You're right, Mauser - my first .458 was on a beautiful Reinhart Fagen Claro stock - damned soft walnut though, and after bedding perfectly, split down the centre after about 400 or 500 shots. Chipped it out and re-bed and installed scross-pins of 5/16" steel through recoil shelf and behind the tang. Went almost 2,000 rounds before splitting again, then every 800 to 1,000 rounds after that, I had to re-bed it and glue it back together. It never re-split on the same line - generally right beside it though, in solid wood. I used the thin Acraglass for epoxy - dang good stuff - stronger bond than the wood itself. 15,000 rounds through that rifle before selling it. Still shot almost an inch.

Always use a good hard piece of wood for a kicker. Use of cross pins is necessary, as well, imho.