Feinwerkbau 800; Stock reduction

[Sven]

I noticed a very good looking FWB800 stock in the pictures by Yorkshiretea at shooting the breeze of the BFTA Euros at Weston Park

Looks like the complete front section, the "Bailey Bridge" , is removed form the 800X stock.

Preventing POI shifts this way? Or any other advantage? Or is this the 800 stock as opposed to the 800X stock?
Who knows more about this modification?

[Alpazen]

Hi Sven

Yes, in my opinion, this is a big plus for keep a good POI but I think that it's not a very nice solution !!

With my 800X I resolve the problem with a new FWB barrel of 15mm + a carbon tube of 15x17mm, I obtain a perfect floating barrel and now my POI never move !

I also fixed the bolt action on the back of the stock with 2 pointed screws :

Cheers

Pascal

[NeilM]

That's The Guru himself, so you can ask him about it.

[BenGun]

Indeed it is the Guru, I know what he's b done in detail, but I think if you want the full details and the amount of work involved, speak to the man himself.

[BenGun]

Can I ask why oh why do people use windicator???????????.
You want to know what the wind is doing after it leaves the barrel not 2-3-4 inches before it leaves the barrel.
A total waist of time, you can feel the wind on your hand and face, you don't require a poncy piece of toot with a feather or cotton to tell you.
Take it from an ex military shooter there a waist of time.
Just don't get me started on to strippers.

[Sven]

Thanks for your reactions, Pascal, Neill and Bengun,
Pascal: I find your 800X is a good looking rifle, but i'm personally not attracted by Bailey bridges on rifles, so I like the looks of the rifle in the picture. It is a matter of opinion, and we all know everybody has one of his own. .
Another question to you : What does your FWB800X need the pointed screws for? To center the action in the stock? Vertically or Horizontally?

Neill and Bengun: Aha. So this is The Guru, aka JonH himself. I know he is a very busy man and may or may not find the time to visit these pages. Could you answer if the rifle in the picture has a whole newly designed front stock section (starting from the pistol grip forward)? Or is it a modification of the existing 800X stock? Looking at the picture I'd say it is a complete new design. And I have to say I like what I see.

Bengun: I do not fully agree with you on uselessness of the windicator for field target shooting. As an ex-military and current long range full-bore/high power shooter I do see some usefulness for FT. I agree that a shooter should estimate the wind over the full flightpath of the pellet. And I agree that a indicator at the muzzle will not do that. But the wind near the muzzle does have the largest effect on the flight path of the pellet (if the wind at the first meter from muzzle pushes the pellet away by 0,1 millimeter that windage will have enlarged to 50 times 0,1 mm = 5mm by the time the pellet arrives at 50 meters, but you most likely are fully aware of this). So a wind indicator, that reacts to the wind in a way that is well known to the shooter because it is always with him, as the one on the rifle is, will give valuable info, but not all there is to know. And I agree with you that the feeling of the wind on the face is a better windicator, but it takes quite some training for correct interpretation. And you have to keep practising to maintain the skill level. So well trained top shooters would have less need for a windicator on the rifle than starting shooters or the ones that have less range time, or should I say wind time .

The second thing for windicators is that is helps me to think about focusing my attention to the wind. In all the plenty steps you need to focus on before the shot is taken (shooting position, range estimation, elevation correction, knob setting, pellet loading, natural point of aim, breath control, trigger control, etc. etc.) I sometimes just forget about the wind . Especially on days were there is only little wind. If I then see the windicator move, and I use a very light and bright colored one so it responds quickly, it reminds me to check the wind near and far.

But I think I can see where your strong reaction to windicators comes from. Some shooters are really tying very unmanly and queer fashion attributes to their big guns

[Alpazen]

Another question to you : What does your FWB800X need the pointed screws for? To center the action in the stock? Vertically or Horizontally?

Originally, the action is floating in verticality and all the system (Barrel + action) are held in place by the stock perforated piece on the front, so that if it moves everything in verticality also moves in this direction and move the POI

So to have the floating barrel it is imperative to add that fixing the action, but there are certainly other ways to do it, I chose the simplest to my taste!

[Steve]

The stock in the pic.is a complete new one made out of 1 piece of aluminium that Jon made for himself.

[BenGun]

Steve = No it isn't.
Sven = as a full bore shooter with over 27 years experience 22 with the Army , we are going to have to disagree, there is absolutely no benefit in knowing what the wind is doing before it leaves the barrel.
If you must have a windicator fit it to the end of the barrel , not 2-3 or four inches before the end of the barrel.

[Delphinus]

The stock is made by Jon, I suppose that is made of two parts the early stage pictures that he send me look that way but I didn't ask more details because I don't want to be tempted.

Regarding windicator I use it and many top Field Target shooters don't, it's a preference but it helps with strong and constant to measure it with precision or with crossing winds like we have here.

For me best way to measure the wind it’s to parallax with the higher magnification from the muzzle to 50mt analysing the thermic but again that is only possible with the right conditions.

We all have our opinions and ideas for me I only accept practice not theories, if a shooter has a better grade than me I listen if not I don’t.