11 Dec Replace a Muzzleloader Stock, Shoot More Accurately
You know, as a rifle shooter (even if you are slinging a front-stuffer) you are not limited by what came from the factory.
You can change the barrel, add a muzzle device (like a muzzleloader muzzle brake that will cut felt recoil and disperse the muzzle plume), or swap out the trigger.
You can also upgrade your muzzleloader’s stock, and, of all the upgrades, upgrading the stock is probably the easiest adjustment to make, and the one that, all else, will offer the most versatility.
Think about it. The stock influences cheek weld and length of pull, both of which affect eye relief as well as the overall fit of the rifle.
The stock itself can also impact the barrel with variable pressure, eliminating free-floating; this can cause irregularities in barrel harmonics and cause shot-to-shot inaccuracies.
Ultimately, your choice of a muzzleloader stock does not need to be altogether cosmetic. It can be functional as well.
The Versatility Afforded by Upgrading Your Stock
There are multiple practical reasons to upgrade a muzzleloader stock, and several considerable benefits that can accompany the effort.
One is to achieve a better length of pull. If the length of pull is too long for you, mounting the gun will be difficult and eye relief will not be right, complicating target acquisition and accuracy. If length of pull is too short, the gun will feel cramped and accuracy will also suffer.
Comb height is another consideration affected by the stock; comb heights that are too high or too low are both problematic as these can adversely affect eye relief and make it difficult to make consistently accurate shots.
High-quality muzzleloader stock replacements may also offer additional attachment points that traditional stocks don’t offer, along with enhanced strength, durability, and improved grip angles and ergonomics enhancements that minimize shooter fatigue.
A quality muzzleloader stock will also enable you to free float the barrel, minimizing pressure variations on different parts of the barrel. A free floated barrel allows consistent, uniform barrel harmonics which helps ensure greater accuracy, especially at longer ranges.
If these reasons were not enough, modern synthetic muzzleloader stocks offer numerous practical advantages over traditional wood stocks, regardless of what other features they offer.
Wood Is Not Good (Comparatively)
For those of you that fish, you probably know the saying, “wood is good.”
This is a reference to the fact that wood provides structure, which holds bait, which, in turn, attracts game fish.
It is true in fishing. It is not true in the world of rifle shooting.
Yes, a wood muzzleloader stock may be a beautiful thing, with checkering and inlaying and a lot of class, but when it comes to performance, wood is riddled with issues.
First, wood is highly suspected to change in dimension and density in response to fluctuations in atmospheric humidity.
Wood swells when the relative humidity changes. This can throw off your zero and completely confound accuracy, which can be disastrous in application.
Temperature, like humidity, can also change the dimensions of your stock, causing it to swell, warp, or shrink, also adversely affecting accuracy.
In addition to these considerations, wood also requires a lot of maintenance. Wood that is not properly cared for and is exposed to temperature and humidity fluctuations can rot or crack. Sunlight exposure will also cause deterioration of a wood stock over time.
Wood is also susceptible to dry rot, whereas modern synthetic stocks are not.
Ultimately, while wooden stocks are attractive and have a classic, traditional air, they are less reliable, less consistent, and harder to care for than modern synthetic stock upgrades.
An Upgraded Muzzleloader Stock: What It Offers
Before the days of modern in-line muzzleloaders, shooters had to take what they got, usually in the form of wood stocks.
But today, there are a wide range of highly advanced synthetic muzzleloader stock replacements, such as those produced by Grayboe for select CVA muzzleloading rifles (and many other breech-loading platforms, too).
One example is the Grayboe Eagle, which we sell here at Anarchy Outdoors and which is compatible with CVA Paramount, Pro and HTR rifles.
This Grayboe stock is lighter, at only 38 oz, but it’s made with a remarkably strong, homogenous fiberglass epoxy matrix with aluminum pillar-vetted screw holes.
It is lightweight yet extremely strong and durable, remains a neutral temperature (even at extreme ambient temperatures), and will not warp, bend, or swell, even in response to extreme conditions.
This muzzleloader stock is also customizable to the shooter, thanks to adjustable LOP (12.75” to 14”) and an adjustable cheek piece (with 1” of vertical adjustment through a quick adjust knob and flush mount screw set).
This stock also features an advanced, aggressive grip with a 60° angle which enables faster target acquisition, especially in hunting situations, and which produces less fatigue.
The Grayboe Eagle is also made with 5 QD flush cups, two on each side and one on the bottom of the butt, which make it easy to attach a QD sling.
It’s also configured with a 1” Limbsaver Airtech recoil reduction pad, which is perfect for sensitive shooters. Outfit your CVA rifle with a muzzleloader muzzle brake and throw in a second recoil-mitigation measure to help combat flinching and enable faster target reacquisition.
Plus, these stocks are available in a variety of different colorways and camouflage patterns, offering you better flexibility in how you outfit your gear for your hunt.
Also, for what it’s worth, this Grayboe stock also offers universal in-letting with Remington 700 actions (including clones) and barrel contours. They strive for universal fitting without any interference or the need to make modifications, making this particular stock much more than just a muzzleloader stock replacement.
All the same, it can potentially benefit you greatly as a muzzleloader stock, thanks to its adjustability, expandability and attachment points, as well as to the fact that it won’t swell, bend, or warp, throwing off your zero.
Ready to Upgrade with This Muzzleloader Stock?
If you’re tired of being limited by factory stocks that are too heavy and don’t offer the right degrees of adjustability, look into a muzzleloader stock replacement.
We carry several here, along with other muzzleloader accessories like ramrods, ball starters, speed loaders, and muzzle brakes that will help you have your best muzzleloader season ever.
Take a look through our collection and contact us at 833-980-0333 if you have any questions, we are here to help.
No Comments