I just picked up a Bergara ridge with a short 18” barrel to run suppressed. The factory synthetic stock isn’t bad but just has that hollow sound with a little flex. With the semi heavy barrel and can it’s a little front end heavy. I’m considering filling the stock with something to add a small amount of weight, integrity and kill the hollow sound. Have any of y’all ever attempted this? I’ve looked online and seen people using epoxy, great stuff foam, sand, foam peanuts, bondo...etc. I figured this place would have the best ideas.
Thanks

I need to do mine as well. I’m going to use epoxy and 250g lead 45 bullets that I have a surplus of. That way I can put it all in there and add or subtract bullets until the balance is the way I want it. Then mix the epoxy and bed the bullets in it in the stock. Going to use quick steel since it’s a putty. Should be easier than liquid epoxy and I’ve already used it on this stock in other places. It should balance immediately in front of the magazine but then that’s just my preference.

Most people will not need the amount of weight i will so the epoxy alone might be enough.

I opened up 12 Guage shells and used the shot with epoxy on my sons savage. Worrked perfect

Filled a Tikka stock with silicone. Worked very well.

Depending on what size hole you have, I’ve heard of people using a roll of dimes or penny’s. In my shotgun I have a mercury filled recoil reducer that screws into the post down in the hole. It’s about the size of a roll of quarters and weighs almost a pound. The baffles and mercury inside make it feel like shooting a .410.

Thanks for input. I like the idea of using a putty like epoxy to have more control. I can play around with weight to see what feels best and then glue it up. The butt pad comes off so access is easy. I might experiment on an old houge stock first.

I have a partial bag of #9 lead shot, it's a little too soft for reloading for me. It's great for adding weight, if you need some. That lead and some stuff called core fill, it's a lightweight filler used in building boats, I may have some of that if it hasn't gone bad.

Add the lead in a ziplock bag until you get the balance point right and then subtract the filler weight and get busy.

Haven't done this maneuver but highly considered and looked into it.
The idea I liked is placing a steel rod or flat bar in front of the recoil lug to the end of the stock. Maybe not weight, but it will definitely add more stiffness than expoxy or any filler alone.

You can use expanding foam to deaden the thunk of the hollow stock. To add weight, insert small pieces of thin rebar or steel cable into the cured foam until you find the right balance.

Graphite arrows with lead mixed in the expoxy adhesive, you can even fill the hollow shafts, but be prepared to seal the shafts with adhesive to mitigate the noise of lead rolling around in the shaft. Arrows also can add the stiffness with minimal weight, especially useful if the rifle is nose heavy or point of balance is where you prefer it.

Duct Seal

I filled the stock on my 308 target rifle with this. Made a huge difference.

I had a 700 sitting in an old mcmillan that needed a paint job. I took the original tupperware stock and filled it with smooth-on foam and did as DavidMaas described ... took some old broken carbon arrows to stiffen the fore end using jb weld.

The foam: https://www.rokslide.com/forums/threads/filling-a-hollow-tupperware-stock.182093

The rest : https://www.rokslide.com/forums/threads/stiffen-a-cheap-tupperware-stock.182482

I was happy with the original stock when I was done and the mcmillan as well.

Kind of funny, both stocks ended up about the same weight.

(P.S. my old 270 is still shooting 0.2-0.3" groups after all that nonsense)

Great idea. Add quiet weight and is 100% adjustable. I bought a stick last week (for sealing a drain)at Lowe's at half the price shown in the Amazon ad.