8x68 S Owners opinions are welcome

**Gert Odendaal** · 29-09-2021, 18:18

I use this method to remove a lot of wood accurately with the back-saw..

**Finkelstein** · 29-09-2021, 19:28

Originally Posted by Gert Odendaal

I spend some time today to work the 8x68S rifle stock down to size on the butt stock and the cheek piece..here are some photos, I used a rasp, back-saw and a ruler to do this work. It really is hard work to remove all this wood from the rifle stock using a rasp only....Attachment 33904 Attachment 33903 Attachment 33902 Attachment 33901
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Gert using a spokeshave or miniature block plane will save you tons of time and also allow you to utilise the movement along the grain of the wood better.
The majority of the work is not rasp work.

**Gert Odendaal** · 29-09-2021, 20:28

Originally Posted by Finkelstein

Gert using a spokeshave or miniature block plane will save you tons of time and also allow you to utilise the movement along the grain of the wood better.
The majority of the work is not rasp work.

Thank you Finkelstein, I do not want to save any time building this rifle stock, I enjoy every minute building it, this is the reason:

I use the rasp is to strengthen my hands, it helps me shooting the Colt .45 more accurate and helps with my bow shooting as well.

Using hand tools is one way to strengthen your hands and arms ...one reason why I do not use a grinder with a flapper disk.

No need to finish this rifle stock as fast as possible, enjoying this process is important to me Finkelstein. ...

I like removing wood using the rasp, then going over with a bastard cut file to smooth out the rasp marks... I can remove wood /shape the rifle stock form with only a rasp if I need to do it, as well as using a back saw to file away wood and level a surface accurately..

**Gert Odendaal** · 30-09-2021, 13:51

I went down another level taking down the cheek piece to the acceptable level on the butt stock. I cut the length of the butt stock as well leaving it 10mm longer than the 6.5 x 55 Swedish Stock.

This recoil pad will be a heavy recoil pad for the 8x68S stock. it is twenty five millimeters thick, I will fill up the space inside the recoil pad with silicon to firm up the recoil pad as well.

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**glenn.watson** · 30-09-2021, 14:16

i can only imagine how rewarding this must be, enjoy it and looking forward to the finished product,

**Gert Odendaal** · 30-09-2021, 18:12

Originally Posted by glenn.watson

i can only imagine how rewarding this must be, enjoy it and looking forward to the finished product,

Thank you Glenn, you are correct, to me this is really rewarding , I enjoy every moment working on the rifle stock.

Working in the "Kluis" JS Gunsmith shop , learning from Johan Greyling , a great friend and brilliant gunsmith is my mentor the past years..

I am extremely fortunate to have Johan Greyling as a friend as well.

Everything I know about rifles , I learned from Johan Greyling, and I am still learning everyday when working in the gunshop.

I focused on working the butt stock down to the minimum tolerances needed to complete the rifle stock when I completed fitting the new barrel and blued action. The 6.5 x 55 Swedish Mauser is very near to complete finishing.

**Gert Odendaal** · 01-10-2021, 12:21

Good, members, I went another level down into the stock . I used the side of the file to file a narrow opening into the wood surface alongside the cheek piece .Tis is a good method to determine the cheek piece double shadow line depth as well.

This is the starting point to determine the final depth of the butt stock surface .

I use this as an indication method to show me how much wood I still need to remove.

The palm swell on the right hand side of the stock behind the pistol grip is nearly completed. When I do the pistol grip area I will have an idea where the palm-swell will end.

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**Gert Odendaal** · 02-10-2021, 07:31

Looking at this photo will give you a good indication of how much wood you need to remove from a blank piece of Wall-nut wood to make a rifle stock, and this is only the butt stock part I am working on..

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**Gert Odendaal** · 12-10-2021, 17:21

I worked on the grip cap and final butt stock profile today. Will fit a grip-cap to determine a form , work it down to that dimensions and fit a final one .

I did fit the recoil pad today to see how close I am to the final dimensions, I am not out with a lot of mm , about 3mm in total around the recoil-pad.

I did work in a cast off of 10mm , on the butt stock, this brings the alignment of the rifle stock nicely in line with my aiming of the rifle stock. I was hoping the stock will be heavy since it is a 8x68S rifle stock but this American wall nut is not as heavy and dense as the Turkish Wall-nut wood.

Moving the line of sight 10mm to the left of the rifle stock center line..it gives me a great straight aim position.

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