GRS Stocks Jackson Rifles

The choice of stock for my 6.5 Creedmoor proved a bit problematic. I originally wanted a thumbhole (T/H) varmint in laminate but none were available. I happened upon the GRS (Grodas Rifle Stocks) website and literally fell in love with their Sporter/Varmint, which uses a wood laminate build as do all their models. Visually striking and practical for a shoot-off-the- bonnet or bench design that could also be carried in the field I took the unprecedented step of buying without trying!

APPEALING ASPECTS

A number of aspects appealed – quality laminate is near as rigid as a good synthetic build. The forend is semi-heavy and offers a decent free-float, and is easy to use off-hand. It’s not a T/H but the pistol grip is big and scalloped out to offer a superior thumb up/across hold aided by finger groves, with a 6° off-set that makes for a comfortable and efficient hand position. A height-adjustable comb/cheek piece is fitted and the extraneous material from the underside of the butt is removed as it’s not required. Leaving an L-shaped butt with a grasping hook and length-adjustable plate with a Limb Saver recoil pad as standard. It’s available in a number of colours; after all it’s a custom so why not give it some curb appeal? I chose green mountain camo, but there are other options.

GRS fit QD swivels – one up front the other on the side of the butt. The inlet is 100% and my action dropped snugly in, though I did get it pillar and synthetic bedded, which makes sense! Both comb and LOP adjustments use their Speedlock system, which consists of a large sprung button offering fast adjustment. So no screws to be undone etc!

L-SHAPED HANDLE

Visually no T/H, but in terms of adjustment offering multiple positions with excellent cheek weld abilities. One thing I did not consider was the lower butt shape, which is not that friendly to a rear bag as there’s not a lot to rest it on. It’s a small thing and if you prefer you can get the Adjustable Hunting, which offers a standard angled shape, which is very bag-friendly and in retrospect would have probably been a better choice. Not that I am complaining as the Sporter/Varmint is an excellent and practical design that does the job beautifully!

Since I reviewed this stock I am seeing more of them in the UK and I have just found out they make a reduced version called the Decima Sporter. It’s 10% smaller and 200-grams (1/2 lb) lighter. It’s a clever idea and a good bet if you want a hunting rifle with slightly more precision furniture. If GRS make one for a CZ 527 I’m getting it!

ON THE PULL

This month I had intended to look at the 6.5 Creedmoor cartridge, however! The trigger on my Weatherby Vanguard Sub MOA donor action is factory standard and it works but the pull is heavy and a bit graunchy. Given this and the Howa 1500 are essentially the same rifle as they are both made by Howa, the two mechanisms though similar are like chalk and cheese in terms of what they offer. So I decided to adjust it to save the cost of a replacement. It’s an easy enough job but the end result was near more of the same. It occurred to me that I had invested in a custom gun, so why skimp on the ‘go switch’, so decided to replace it.

The three options seemed to be Jewell, Timney and Rifle Basix. Problems was I did not want to pay much over £100 so the Jewell was out, Timney no longer export their products, plus the UK importer did not have one for a Vanguard. 

The answer came from Rifle Basix as they do a 100% drop-in for the Howa/Vanguard. There are two – WTHBY-1 is factory set at 2.5lbs and adjustable from 1.5-4 lbs and WTHBY-V (varmint) set at 14oz and adjustable from 12oz – 1.5 lbs. I went for #1 and it took longer to take the action in/out of the stock than it did to fit it. Now I have a crisp, light and readable break that will allow me to launch my shots to the best of mine and the guns abilities.