Stocks selection help requested

[jon lynn]

Mister Gil Martin helped me with yet another great find. A cherry VZ 24 action!

The last action (M98) is still at the smiths, due to an error in tool purchasing, any way, it has a Boyd’s JRS Nutmeg Laminate stock (oldie but goodie).

I am wondering what would be a good stock for this one. I am down to two calibers as a final decision, .234 or .257 Roberts, 24" barrel.

I am looking for a ‘Jon priced’ item (uh-huh), and am once more thinking synthetic, but like wood, go figure. So unless someone comes up with a good affordable idea, I will just get another JRS. (Yes I know we have done this before).

Thanks in advance, Jon

[Larryjk]

You don't say what your plans are for the rifle. In OK those calibers are deer and varmint calibers. A laminate stock is less prone to warpage and doesn't look too bad. Remember, a fellow that is a somewhat famous stock maker says "Life is too short to hunt with an ugly gun". Laminate is preferable to "plastic in its various forms".

[Dan Morris]

Jon, years ago, I had a smith custom stock a Pre 64 in Mesquite......it came out beautiful but he swore he'd never do another one! Density of wood controls price, also the blank. I'd stay away from some of the exotics.JMO
Dan

[wrenchman]

I would go with synthetic I think you would find a more affordable stock and most wood stocks will be semi inlet and need to be done.

[Joe Boleo]

My preference is for good looking walnut or wood laminate. It is a personal preference thing so it depends what you prefer.

Just curious, are you related to Gil Martin? Take care...
Joe

[jon lynn]

Joe Boleo.....Nah, I am not related to Gil, but he gives me help better than any of my brothers ever have (non hunting weirdos!)

Larryjk......just another gun in the safe. Small deer, and any chance at coyote and like small animals.

[PJgunner]

I'm sure you meant .243 rather than .234 vs the .257 Robt. personally, I prefer the Roberts. You can go with bullets as high as 120 grains if you go with a 1 in 10" twist. That wouldn't be a problem with the lighter bullets. I think that if I were doing a custom Roberts though, that I would look into a 1 in 9" twist for the heavier bullet. My Winchester M70 Featherweight has I believe a 1 in 10" twist (I ought to check it out one of these days) but it's marginal with the 120 gr. Speer Hot-Core. It is dead nuts accurate though with just about every 100 gr. bullet I've tried and excells with the Barnes 100 gr. TSX.
I have a couple of .243s as well but I'm not all that fond of that cartridge for fairly large deer like Mule Deer. That's based on seeing big Nevada Mule Deer shot with the cartridge, none by me BTW. When I lived there, I had access to several private ranches and would guide kids on their first deer hunt. They used my rifle which was a .243 and in all cases the shots were well placed. Only one deer was a bang flop/DRT. All the others rans some distance from maybe 30 yards to one very dead deer that went over 200 yard. Dunno what was keeping that one up but he ran until he hit a fence, backed up and hit the fence again and then did it one more time and then dropped. a couple of those deer went far enough without any usable blood trail that, if the area had been very brushy, odds are some of those deer might never have been found.
So, my choice would be the roberts.
Paul B.

[Larryjk]

PJgunner, You may be right on 1x9 twist for the 120 grain bullet in the Roberts. I have always stayed with the 100 grain in this caliber. If you want to go higher, try the 117 grain bullets. They are called the magic 117s because they seem to shoot well when the same gun won't shoot 120s. I shoot two 25-06s that feel that way about the 117s vs 120s. I have had a buck Muley take two Nosler 120s through the heart before he went down. He was alarmed and trying to sneak away when I fired.

[Jack]

I don't know if either of you noticed, when Nosler introduced their Accubond bullet line, they brought out a 110 grain bullet in .257.