stock that needs fixing or a different stock, only one dealer selling Boyd stocks in Australia sells them for 325 bucks. The 4 or 5 other Savage aftermarket stocks do not ship to Australia. So we have to make do here.
you always get up to 30% increase in accuracy. it looks like dumb thing to do but it works. I have done this on two .308, one .223 and several rimfire rifles. yes it works. yes you will notice huge difference in group sizes
I noticed you painted your Hogue stock. What paint did you use? Did it bond well to the rubber? How is it Holding up? I am thinking about painting my Hogue stock as well .
I just did mine. Used krylon fusion camo paints. Did 6 coats of the tan for a base and let it dry for 48 hours. Then used sponge method with brown and green. Looks amazing! Then finished with 4 coats of rust-oleum matte clear coat. Found on a forum somewhere that houge themselves said krylon fusion is the best paint to use. Make sure you clear your stock real good to get the mold release agent off it from factory.
I think the "flex" your trying to remove is from the sling stud mount. I'd grind back the rubber on the houge stock where the bipod mounts down to the plastic, and remove the leather insert on the harris bipod.
I know it is still holding well, the nature of epoxy is that it won't shatter, so it still has some minimal give. My rifles only a .223 as well, so the chance of recoil damage is too limited. I can tell you after doing this that my group size actually shrank from about .8 of an inch to .5 for 3 3 shot groups. It is a tad heavier but well worth it in my opinion :)
DarV8dr thanks for the feedback good to see an improvement in grouping. The extra weight doesn't bother me I'm looking at adding additional weight to the butt as well to help with recoil as mine is a .300 win mag
As long as you get a quality epoxy, maybe even the bedding compound used for rifle actions may be good for your application. nonetheless any epoxy should to the trick and reduce the flex in the hogue stock. The silicone in the stock certainly does reduce the recoil :) if you really want to add a lot of weight, some lead fishing sinkers you might find will work very well - combined with silicone as it is a very heavy and dense substance.
I want to do this to my 308 because I like the stock it's lightweight for hunting I don't know if I could trust myself doing this job There's No going back if I mess it up
You can always grind out the epoxy. If the stock bends and is one from the factory I would give it a go, can always pick up one that a person has taken off their rifle for cheap in worse case scenario
@@DarV8dr great, thanks for the reply.👍 I'm about to buy A .308 version with the serra coated barreled action the new one that comes with this stock. I think I'll stick with this stock and I won't change it and I'm gonna do what you did. I figure you buy a gun fairly cheap, you wanna keep it that way instead of spending thousands of dollars on accessories no?
@@Plainsimple67 Theres nothing wrong with that. On the flip side, I bought mine because it was the right barrel, the right action, and the right caliber; everything else be damned. I can shoot now, but I am planning on slowly pouring money into it so it shoots better than I ever will: mounts, bases, stock, trigger, etc. Sometimes you get the cheap gun because the base gun is what you're after.
Great job. Some of the movement at the end might be from your bipod. I had a bipod and over time it would rock slightly from side to side.....but mine was 20 is dollars from China so maybe that's just the stock
I found that with the china ones as well. Bought this as a more precision oriented one so i know its not from that... however it is the model that swivels and it doesn't torque down well so it moves a little. It has to do with the hogue, the plastic its made out of is very soft hence why it bends.
To bad this did absolutely nothing to help other than add weight, your flex isn’t in the forearm nor the buttstock, it’s from the rear most part of the action to the front of the action, to really eliminate this toss the pos stock an get a quality stock, McMillan is one of the best imho.
1. Too* grammar please 2. It did help to reduce the flex to some degree, trust me I know 3. It’s a pillar bedded stock so that’s not where the movement is, it’s just the nature of a malluable plastic stock 4. A McMillan would be great. Too bad a howa in Aus costs $590AUD and the McMillan stocks over here are $800AUD absolute minimum Cheers for your 2 cents though
Max Sanchez what a crock of shit. You don’t need an expensive stock. This rifle shoots 1/2 moa with ease with the hogue stock on it. Why spend the price of a new rifle on a stock that will realistically make barely any difference
DarV8dr must be why you took all that time to try and “fix” it, it’s no secret these stocks are junk. Read your own description you clearly said this is a cheap fix because you don’t have money for a quality stock.
Exactly, as I just said. Why would I spend the price of another rifle on a stock, when a little modification of the yes, shitty stock, can yield good results? Its not a perfect stock but.... $40 supplies > $500 on a new stock
