Boyds Gunstocks Transforms Remington 870

Craftsmanship, Fit, and Style
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Even on 3 hours of sleep, my eyes opened wide. Layers of red, brown and blue fading into laser etched double lines. It wasn’t until the sun began to rise that I truly could appreciate its beauty, but even in the dark morning, it was different.

I’d seen Remington 870’s. I have two myself and was toting one that day, but had never truly admired one. This particular shotgun belonged to Kevin Paulson, editor of HuntingLife.com, who was mentoring me on a turkey hunt in Nebraska. Though everyone in our party of three had a Remington 870, and all looked slightly different, Kevin’s stood out. I do have to wonder though — would turkeys notice too?

The only significant differences among the firearms were in the stocks. Two, including mine, were synthetic and cloaked in a camouflage pattern. Kevin’s wooden work of art came from Boyds Gunstocks.

This year the company celebrates its 40th anniversary. Boyds Gunstocks began in 1981 as a one-man company and has grown into the largest aftermarket gunstock manufacturer in the world. Their success comes from customer service and wide array of options that allow customers to combine functionality and fit with personal style. One of their newest options, the At-One series, allows shooters to adjust length of pull and comb by the push of a button and includes interchangeable grips and firearms.

One of my very first shooting experiences was in silhouette. Though I never sought to change anything on my borrowed firearms, I remember my dad’s excitement in ordering a Boyds thumbhole stock for his T/C contender. He modeled the stock first in the kitchen and every match after that on the range, encouraging me to look at how well it fit.

Years later, I understand exactly how important fit is to placing accurate shots, especially for smaller framed shooters like myself. Though I haven’t taken to customizing any of my existing firearms yet, Kevin’s shotgun and Boyds’ At-One stock really have me thinking about it.

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