I got given some paulawinna plank and hacked a crude stock out for me .223,just because I could...took me a day to get it fitting,ten minutes to stuff up that fitting,so added arrowshaft pillars to try and recify issue,then added more hotglue to build it up somemore,finnaly added some spacers/washers between stock and action to get it a firmer fit without twisting action,then took to stock with knife to allow bolt to travel properly,I had thought action itself was binding till put eye crutches on and saw issue.... it weighs in 6lb now...close to 2lb less than the walnut.not sure if will leave it on or switch back again....will see how it shoots now and decide.
mate made up a thumbhole one with same timber for a sako and it shoots very well.... its cheaper than carbon fibre by huge amount and weighs same or less,should be more durable with 3-4coats of polyeurathane...and if breaks,will carve up a new one....I do have the other bit of plank still here to make better effort with...Deer Sniper,I am sorry for my crude attempt....
will post photo when have resized it.

2nd attempt

now one of two things will happen here,possibly both...
SlimJim will give me stick about posting huge sized image
Vince will do his magic and make it smaller LOL

and everyone else will chime in about how crude my carpentry is.... but I can take it.

well ,its not all bad.took it for walk today..google earth says 6.5km as seagull flaps from where wagon was parked to furtherest point. so more than a 14km journey,probable closer to 17kms...the first and last 6kms only changes altitude by 220m but the last 800m climb is 320m change...no wonder Im a little fatigued ...the rifle carries very well being so light,and sits alongside my K2Hunter pack perfectly,when I hook strap of rifle over the right top of pack frame or the built in hook,the starp comes across my right tit and catches in the cross strap of pack and it just sits there,my right hand rests on pistol grip almost like an armrest LOL.... saw one wallaby out of bounds at first light,half dozen ...no more like dozen and half deer also out of bounds,two were almost temptingly close...almost....and one wallaby at close range while Meg n I were climbing up steep,little fella was sitting about 15 yards away watching us,as if to say"WTF are you doing on my breakfast table" before popping over brow out of sight...only shot fired was at a stoat of all things,he popped his head out while I sitting glassing so smacked a round into best guess location a few seconds later....was a good walk if not productive,put Megs new saddlebags on once we got off hil for the walk back to car,oh how ironic,I bought them so she could help carry load and I CARRIED them for most of the day,only put them on empty for walk out so she can get used to them.handled it like the trooper she is,walks 5 yards in front of me,stops and peers back over left shoulder every 10-20 yards then carries on.

hehe looks like Vince did his magic...thanks mate.

showed rifle to another mate the other day,his comments shamed me somewhat,so I have resanded it back to bare wood with flapperdisk in angle grinder LOL... then smoothed it out somewhat and re applied polyurethane a tad less heavy handed...will give another light coat or three and take another photo...will resize camera first this time.
did shoot a few wallabies using rifle the other week...have come to conclusion the super lightweight stock is OK if its held firmly..I shoot better with origonal hardwood stock but the new one sure is good to carry.

Elvis,
If I made one that did the job well and looked as good as yours I'd be proud of it too. Has your friend ever made one? If not he has no valid opinion and if he has then he should recognize how hard it can be to get it to fit right and making it look beautiful is really secondary.
If you enjoy doing it then it will get better each time.
Well done!

thanks Paul..... the butt still looks bit crude but front is more normal now,it sort of has palm swell the way it is,rather like it to be honest...will see if it grows on me when re fit it again LOL.

You are welcome, I just want to share something a car painter once told me;
At some point you have to say it is ready for paint or you will be doing prep work forever.
It only has to fit you well enough for you to shoot it.

Great work, Elvis!
Love to see the exotic woods
Let us know how it shoots!
Thanks,
Jimmy

put it back on again the other night...and swapped scope for my wee fixed 4 power M8 leupold...
AND I seem to be owner of walnut stock for the Howa 1500 .270win too...should get my grubby mits on it within the next month..... nothing wrong with the green hogue..much nicer than black one..but its just not wood.that rifle is wearing a fixed 3x M8 leupold
funny the 2 spare scopes sitting aside now are both leupold 3x9s which have been my go to main scope for last 20 years..... time for a change down and see how they go.

well I tried to love the lightweight jobbie but yeah nah...had a slight twist somehow...had to be very careful when putting it together or wouldnt get bolts through.

put the origonal birch stock back on..heavier but I shoot better with it in heavier stock...can shoot with light stock but really have to concentrate on hold to do so.

That's what I also say to my doctor: a little more weight is not wrong, sure not in Winter...

Elvis wrote:

well I tried to love the lightweight jobbie but yeah nah...had a slight twist somehow...had to be very careful when putting it together or wouldnt get bolts through. put the origonal birch stock back on..heavier but I shoot better with it in heavier stock...can shoot with light stock but really have to concentrate on hold to do so.

You’re a better man than me Elvis…I looked at “carving” a stock for my Weatherby, but after looking at all the little nooks, crannies and inlets I decided it was a task beyond my capabilities…so I bought a Hogue stock for it that has pillar bedding.

my HOWA 1500 came wit ha hogue stock....found a walnut jobbie at good price and the hogue got onsold...tip for you... right at front of the forstock there is a bit of rubber sticks up around barrel channel...its about 2mm thick... the bugger can hit barrel if using a bipod and cause fliers...10 seconds with sharp pocket knive..or dremil if your feeling flash..solved issue perfectly.

Elvis wrote:

my HOWA 1500 came wit ha hogue stock....found a walnut jobbie at good price and the hogue got onsold...tip for you... right at front of the forstock there is a bit of rubber sticks up around barrel channel...its about 2mm thick... the bugger can hit barrel if using a bipod and cause fliers...10 seconds with sharp pocket knive..or dremil if your feeling flash..solved issue perfectly.

My Weatherby came with a synthetic stock and I was torn between pillar bedding it or doing a full bed job. When I saw the new (at the time) Howa 1500 came with a Hogue stock that was already pillar bedded, I thought why not. I visited my local gun shop and asked Glen if he had a spare new Hogue stock. He called his worker over and said take one off the new Howa and sell it to Vince for AUD$90…I wasn’t complaining and it groups really well.

I will however have a look for that small piece of rubber and hit it with my Dremel. Did you find that the fliers only happened when using a bipod, or at any time?