Best way to drill my stock??

[Honeybadger]

Hey guys, I wanna add some weight to the butt of my Sako Kodiak. I realize this will be a pain to do because the Sako butt pad looks to be a real bear to get off. What is the best way to get the pad off, as well as drill the holes?? I really don't wanna ruin my stock.

 

[Von S.]

Why do you want to drill holes and put weight in your stock?

 

[Honeybadger]

I like a gun with some heft, it feels very light.

 

[nztimb]

Drilling the stock is simple when you get the butt pad off. Are you going to add a mercury tube or better still add lead which is the better option as the weight becomes part of the whole package rather than having the delay with the mercury. Cost is way better as well.

 

[Von S.]

I like a gun with some heft, it feels very light.

Ok!

I turn the table of one of my drill presses to 90 degrees and bolt my jig to it.

The deeper you go the better the chance is that recoil could crack the stock.

To figure out how much lead you would use, get duct tape and fishing weights. Once you figure it out melt the lead and pour it into 1/2" copper and bed into the correct sized hole with epoxy. Don't pour lead into the hole as it might destroy the stocks finish.

 

[Honeybadger]

Thanks guys!

 

[BeeMaa]

I used a similar set up to @Von S. to drill the stock on my wife's rifle for a mercury recoil reducer.
Used a Forstner bit to go as deep as I could then a longer (metal) drill bit.
I have to say that I was nervous as hell drilling into a brand new rifle stock, but I went slow and methodically.
The initial hole made by the Forstner bit centered the metal drill bit to finish the hole to the correct depth.
Forstner bit was not long enough to get to the depth I wanted.
Epoxy in the hole, added the recoil reducer and capped it off with a little bit of bondo.
Granted, I don't know how to get off your recoil pad, but it's pretty straight forward once you get that sorted out.

 

[Honeybadger]

Thanks for the pointers

 

[AZDAVE]

Depending on how much weight you add to the butt stock you might throw the balance off. So you might also have to aadd a small amount to the forestock to keep the balance between you hands

 

[ChrisG]

Lead really is the best to reduce felt recoil. A Mercury tube minimizes the overall impulse, but it does nothing for that initial jerk because that is when the mercury is sloshing to the front of the tube. Also, I would think that installing a mercury reducer at a slight angle with the base near the toe and going toward the barrel would even it out. Lead simply reduces the overall recoil by making it heavier and harder to move, decreasing the velocity curve proportionately. I just drew this up crudely but I think it is a pretty good representation of what happens.

The mercury follows almost the same impulse as adding no weight, but then cuts off acceleration as it sloshes to the front and is stopped. The lead weight simply produces a more gradual recoil velocity curve, that while it is still the same peak velocity that the mercury recoil reducer achieves, it takes longer to get there so the jerk that you feel in your shoulder is lessened. It is the first curve and overall graph height that make you flinch. The downward slope is after the bullet has left the barrel and the rifle comes to a stop. The advantage of mercury is that it is more dense than lead, so the same weight of it doesn't take up as much space.

As to drilling the hole... If you are careful, you can run a forstner bit in a hand drill and mark where you want to stop with a piece of tape on the bit. That is how I have done it in the past and have yet to blow through the side of the stock.

 

[BeeMaa]

Found some pictures from when I drilled the stock for my bride.

Drilling my wife's rifle stock for a recoil reducer

• BeeMaa
• Dec 14, 2018

Clamp and set up for drilling a rifle stock

• BeeMaa
• Dec 14, 2018
• 4

 

[Honeybadger]

Awesome pictures, thanks for all the help guys. The chart was also very helpful, top notch!!!

 

[Dirtdart]

If that recoil pad is glued on like the Sako Brown Bear then I would also like to know the best method to remove?

 

[Honeybadger]

Guys, I have decided to leave this gun un-modified. Reason being, I have decided to sell it, it just is not the right gun for my needs. I have posted it up for sale in the free classifieds section. If you're interested, PM me.

 

[ve7poi]

They must be cut off as they are pinned and glued at least on my 500J