How much impact does a stock have on shooting ability?

[TimberHunter]

May sound like a dumb question but hear me out…

I have a tikka roughtech 6.5cm that shoot awesome. Well under MOA and 100 as well as further out if I do my part. I’m proficient and practice out to 600 yards with good groupings.

I want to extended my range to 800-1000 so first step is a dial scope (still trying to decide between SWFA, trijicon and NF).

But the next step I’m wondering is if it will be a new stock? Something like a McMillan or the rokstock

But will the stock actually make much difference since it already shoots well?


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[Bojangles21]

It does effect it somewhat but not the biggest player in the game. A good load and optic is in my opinion the most important things… if you’re not wanting to change a barrel of course


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[WeiserBucks]

Stock fit makes a huge difference for me personally. I can't shoot a sporter type grip for shit but I shoot a more vertical grip very well.

 

[JohnJohnson]

I don't think the stock will make a huge difference in the rifle's ability to group well if the current stock isn't a crappy one (unsure with that stock). A new stock can make a big difference in YOUR ability to shoot the rifle well if it's more comfortable and adjustable than the current one.

 

[wind gypsy]

Stock makes it easier for the shooter to perform, manage recoil, spot hits. Doubtful you'll see a change in mechanical accuracy of the rifle.

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

A proper stock design comes more into play when you're actually hunting or simulating hunting shot positions. Comparing stocks on a bench with a front and rear fixed rest of some kind isn't the way.

 

[sierracharlie338]

Yes it can but it is normally minimal in my experience. The biggest thing that gets overlooked is fundamentals of shooting. If your fundamentals are off/out of whack/or lacking that will compound with any other issues present in the shooting system or shot sequence.

 

[TimberHunter]

Thanks all. If I don’t get a new stock I’d be looking for a check welder improvement for my current stock. Don’t really want the kydek ones. Any other ones that people suggest that may make my stock a negative comb?


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[DangerRanger]

get in the rokstock thread already

 

[Macintosh]

Thanks all. If I don’t get a new stock I’d be looking for a check welder improvement for my current stock. Don’t really want the kydek ones. Any other ones that people suggest that may make my stock a negative comb?

If you can find one of the oem tikka cheek risers from a CTR-model that will screw directly onto your existing stock. It wont change the butt of the gun and how it caused the muzzle to rise under recoil, but it is a negative comb and will improve comfort and to a small degree will allow you to stay in the scope better under recoil.
A bradley cheek riser will do the same, although thats not as clean of a solution.

 

[JGood]

Yes absolutly. But is it worth the trade off? probably not

It will not change the accuracy, but it will change the shootability. The better the rifle fits you, the more comfortable it will be and the more control/balance/recoil management you will have.

 

[Mountainrancher]

Yes absolutly. But is it worth the trade off? probably not

It will not change the accuracy, but it will change the shootability. The better the rifle fits you, the more comfortable it will be and the more control/balance/recoil management you will have.

What is the trade off of upgrading to a properly fit/designed stock? The only one I can think of is cost

 

[JGood]

Yes. Cost and probably weight. Trade off was the wrong term.

If he’s smackin targets out to 600 already and spotting impacts, I don’t see that the OP will get a huge value in an aftermarket stock. If he were to go to a full custom chassis, that would be a different story because you can really dial it in to your body dimensions.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[JGood]

Any other ones that people suggest that may make my stock a negative comb?

You can raise the cheek weld with foam and tape.

 

[Wrench]

The rifle has to remain stable and repeatable during the aiming and recoil of the shot.

A vertical grip has less chance of moving during trigger squeeze than a swept stock. A flat bottom has a better chance at recoiling straight back. A stock with a comb that doesn't bash your face is likely to recoil freely and keep you from involuntarily moving due to pain.

The weight of the rifle / stock is important as well. A rifle that is too light can be very hard to replicate the recoil stroke. A rifle too light or that balances too far back can have the barrel climb during recoil and seem inaccurate.

Learning how the recoil event needs to happen and setting up to manage that will make you a marksman....having a stock that minimizes your input errors will help.

At the end of the day you have to be able to shoot and like the rifle. I personally hate vertical grips for anything I may have to shoot quickly but I also shoot English stocked shotguns a lot so a vertical grip is nearly the exact opposite....but I am not typical.

Moral of the story is to learn recoil management during the shot and how to setup for it from any position and the stock becomes more of a show piece and comfort adder than absolute necessity.

 

[Rob2d]

2 important things I've noticed that play a role shooting past 6-700. Stock fitment is huge, if you aren't comfortable....your body is going to be all out of whack and your ability to shoot consistently will be very low. Once comfort is sorted out, make sure your barrel is free floating from the stock/chassis. If the stock is contacting the barrel and your pressure on the gun/bipod changes (which it will) it will mess with impact out at decent distances. Gotta remember, shooting accurate at distance is all about consistency of you, your equipment, and environment. Changes to any of those will factor into hits or misses.

 

[Beetroot]

A bad stock will absolutely make a difference; length of pull, cheek riser, grip etc all make come into effect.
If you've ever shot a rifle setup for someone else that doesn't fit you, you'll know that it can screw you up a lot.

That being said I think the Tikka stocks are perfectly serviceable, with the vertical grip and a cheek riser they are pretty excellent for a cheap factory stock.

I started competitive shooting with Tikka stocks setup above and kept them for years. I eventually switched to KRG Bravos, which while have a few added features that do help I don't think the factory stocks were bad at all.

I'd definitely spend money on other things first before upgrading the stock.

 

[Castle Rock]

The tikka comes with a well designed stock, most people will be able to shoot it to it’s full potential
To someone well trained in practical shooting the stock makes FA difference
I get a laugh at all the shit people do to their guns believing gimmicks are a substitute for technique
Buy more ammo instead

 

[JGood]

The tikka comes with a well designed stock, most people will be able to shoot it to it’s full potential
To someone well trained in practical shooting the stock makes FA difference
I get a laugh at all the shit people do to their guns believing gimmicks are a substitute for technique
Buy more ammo instead

While I 100%agree with "buy more ammo", theres no doubt you will become more accurate (repeatable) with those gimicks and modifications. A world class shooter can outshoot me 9 days out of 10 with the out of the box tikka, swfa scope and a caldwell bipod but if you put him in a custom chassis with an Ckye Pod and ATACR he definately is more consistant against himself.

When you have a conversation around accuracy, the more of the human imput you can remove, the more consistant you can be. Better fitting stocks and accessories remove more human variable. Doesnt make a gun more accurate, but it makes your margin for error smaller. If the Tikka fits you like a glove, dont think another stock will be better.

One thing to caution about is your bedding. The tikkas are just bolted to the plastic. This is not as consistant as aluminum or composite materials. Just know if you pop that action from the stock, you may have issues realizing the same accuracy if you go back to the plastic stock. Do you have a good torqe set?

 

[TimberHunter]

While I 100%agree with "buy more ammo", theres no doubt you will become more accurate (repeatable) with those gimicks and modifications. A world class shooter can outshoot me 9 days out of 10 with the out of the box tikka, swfa scope and a caldwell bipod but if you put him in a custom chassis with an Ckye Pod and ATACR he definately is more consistant against himself.

When you have a conversation around accuracy, the more of the human imput you can remove, the more consistant you can be. Better fitting stocks and accessories remove more human variable. Doesnt make a gun more accurate, but it makes your margin for error smaller. If the Tikka fits you like a glove, dont think another stock will be better.

One thing to caution about is your bedding. The tikkas are just bolted to the plastic. This is not as consistant as aluminum or composite materials. Just know if you pop that action from the stock, you may have issues realizing the same accuracy if you go back to the plastic stock. Do you have a good torqe set?

Yeah I have the fat wrench torque wrench.

I don’t know if the tikka fits me like a glove or not lol but I can usually shoot it pretty well. Have never had a custom fitted rifle so can’t compare what perfectly fitted would be like


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