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Have you tried tightening the screws, then opening the floorplate and feeling for any play at all in the box?
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Oldgunsmith,
That is exactly what happened. The range gunsmith opened the floor plate and his first observation was the box was not sitting right.
He felt the rifle barrel and stock with one hand and loosened the front screw and felt the action move. He then tightened everything up and head me touch the barrel and stock and loosened the front screw again. Then, I felt the action move. He took the action out of the stock and set the box where it should be and tightened everything down again and there was no felt movement.
I think the issue is fixed and I will shoot it again Friday to confirm. I have had the rifle a long time and just do not want this to happen again which is what prompted the question about a replacement stock.
When I had the rifle re-barreled, it was shooting all over the place. This was a rifle that shot 3/4 inch groups at 200 yards. I thought I had just shot out the barrel. Now I am wondering if the box had shifted once before and then when the rifle was re-barreled and bedded, the problem went away for a while.
The rifle was bought and used in Illinois and the humidity is normally pretty high there. Out here in the desert, it is very dry most of the time and I have to wonder if 25 years in this climate took more moisture out of the wood and making it more likely for the action to move a bit.
I will know more by Friday. That rifle has been a favorite for a lot of years and I want to keep it and keep it shooting good.
52 gr bullets and 38-38.4 gr H380 just make it work well.
Thank you for the response.