Stock keeps coming loose.

What caliber? What rifle? What are you hunting?

I've never hunted woodchuck before, will you have time to take a few longer sight in shots before your hunt to recheck your zero?

Has it been bedded & barrel free floated? I would guess, not.

For now, i would* check if the wood stock is making contact with the barrel. If the barrel is being pushed on from the side, loosen the stock screws , move the barrel so its in the middle of the channel. .
Should be able to run a thick piece of paper down to the recoil lug.

Make sure the lug is in the correct position & magazine is not binding.

install pillars, then bed the stock.

For now, if youve got a zero, calculate your drops and go for it, then do the work after your hunt.

Axis II said:

This makes twice I’ve had to tighten the front action screw on this thing. Last summer I had the same issue and it’s got blue lock tite on it. I couldn’t understand how it went from one hole wonder to 5 barely in an inch.

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The laminate stock is probably compressing, i dont know what torque specs are but the bolt sinking into the sroxk isnt horribly unusual. That really the reason for pillars.

I’d recommend removing the action screw, running alcohol soaked Q-tips around the threads inside and out, then stuffing the corner of a rag in there and twisting to remove every trace of oil. Add Loctite to the screw, wait a few hours, then reinstall the screw.

If the rear is holding, leave it be, and yes, definitely pillar it when you get a minute.

What loonwulf said.

I have a handful of rifles with Boyds laminated stocks, and none have ever exhibited “compression” of the wood. The action screws all remain tight, even after years if use. There may be something else going on with the OP’s stock.


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Skylerbone said:

I’d recommend removing the action screw, running alcohol soaked Q-tips around the threads inside and out, then stuffing the corner of a rag in there and twisting to remove every trace of oil. Add Loctite to the screw, wait a few hours, then reinstall the screw.

If the rear is holding, leave it be, and yes, definitely pillar it when you get a minute.

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thats good advice as well. If theres oil on the threads, even loctite wont help.

25-20 WCF said:

I have a handful of rifles with Boyds laminated stocks, and none have ever exhibited “compression” of the wood. The action screws all remain tight, even after years if use. There may be something else going on with the OP’s stock.


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It depends on the rifles the stocks are on. going to 60in/lb as recommended for an american and the screw heads will begin to sink into the plastic escutcheons. If theres bottom metal between them theres no issue.
Im not sure what the axis screws are torqued to, and cant remember if they straight into the stock or not.

Wood shrinks during the winter, when the air in the houses is dry. All my rifles either have synthetic stocks, or are pillar/epoxy-bedded with well-floated barrels, sometimes both synthetic-stocked and bedded/floated.

If a barrel isn't floated by at least 1/16" clearance, sling pressure or wood warpage can cause contact on firing. Firm barrel contact on synthetic stocks is sometimes better than "barely free-floating" due to barrel vibrations, and/or sling pressure.

The only experience that I have with a Boyds stock is the laminate thumbhole stock that came on my Savage MkII BTVLSS 22. The bottom metal plate from the factory was pretty thin and flimsy and would bend when the bolts were properly torqued, 15-17 inch/pounds for Savage rimfire rifles. A thicker bottom plate took care of that all together. I never had a problem with the stock screws coming loose though.

Torque specs on the 3 Boyd's stocks I own is 30-35 inch lbs.

Here are the torque specs for Savage rifles directly from their website:

Accustock models - 40 inch pounds (including wedge screw)

Centerfire w/ synthetic stock - 30-35 inch pounds

Centerfire w/ wood stock - 30-35 inch pounds

Centerfire w/ laminate stock - 30-35 inch pounds

Rimfire w/ any stock - 15 inch pounds

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https://service.savagearms.com/hc/e...What-is-the-torque-spec-for-my-action-screws-

Boyds makes all the laminate stocks for Savage.

I've had several Boyds stocks where the front action screw would periodically loosen, due to compression around the wood escutcheon that they use. Pillar bedding is the fix, as has been noted, and in a few cases I just moved to a B&C stock as the easier option.

try using beeswax instead of blue loctite, a little oil in the threads is not a problem

Skylerbone said:

I’d recommend removing the action screw, running alcohol soaked Q-tips around the threads inside and out, then stuffing the corner of a rag in there and twisting to remove every trace of oil. Add Loctite to the screw, wait a few hours, then reinstall the screw.

If the rear is holding, leave it be, and yes, definitely pillar it when you get a minute.

Click to expand...

And I would add, use a torque screwdriver.

Brian Williams said:

try using beeswax instead of blue loctite, a little oil in the threads is not a problem

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Ive never tried that one!

Did teflon a few times but it melts.