Tooley Offset Stock Fights Torque on Large-Caliber Rifles

The Tooley offset stock has been around since mid-2007, but custom gun-builders may not know it’s available. This radical rig employs an offset design to counter the torque associated with large-caliber benchrest guns. Dave Tooley tells us, “the wide, flat fore-end and offset design really tames the big 30s.” The stock is 4″ wide along the fore-end with the barreled action offset 1.5″ from center. From the trigger guard rearward the stock is pretty much the same as a Tooley MBR, with a bottom flat and slight drop from grip to buttplate. In American walnut laminate or maple laminate the stock weighs 3 lbs., 12 oz., the same as a fiberglass Tooley MBR from McMillan. There is also a lighter “Butternut” wood version that weighs 2 lbs., 12 ounces. So making weight in Light Gun Class should not be an issue.

The stock is legal for NBRSA and IBS 600- and 1000-yard benchrest competition. Dave has shipped many offset stocks to Australia, where they are very popular for the big calibers used in “Fly Shoots” and long-range competitions. For clubs (or disciplines) that may limit fore-end width to 3″, Dave notes that you can simply saw 1″ off the left side (looking from the breech foreward), to make the stock 3″ wide and legal. Dave tells us “the stock still works really well at 3″, it just doesn’t cancel as much torque as it does in a 4″ configuration.” Tests have shown that the 4″-wide stock will effectively soak up 45 inch-pounds of torque, enough to cancel the twisting effect of a 30-caliber rifle shooting 240-grainers at 3100 fps. Dave tells us: “With the offset stock, in competition, you can shoot a 30-caliber the same way you shoot a 6.5-284.” Scott Fletcher, who shot the prototype version with a 338 Lapua Improved, reports the stock “works fantastic. It’s like night and day with a heavy recoiling caliber. It makes a 30-caliber feel like a 6.5. And with a 6.5-284, you can easily shoot the gun free recoil.”

The Tooley offset stock, un-inletted but ready to finish, costs about $350 in walnut or “butternut” laminate. In maple, the un-inletted price starts at $400 and goes up for highly figured wood. Dave notes: “there is no conventional barrel channel so inletting is very easy.” For roughly $800.00 Dave will deliver the stock fully inletted and pillar-bedded for your action, complete with recoil pad. Dave currently has about a half-dozen offset stocks in inventory. Once they sell out, Dave can normally deliver walnut laminates in 2-3 weeks plus shipping time. Upgraded wood stocks will take 3-4 weeks plus shipping time. For more info, email Tooleyrifles[at]carolina.rr.com or call Dave at (704) 864-7525.

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