Mickey. You are definitley right about having a rifle which balances well and feels right. The Zastava 458 with the longish barrel and good recoil pad on a synthetic stock is the best feeling rifle I have owned for holding off hand. I took it into the shop today to sell as my next 458 will be ready soon. I made sure I got measurments of length of pull, drop at the rear, total weight. If my next 458 doesnt feel as good , then I will try to go back to my old measurements when a new stock is made.