Lightweight 223 project

For quite a while I’ve wanted to make a lightweight 223.
With budgets never extending to a beautiful stock from one of the carbon stock guru’s like the late Ken.

I’ve had a lot to do with composites through boat building and a common product has always tweaked my interest. PET foam core. It’s what high speed racing yachts are made from and forms a core in many composite constructions. It shapes easily and is incredibly light. The joy is that it shapes very easily with 40grit sandpaper yet is super strong.

One reservation however was always how to do the inletting? This is where I was excited to stumble across https://www.vtp.co.nz/

A quick call and VTP was printing a core for a Howa mini. Amazing service too!

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Here’s a couple of progress shots. I intend to do the first one in fiberglass to see how it goes, then I’ll switch to carbon for the next.

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@Joe_90

Weight includes suppressor but hasn’t been glassed yet. That’s the next step

Cool project, will be watching with interest.
I've been wanting to do something similar, I was thinking to try vacuum bag the glass on but not sure how it would go with all the curves. Where do you source your PET foam from?

Thats an awesome idea to use the 3d printed inletting block, the howa minis are perfect for this type of project.

I have thought about doing a similar thing but using super high density closed cell foam for the inletting area, but undercut from the action a reasonable amount (5-6mm) with lighweight foam for the forend and stock like you have done, then sheath the whole thing in carbon and use a milled fiber/silica filled epoxy to bed the action.

Why not go straight to carbon for the first one? Cloth for a project like this would only be $50-60 tops.

What is your plan for laminating? I have tried wet laminating stocks in the past with no vacuum and it is very tricky to get good consolidation around the tight corners. If I were to try it again, I would certainly use vacuum.

Ill be watching your project with interest.

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Originally Posted by SixtyTen

Thats an awesome idea to use the 3d printed inletting block, the howa minis are perfect for this type of project.

I have thought about doing a similar thing but using super high density closed cell foam for the inletting area, but undercut from the action a reasonable amount (5-6mm) with lighweight foam for the forend and stock like you have done, then sheath the whole thing in carbon and use a milled fiber/silica filled epoxy to bed the action.

Why not go straight to carbon for the first one? Cloth for a project like this would only be $50-60 tops.

What is your plan for laminating? I have tried wet laminating stocks in the past with no vacuum and it is very tricky to get good consolidation around the tight corners. If I were to try it again, I would certainly use vacuum.

Ill be watching your project with interest.

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Hey @SixtyTen

Thanks for the interest.

Although I agree that you could do this with inletting a foam/resin core, the joy of a 3D print is that it is accurate, stable and very light weight.

Fiberglass I’m interested in using as it’s easier to layup and I can add layers in areas that need it and leave it thin where it’s not required. A multiple layer 2oz and 1oz laminate using epoxy will be super strong. Easily strong enough for my needs.

It’s fast to get the foam shaped and the 3d core is inexpensive so I plan to try a couple of different ways of making it.

I hope this gives others ideas to try the same :)

If any Auckland members want PET foam core I have quite a bit left as you have to buy a full sheet at a minimum.

Very clever and cool stuff, great innovation. Keep the updates coming pls.

:thumbsup:

Little update here, it’s glassed , phew!
Attachment 200724

And with a sand and a spray of primer, it’s ready to fill pin holes
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380g which I’m pretty stoked with.
Jandal recoil pad to come

Looking good, did you use a mould at all or is it just shaped by hand and simply layed on ? Did you use vac bag ? Much nicer looking fore than the factory stock.

Thanks @dannyb

Cut with bandsaw,Shaped by hand with sureform and 40grit, but templated off a model 7 stock I had.
No mould, no vac bag, just hand laid.

2kg :)

Attachment 200803

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Originally Posted by Freezer

Thanks @dannyb

Cut with bandsaw,Shaped by hand with sureform and 40grit, but templated off a model 7 stock I had.
No mould, no vac bag, just hand laid.

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shit hot that's just about rough enough for me to have a crack :cool:
can you post a bit of a step by step of what you did and what products you used ?
I have an idea of the shape stock I want to use and will get hopping on collecting the other bits needed.
are you concerned it could snap where the foam core is bonded to the printed inlet ?
can't wait to have a crack at this :P

@dannyb, I’m happy to have a yarn on the phone if you are going to have a go.
I don’t think the connection point will be at risk at all. It’s joint with internal tabs into the foam on the inside and fully glassed in on the outside. I’d be much more concerned of it cracking through the pistol grip. I added quite a bit more glass in this area but still think it could happen if I fell on it.

interested in how you group with it...Ive found with my superlight crude stock I really have to concentrate on holding rifle firmly as apposed to getting away with murder as did beforehand.

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Originally Posted by Micky Duck

interested in how you group with it...Ive found with my superlight crude stock I really have to concentrate on holding rifle firmly as apposed to getting away with murder as did beforehand.

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yeah i shoot @Freezer's rifles a bit doing load development and also checking zero if he is unable to make time (busy boy)
his 270 feels like a toy to me with its stug carbon stock its only 3.4kg
I'm used to verry heavy rifles my main hunting rifle is well over 5kg (heavy barrel howa with walnut stock)

i find it a challenge to shoot the light rifles but have worked out that you cant baby them like you do with a heavy rifle
i hold my personal rifle very lightly but with the 270 of freezers you really have to hold onto it and pull back into your shoulder to get it to shoot well really properly be in control almost man handle it

its going to be a real challenge with this 223 currently only 2.7 with scope and can being a 223 will help but its still going to be "fun"

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Originally Posted by rambo-6mmrem

yeah i shoot @Freezer's rifles a bit doing load development and also checking zero if he is unable to make time (busy boy)
his 270 feels like a toy to me with its stug carbon stock its only 3.4kg
I'm used to verry heavy rifles my main hunting rifle is well over 5kg (heavy barrel howa with walnut stock)

i find it a challenge to shoot the light rifles but have worked out that you cant baby them like you do with a heavy rifle
i hold my personal rifle very lightly but with the 270 of freezers you really have to hold onto it and pull back into your shoulder to get it to shoot well really properly be in control almost man handle it

its going to be a real challenge with this 223 currently only 2.7 with scope and can being a 223 will help but its still going to be "fun"

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I shoot my ultra light 300wsm loaded up on the bipod, works extremely well for me.....maybe don't do that with @Freezer 's 223 I dunno how that fore would take to loading up a bipod, that said it doesn't need much preload you don't need to lean right into it and drive it into the ground or anything silly

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Originally Posted by dannyb

I shoot my ultra light 300wsm loaded up on the bipod, works extremely well for me.....maybe don't do that with @Freezer 's 223 I dunno how that fore would take to loading up a bipod, that said it doesn't need much preload you don't need to lean right into it and drive it into the ground or anything silly

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yeah to my knowledge freezer has no plans to even put a sling on this rifle certainly not a bi pod was telling me today that he would need to reinforce the forend if he planed to do that

All very valid points. No intention of a bipod here, it will be shot offhand 95% of the time and at short ranges inside 40m.

Hardest rifle I had to shoot was a kimber Montana. The stock just didn’t fit me at all. The joy here is that when you make a stock you can choose all your dimensions. This has a higher cheek rest so I’ll have great weld, one of the joys of the mini bolt not scrubbing the stock at all.

We’l see @rambo-6mmrem won’t let me live it down if it’s light and shoots like crap haha.

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Originally Posted by Freezer

All very valid points. No intention of a bipod here, it will be shot offhand 95% of the time and at short ranges inside 40m.

Hardest rifle I had to shoot was a kimber Montana. The stock just didn’t fit me at all. The joy here is that when you make a stock you can choose all your dimensions. This has a higher cheek rest so I’ll have great weld, one of the joys of the mini bolt not scrubbing the stock at all.

We’l see @rambo-6mmrem won’t let me live it down if it’s light and shoots like crap haha.

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Im sure the rifle will shoot fine
Weather we can shoot a 2.7kg rifle remains to be seen

It shouldn’t be too bad in 223 I wobble around a bit freestanding if there isn’t enough weight there but I often add it with a 30mm scope or more baffles on my suppressor

Balancing the front/back weight makes it come up better freehand but any bipod usually messes that up


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If its light, a short LOP might help

I really liked the way this rifle was handling so took it back apart, sanded it down and wrapped it in carbon.
Gave it a new paint…. And found a pretty much new m8 x4 leupold. 2.67kg as shown here all up.
Stoked with it now and ready to develop a load. Attachment 201734

*the primer sanding dust on the recoil pad is pissing me off but should dissapear after a couple of hunts

Fantastic! Looks great

Loving this. Have foam board in the shed and a stock half roughed out. the core from vtp is the game changer though.

@Tuidog
Agree. VTP just needs a tikka inlet and a rem700 long action and I’d be very happy to replace my current stocks

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Originally Posted by Freezer

@Tuidog
Agree. VTP just needs a tikka inlet and a rem700 long action and I’d be very happy to replace my current stocks

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They will do it, just need to send the rifle to them

Looks great. 2.67kg is a mighty light rifle, what did the stock end weighing in the end? I like your shortened magazine, did you do that yourself? how many rounds will it fit?

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Originally Posted by SixtyTen

Looks great. 2.67kg is a mighty light rifle, what did the stock end weighing in the end? I like your shortened magazine, did you do that yourself? how many rounds will it fit?

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Thanks @SixtyTen

The stock weighs 440g
The mag is chopped down. Lots of online guides to do so and takes less than 10min. How it is holds 3, you can mod it more to hold 4 but I don’t need 4.

Decided to start another one. This will be to shoot off a bipod. Intent is to swap it out with the 223 and a higher power scope for targets and pesting

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Good stuff @Freezer bloody sharp iv recently learnt how bloody lively my light rifle is with a split nose a month ago and shooting paper on Tuesday I never notice on animals until I split my nose and shooting groups the other day in a uncomfortable position I really noticed the jump. (Might have being abit timmered after the nose split)