Red Wolf Stock Wiggle

[ronmcc4]

I have noticed some slight side-to-side movement between the stock and the action of my Red Wolf .25 HP. It is very slight and can mostly be felt when you pick the rifle up from it laying on its side and grasp it by the bottle or shroud with one hand and the stock with the other. Just a slight wiggle. My time in the past with precision powder burners makes me think this has got to affect accuracy. The stock is supporting the rifle in a rest on in your hand. If the action moves at all independent of the stock at the instant of being fired that will put impact somewhere other than where you aim. This makes me suspect of the single (but large) bolt securing the action to the stock.



Has anyone else experienced this? Is there a known solution? Do I need to really torque down the single bolt joining the rifle and stock? Any idea what the torque value for that might be if such a thing is even established?

 

[elh0102]

Yeah, I think they all do it to some degree. I can't say that I have noticed any adverse effect on accuracy. I think, at least with mine, if I snug up the stock screw sufficiently tight, and with no spring and hammer bouncing around, there is just not enough movement upon release of the shot to harm accuracy. But if it bothers you, it would be very easy to shim it tight by using some tape or some aluminum from a drink can. And regarding the screw, it's a darn big one, and it would be easy to crank down enough to crack the wood by using a wrench with long handle leverage. I use a regular driver, and just get in one hand tight. I never use my torque driver, but I would guess around 25 in/lbs.

 

[Yo]

Have you already tried slugging the stock bolt tight or adding a washer? I think the stock bolt may be a tad long.

 

[hawkeye69]

Had the same problem with my Pulsar. I found that the retaining bolt was a bit too long and was bottoming out in the hole so it never really held the stock tightly. I put a thick lock washer on the bolt and that did the trick.

 

[ronmcc4]

Thanks! I'll try a washer. It never occurred to me the bolt was bottoming out. 

As an aside - I emailed AOA to see if there was a torque setting for that bolt. I doubt there is or at least not one they'll tell me. I know that with some powder-burners, torque on the stock screws/bolts is really ticky with how they affect accuracy. That's probably not the case with airguns since you don't have the big recoil and potential for large movement.

 

[elh0102]

If the screw is bottoming that would sure cause it, not the case with mine, but worth checking.

I haven't found any PCP rifle that is very sensitive to stock screw torque. The barrel is usually well removed from stock tension, and most attach with only one screw, which is a foolproof way to avoid any binding between attachment points. 

 

[Spray1Mark]

I use a thin self adhesive felt pad in all of my RW stocks, similar to the type you put on the bottom of chair legs etc. to stop them slipping, it compresses down to fill the gap at the front and stops the movement.

 

[Yo]

I use a thin self adhesive felt pad in all of my RW stocks, similar to the type you put on the bottom of chair legs etc. to stop them slipping, it compresses down to fill the gap at the front and stops the movement.

Those work great for the inside of silencer endcaps just use a soldering iron make a hole in the center just slightly larger than the pellet. Works wonders in making them quieter as well as baffle liners too.