Thread: Browning X Bolt 7mm08 Project

Hey all.
Just realised these pics are huge sorry- I don't know how to squash them.


Thought id give this Sika stopper a birthday- I'm a carpenter so most of this work wasn't above my pay grade.
Started this in January- had been mulling it over for years..... Blued steel dosnt work so well in the wet- tends to rust a little. Other than that i love the rifle.
Bought 3 or 4 years ago.
Added an MCarbo spring to lighten the pull to close to or around 2lb.
Had the barrel threaded, to take my ASE can.
Changed tack and decided to bite the bullet and strip the stock of its crappy glossy thick urethane. Did this using the long edge of a chisel pulled square to the timber- very easy to remove the finish.
Used a Makita orbital sander with 60 then 80-120-180 paper- quickly removed leftovers and smoothed off.
Went through 4 or 5 lessening grades of paper.
Re oiled the stock with Dembart oil from Outdoor supplies in Carterton.

Aaaaand whalla ! looked fantastic.
Then borrowed checkering tools from a very helpful member on here (thank you mate!), and proceeded to recut the checkering best i knew how.
Sent the action to a mate to chop to 16 inches and re thread.
Same time i got the metal coated with a mate of a mate of a mate- I haven't mentioned any particular brand here because I don't know which it is.

This was one of the first X Bolts out here- and had been thrashed about- mostly by me- as I tend to value not falling over in the bush more than rifle looks .

End result is in the last pics.
Happy as a pig in shit.

That's a really shit hot job!

Thanks mate- there are some less than perfect bits, but you got to look hard- and itll end up dinged about anyways

Holy shit!, very nice job. Well done

Most people are put off but tidying up a stock isn't that hard and they come up real well.
Looks mint well done.