Tired of the constant battle with the Tip-Up off the bench, I whittled out a mock-up bench stock today. The Stevens Tip-Ups have got to have one of the worst stock and frame designs ever conceived. The severe drop on the stock does not lend well to bench efforts. I drew up a stock with a heel parallel to the bore and took my best guess at a cheek-rest. Weyerhaeuser didn't give me a lot of options for grain flow on their AAA 2x6 blanks! I have not shot with it yet but am pretty happy with the outcome. I wanted it bench friendly and “old timey” looking at the same time. Would appreciate feedback before I start on a walnut version.

The Stevens Tip-Ups have got to have one of the worst stock and frame designs ever conceived. The severe drop on the stock does not lend well to bench efforts.

In a way, your complaint is moot, since Stevens tip-ups were never meant to be shot other than off-hand.  That being said, I think your new stock design has a good look and considerable promise.  If what you finally end up with works well, perhaps the prototype should be offered to your favorite purveyor of nearly-finished stocks to deepen the outfit's repertoire.

Bill Lawrence

I spent a little time today sculpting out the cheekrest to fit me as well as possible. It is far more stable on the bench and I was a little surprised that it now fits me better than the factory stock ever did for offhand. Rain and snow headed my way for the rest of the week. Maybe Ill get to test out the new stock this coming weekend. Making a nice walnut copy will be a fun project for next winter.

Good eye Bill, 
That will definitely get a nice radius on the walnut version. I quit carving today when I ran out of Band-Aids!  I inletted the hooked buttplate more to see how it felt. It feels almost ideal for offhand and just the slightest bit restraining off the bench. I should get a larger one. I appreciate the feedback!

The Porky’s did a little more chewing on my stock and I put some varnish on it. I had a nice calm morning so I thought I would do a little shooting to see how the stock geometry worked out. I love the way the stock fit me now, though I should have had earmuffs on when fitting it to my cheek. I know this 200yd bench group is not much for most of you here, but when I started shooting this rifle a couple of years ago it was 6” groups at 60 yards. Its a good morning here in the still frozen north.

It stinks when the flyer is the “X” shot! If the wind keeps down, Ill make sight adjustments and shoot a couple more groups this evening. I can’t remember how I made those 1/16” cork wads and I'm out now. If I made a hollow punch, I can’t find it.

Its a bastard. It likely started life as a 32/35. It had a 32/40 reamer run in at some point in its early life. The bore is .308” and groove .314”. Its obvious no fixed ammo could ever be shot in this rifle. Bore condition though somewhat worn is one of the nicest I've ever seen in a tip-up. I cut about 1/2” and recrowned with my 11deg target crown cutter to give the muzzle new life. I guess I've just gotten used to calling it a 32/40.

I would love to see pics of your Pope! That alone makes you wonder….he must have thought enough of them to rebore one? I just took ownership of a 38cf beauty with a rotten bore. Nicest looking and tightest lockup of any Tip-Up that I own. I have spent quite a bit of time designing a barrel for it. Im going to use 6” of the original barrel breech and then turn a tenon on a 28cal BRC that I have coming. The tenon will thread into the stub which will project all the way back to the breechface at .625” dia. Cartridge will likely be a 28/20….a 25/20ss necked up to 28. It will be a fun project.