Stock porportion?

[erickrschaefer]

I am restocking a Remington 660 using a nice quilted maple stock and would like to know if there is any formula for determining the length of the forearm? The stock is  a classic style with shadowline cheekpiece and straight comb and no palm swell. I have the action all fitted and now am ready to free float the barrel.  The current forearm length only has about 6 inches of the 20" barrel showing and does not look good to me. Is there any set porportions to use or do you just cut it back to what looks and feels good?

[Dirt Bag]

"just cut it back to what LOOKS and FEELS good"
     That says it all......pretty much how we shape any stock. We would shorten it about a half inch at a time and look at it for a while,..... as we usually prune down the grip, belly line, etc. proportionatly. Kind of sneak up on it. Close your eyes and handle and shoulder the rifle as you do this. The FEEL part won't let you down.
      Good luck, and show us some pictures if you can.
                                      Happy New Year;
                                                                        D.B.

[technikalwelder]

In stockmaking school Trinidad 74-76 we were taught 50% or less of barrel length but I agree its all about the looks too big is worse than too small I think ie prewar mauser sporters good luck

[erickrschaefer]

DB,
Thanks so much for the advice. I was begining to think I was crazy and my wife thought so to as I would take the stock and put the barreled action on it and keep shouldering and touching it over and over for the last week or two. The scary part was I was doing it in a dark room!
I am planning to thin the grip and wrist area to match an exising German side by side that I have that feels very good to me. I just finished getting the barrel channel free floated and blending in the bottom metal fit along with stock to tang fit. Yesterday I mounted a 1" piece of pvc in the scope bases and rings and kept shouldering the rifle and working on the cheekpiece width and comb height until my eye was perfectly centered in the pipe every time I snapped it to my shoulder. I plan on reducing the forearm and rounding it a little more to make it fit the look of the rifle. I have some wood that needs to be removed to get it where I want it and would like to know if you suggest using a rasp or file and putting in some flats on the forearm and then rounding them or is it okay to go slow and just use sand paper and old fashioned elbow grease to get the shape and feel I am looking for? There is no time rush so the time it takes for sandpaper is okay by me.
 
 
 

[technikalwelder]

use a staightedge and a no 49 pattern rasp keep every line straight bellys are for babys when you get everything the way u like it sand down to 220 or so good luck

[Dirt Bag]

Sounds like you got it goin' on Eric....Only advice we can give you is to go slowly.....make the changes in small increments, and be sure why you are making the change. Lastly, spend a lot more time LOOKING AND FEELING than cutting.
  Spend some time looking at custom rifles, and try to see what makes the really beautiful ones stand out from the others. The differences are usually so small they would need ot be measured..... the straight line flowing into a curve and back, the shape and flow of the grip, the flutes in the comb, etc. We are pretty sure that if you can see these things you will be able to put them into your own work.
  We use rasps, planes, spokeshaves gouges drawknives ...you name it. Even used a small carving chainsaw to take a bunch of excess wood off a thick blank. Don't matter what you use to take it off... just make sure you know WHY you't takin' it off.
                                        Good luck, and stay in touch;
                                                                                  D.B.