Boyd's Stock on a Ruger American

[22/45 Fan]

I'm looking for feedback from those who have fitted a Boyd's replacement stock to a Ruger American centerfire. i have a stainless left-handed American in .223 Rem and, while I am very happy with it's factory configuration the synthetic stock is a bit flexy, particularly when shot off of a bench.

Boyds makes laminated wood replacements in a couple of styles to fit this rifle and I considering getting one but I wanted to hear the experiences and recommendations from shooters who have one. Was it really a "drop-in" fit? Any problems with it? Anything to look out for?

Thanks for the help.

 

[rangerbob]

While I have not fitted an American rifle with a Boyds stock, I did order one for my thumbhole stocked M70 Coyote in 308. I choose their Prairie Hunter laminated and ordering it was straight forward with tracking and quick delivery. When I removed the laminated thumbhole stock, I noticed that it was Boyds stock, as well. The fit was tight, but it finally dropped in place. Accuracy is excellent and the stock is rock solid. Bob!! :mrgreen:

 

[groberts]

Again, not an American but I put a Boyds stock and forend on a Remington 750 semi-auto rifle. The only problem I had was the butt bolt that came with the rifle was not the right size for the Boyds stock but Boyds sent a replacement at no cost. Everything fit right.

 

[SilverMiner]

Put one of their finished Prairie Hunter stocks in Forest Camo on my 270, looks sweet. Did a glass bed job on it while I was at it, I mean why not. Trigger guard was broken upon arrival, had Boyd's send me another. No problems with fitting.

 

[msinc]

I too have a 223 American rifle and am interested in the Boyd's stock. I have bought and installed several other Boyd's stocks on different rifles and I have been very happy with the results. Personally, I really like the Prairie Hunter stock and as far as configuration is concerned I think you would probably be real happy with it too. It looks good and holds nice when you are shooting. Fit and finish has always been trouble free and perfect for me. Even the unfinished stocks I got from Boyd's were drop in.
I would have already bought one for my American, but it's not for lack of anything to do with Boyd's. I feel like I might be throwing good money after bad...no better than what this rifle shoots. I have installed a Timney trigger and went through an entire array of benchrest quality reloads for testing, floated the barrel, and even tested the scope. Dollars and cents wise, it just don't add up to spend more on this thing. The Ruger American in 223 has two things against it, a stock made out of material just this side of silicone sealant and a magazine that doesn't allow for any adjustment of the bullet seating depth. Maybe the Boyd's stock will take care of my accuracy problems, but it might not given the magazine issue. Bottom line, rifle was $450, trigger was $125, now a stock at $140{bare} to $200{the way I want it} and it still has a poorly designed magazine.....I could have had a Tikka or a 700.

 

[22/45 Fan]

Thanks for the reply. I just ordered the Prairie Hunter for my .223 and i'll report back my experience.

However, I wonder what you expect from your RA .223 and why you are disappointed. In factory form mine shoots 1.0" to 1.5" groups at 100 yards with relatively ordinary handloads with no special load development. I do agree the factory stock is pretty flimsy and i have to be careful not to press down too hard when shooting from the bench to avoid it touching the barrel. That's the main reason for ordering the Boyd's.

I've cut the trigger return spring one coil or so and mine now has a 2-1/2 pound clean pull with an otherwise unaltered factory trigger. For a rifle in this price class I'm very satisfied and, being left-handed, there aren't a lot of choices at any price.

 

[msinc]

Well, I bought the thing to be a "truck" gun...actually, a "John Deere Gator" gun. I have a big horse farm and run my dogs every day. I need a rifle to carry along in the Gator for the occasional woodchuck siting. In factory form the lowest I could get my trigger was 4 1/2-5 pounds. The best group was about 3" plus or minus a little. That was just no good.
I bought a trigger because I am a light trigger junkie. Triggers are like dope to me, one hit and I need more {actually less, weight that is.} I was hopeful that the trigger would do it. Given the Jello stock, that was just a prayer.
Many guys have stated that they get fantastic accuracy out of their Americans, so I tried, thinking maybe...just maybe. I never had much luck hoping for something the rest of the world gets with ease. My problem now is that by the time I get this thing to shoot under 1" I could have bought a Sako, but at the end of the day I will still just have a Ruger American. Finding out that I could only run stock COL plus about .010" because of the B.S. designed magazine was just another kick in the tail.
The real question is why doesn't the factory get it????...I have never heard, not one time, any one have anything good to say regarding tupperware, jello, silicone, {or any other name you want to call them} stocks made out of mush. It cannot be that much more to produce a cheesy plastic stock out of at least some sort of hard plastic!!!