Thumb hole stock or regular stock for coyote hunting.

NDAR15MAN

NDAR15MAN

Member
Question. I have a tikka 243 light weight I think it is called. I had it about 10 years. I have the Burris eliminator 3 scope on it so Is kind of heavy. I I use it for coyote to deer hunting. I was thinking about going to a wood stock.
It shoots very good with factory ammo with standard 100 gr deer hunting ammo of all types. 1 inch gun at 100 yards MOA all the way to 300 yards and then I get a little shaky and it goes to 1 1/2 MOA 400-700 yards if I do my part.
I am 60 years old not the shooter I use to be. Ha ha. I have permit to shoot out of stationary truck in the field when I hunt but also hunt in the field but don’t get more than 300 yards from Truck. For some reason I think i can shoot Better groups getting rid of the factory fiberglass stock and going with a thumb hole Boyd stock. Your thoughts on the thumb Wood stock for hunting out of the truck and hunting out in the field with ? I do jump nice deer and even coyotes walking to my stand to call or set up On trail for deer. Any disadvantages of a thumb hole stock for hunting ? MD
 
The style of stock isn't going to give you better groups magically. Otherwise, everyone would use a thumbhole stock and that would become the factory standard issue. If you feel it is more comfortable for shooting in your particular circumstance, go for it. Personally, I think they make the rifle handle like a pig on a shovel.
 
NDAR15MAN said:
Question. I have a tikka 243 light weight I think it is called. I had it about 10 years. I have the Burris eliminator 3 scope on it so Is kind of heavy. I I use it for coyote to deer hunting. I was thinking about going to a wood stock.
It shoots very good with factory ammo with standard 100 gr deer hunting ammo of all types. 1 inch gun at 100 yards MOA all the way to 300 yards and then I get a little shaky and it goes to 1 1/2 MOA 400-700 yards if I do my part.
I am 60 years old not the shooter I use to be. Ha ha. I have permit to shoot out of stationary truck in the field when I hunt but also hunt in the field but don’t get more than 300 yards from Truck. For some reason I think i can shoot Better groups getting rid of the factory fiberglass stock and going with a thumb hole Boyd stock. Your thoughts on the thumb Wood stock for hunting out of the truck and hunting out in the field with ? I do jump nice deer and even coyotes walking to my stand to call or set up On trail for deer. Any disadvantages of a thumb hole stock for hunting ? MD
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My 204R had a thumbhlole stock and varmint barrel coupled with a AGM thermal, I hunted with it for about a year BUT it was heavy. I also installed Atlasworx bottom metal which is handy as can be. Weight was the issue for me, just got tired of lugging it around. so I built a chassis gun out of it and lost about 2lbs.
 

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Thumb hole stocks take some getting used to, I never found them to be handy or lite. wood is usually heavier than poly or fibers glass i like the carbon fiber stocks but they are tough on the pocket book. Murl B.
 
I’m not a fan of thumbhole stocks myself. I much prefer the traditional stocks. However, the choice is certainly yours to make. If it feels right to you and you shoot it better, by all means give it a shot.

Good luck with whatever you decide.
 
I've got a Boyd's thumbhole stock on a .308. It's heavy and never did group worth a flip till I pillar bedded it. It's awesome now!!!
 
I've got a Savage Model 12 BTCSS in .223 with a thunbhole stock that drives tacks. With the right ammo, I get one ragged 100 yard hole barely over 1/4." I also have a Savage Mk. II bull barrel .22 LR with the same thumbhole stock, which I bought based on an online buzz that it was one of the most accurate .22s available, excepting ultra high end match rifles. Though decently accurate, my CZ 452 shoots rings around it.

If you like thumbhole stocks and shoot well with them, put one on your go to coyote rifle. If you shoot something else better, use it. It's important to be comfortable a rifle to shoot it well, but in my experience the presence or absence of a hole in the stock is unlikely to be a major factor.
 
1. Thumbhole stocks are heavier. And if the Boyds you are considering is laminated, that's even more heavy.
2. You may have to change the scope rings you are currently using because the stock drop may be different.
3. For a bench gun, I think they are great. But I prefer a conventional stock in the field.
4. They are different from a pistol grip like on an AR-15. The entire geometry is different.

If you think you will like it better, and you aren't going to be doing a lot of walking, you may be happy with it. If shooting from a rest, sticks, or a tripod they are great.
 
I like "thumbhole" type stocks for hunting. Especially useful for running shots on fox/coyote. I have Blackhawk axiom stocks on my m700 17 rem and 22-250. I prefer standard type stock, wide forend for bench shooting. If weight is an issue, than stocks get expensive regardless of style.
 
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