Synthetic Stock for Remington 788

[Bart Solo]

For many years I have owned a Remington 788 in 6MM.  It has been a great meat gun. I have used it hunting antelope and deer.  I replaced the scope a few years ago with a Bushnell 3200 2X7.  It has always been a spectacular shooter.  Sadly, since it is a working rifle, over the years the stock has suffered.  I am also a little worried that it has warped a little. I think the barrel might be contacting the stock.   Fourth or fifth shots at the range will drift a little further than they used to.  I have only put a few hundred shots through the barrel over the years. None of them have been hot hand loads. I am pretty sure the barrel is not shot out. I have always kept it clean.

I am thinking about installing a new synthetic stock.  Ramline has one for not much money.  The rifle sits in the gun safe between usage. I am not worried about how it looks. I am worried about how it shoots and how easy it is to install the Ramline stock. Does anybody have any experience with installing Ramline synthetic stock?   Is there another stock that might be better? 

[yooper77]

Ramline is the cheapest of all stocks and their fit and finish shows it.  Plus they have a loud hollow sound to them, sure you can stuff the stock with foam, but I feel they are junk.

I would spend time on the factory wood stock you have and it will prove to be the wiser choice.

Plus take a look on gunbroker and you will find nice new wood stocks, cheaper than the Ramline stocks on midwayusa.

yooper77

[Bart Solo]

Thanks for the heads up. 

I guess ramline is out. 

I have looked at lots of wood replacement stocks over the years,  but this is a working rifle,  not a gun safe queen.  I don't think the rifle  justifies an expensive wood stock.  If memory serves I paid less than $150 for it new (with a scope.) But in those days $150 went a lot further than it does today.
 
Maybe I should refinish the original stock and check to see where the barrel is contacting the barrel channel. I am not sure but I think it was pressure floated.  If that's the case I don't think I want to take anything off the bottom at the front of the channel. 

[kyelkhunter3006]

I don't know if I'd call Ramline the cheapest of all.....Butler Creek stocks are worse and some of Choate's are too, IMO.  I've had a couple of Ramline stocks, and no complaints about them.  One on a Winchester Model 70, couple on Enfields, one on a Remington 7400.  They aren't fancy.  They are more better and no worse than any other factory plastic stock.  But you can beat them up and not feel guilty.  Look at them on midwayusa and read the reviews, there are very few complaints about them.

As for the wood stock, you can always sand it, prime it, and paint it however you want too, if you want something more durable than the wood finish itself.  You can use spray-on bedliner, trunk paint, Fleckstone, etc.  All of them will give you a nice textured finish.  Some are much more colorful than others.  After the trunk paint or other paints, use a couple coats of clear coat to give them a good waterproof finish.

[Bart Solo]

I think next winter I am going to refinish the stock. If I screw it up, what am I out?  A refinishing kit and some inletting black. The barrel bedding tool will make a nice addition to my tool sets.  I don' t know how much harder refinishing a wood stock is than refinishing fancy furniture. I  know how to strip wood and iron out dents.   

[kyelkhunter3006]

If you can do fancy furniture, I think that a wood rifle stock will pose no big challenge then.