AusVarmint

Ive found some flex issues with my synthetic stock and have had it fixed best it can be.

Just wondering if the swivel bipods are more forgiving with flex than the standard ones....

If the sucker doesnt shoot after this i might look at a custom laminate. Does anyone have an email for geoff slee? or know of anywhere that would be willing to do a howa 1500 left hand thumbhole to suit the right hand bolt of the howa? (yes I shoot back to front...... )

cheers

G'day Brad
geoff does not have a computer !
but you can call him on (03)5367 7282

Haha ok mate, well that rules that one out.

Will see hows the bedding job went anyway. It was shooting well but getting a flyer occasionally that we think might have something to do with a mark in the top land at the crown. Its getting re crowned to see if it works.

If there is no joy in getting it how I want, then maybe I might take the action and get one of geoffs stocks and find a barrel to suit it.

Any opinions on the bipod idea?

Brad there is a pictorial of geoff's stuff around some where ! i should go visit him as he is only 2 minutes from my place !!!

I found that mate, it looked good. The first pic looked like a LH thumbhole so thats what got me interested if he made a basic thumbhole LH to suit a standard RH bolt for the 1500. Any idea of what one would be worth?

Im fairly confident the work being done will get it shooting how Im after, will see how it pans out later in the week when i get some rounds through it. I have a fair pile of loads done for playing with as well.

Brad
i was there a few weeks ago and inquired on a rough out thumbhole stock for a ruger and he qouted around $200-$220 , you would need to ring him to see if he will make a left handed thumb hole ported out for a right hand bolt

thanks mate. will see how it turns out and call him if needed

Yep they are floated and pillar bedded, but apparently the pillar bedding could be better. Ive had mine bedded properly by my local gunsmith (glass and pillar) and the whole thing centered. I wasnt too unhappy with the way it shot factory rounds, but after trying handloading for it, I realised the trigger was creeping a little. In the end the action was taken off and I said how much to bed it as well. After the average results in the first lot of handloads I just said screw it do a heap of things and check the barrel too. Turns out there was a mark on one of the lands at the crown so its been re crowned, bedded and had a new trigger. Should shoot nicely now.

For the price it wasnt a bad gun, though now I see that I like tackholers and I should have invested in something a bit better. Nevermind, the howas are a a very decent action so worst case scenario if im not happy with how it goes, I can build one up on that action.

My main problem is that I shoot off a bipod at night spotlighting, so its easy to get flex on the synthetic stock. Thats why Im wondering if the swivel bipod might eliminate some flex. Though from the price they are here, I might just keep my fixed one...

hope so mate

Brad, Boyd makes them, and I've seen a bloke selling them on ebay for $10 . (yep LH thumbhole for RH bolt howa, long or short)
The problem is that ebay won't let you bid on them, 'cause they don't allow international sales of gun parts.
Get him to list it as a 'wooden sculpture' in a different category (like furniture) and see how you go.
He's a real nice fella who sent me heaps of helpful info even tho he knew I wouldn't be buying from him.
Seller is; gamcal9516, he's got nothing on at the moment, but give him a try anyway.
Just found his email; perryguns88@yahoo.com
Might get a nice stock real cheap.

I went 3 from 3 rabbits at > 200m with my howa the other day (with the lilja barrel...) but it was good with the factory tube too, nice action, good stock (mines the heavy varmint laminate (not the thumbhole jobbie)

Would buy another in a heartbeat