No more Wood?

[R-Dog]

Hi, I'm very new to this so please excuse my ignorance, but are wooden stocks a thing of the past? I know they are still in use, but just about everything and everybody has gone to either a composite or injection molded stock.
I've been reading a great deal because I intend to purchase a bolt action. Mostly target some hunting.
So in my research i have decided that injection molded stocks are not what I want, just the hand paid-up type.
But I love wood... So is wood really that much of a problem?
I like the Winchester Featherweight and Vanguard Sporter....Featherweight is free floated and bedded.
Your opinions are really valuable.
TY, R-Dog.

 

[cape cove]

I, like you, like the wood better than anything else although I have composite stocks as well. A good compromise is laminated stocks. Gives you that wood look and good stabality like composite stocks. On my wood stocked rifles I always remove the barreled action and seal the barrel channel and action inletting with a sealant like tru-oil. Keeps moisture from getting into the wood and causing swelling. I also have a Weatherby Vanguard sporter which has a wood stock. I sealed it like I mentioned and never had a problem. JMO

 

[R-Dog]

Thank you...by the way is the weatherby bedded from the factory?

 

[cape cove]

No, just some epoxy around the recoil lug. Mines shoots good.

 

[Mikecr]

Look at Cooper's rifle stocks as well. Options for upgrades and the guns shoot great.

 

[Stammster]

Call me old fashion, but I don't own a single rifle that has a composite stock. Wood only.

 

[YZ-80]

Look at Cooper's rifle stocks as well. Options for upgrades and the guns shoot great.

Yeah, still some wood stocks out there that shoot great.

 

[R-Dog]

Yeah, still some wood sticks out there that shoot great.

View attachment 218258

That's beautiful.

 

[cape cove]

That's a great looking rifle. Tell us a little about it.

 

[David Emerson]

French or black walnut. Wood is warm. And beautiful. Fiberglass is functional but ugly. I will put a well seasoned and sealed wood stock against a fiberglass stock any day of the week. I just don,t like ugly things. A fiberglass stock is like a fat girl. Okay if nobody sees you. Lol. I have never seen a multi thousand dollar holland and holland with a fiberglass stock. I believe the main driver of fiber versus wood is labor. Wood takes sanding and oiling and checkering. HEY. I can build a fiberglass stock and paint it and good to go. When I hunted and lived in Alaska I had french walnut guns finished right and never a problem.

 

[Hespco]

I have a Rem 700 with a wood stock I bought new in 1964. Free floated the Bbl & hunted. It has dings ,nicks & scars , but is still beautiful to me. Has taken ton's of deer & elk. On a wood stock make sure you seal the wood under the butt plate/recoil pad. Seal the barrel channel & any exposed wood & you are good to go. This rifle is over 50 trs old & the stock is still solid. I also have laminated & synthetic. They all are great as long as they are accurate. Love them all.

 

[YZ-80]

That's a great looking rifle. Tell us a little about it.

Thank you sir! It's a Cooper Jackson Game rifle I got back in 2011 and it's made a few appearances here on the forum. It's AAA Claro Walnut but I think they might have hooked me up with AAA+ by mistake!! It's a .25-06 and shoots very well. It is quite hefty however, so I use it for a lot of elevated blind and bi-pod supported groundhog and deer hunting. The Cooper custom classic is another great looking rifle and I have one of those in .243. In terms of asthetics, the Coopers are hard to beat but the price point can be hard to swallow. I like the Sako Bavarian stocks too. I really like that Schnabel fore end on those. I've heard very good things about the Vanguards and they are quite nice as well.

Best,

-YZ

 

[1894C]

I like my wood stocked rifles. They look amazing. The only issue I have with them is I got into some nasty weather and got caught in a thunderstorm. By the time I got back to camp I poured a very significant amount of water out of the stock. Fairly certain my stock got 6 ounces heavier after that and the POI moved significantly. My bad weather rifles are in fiberglass stocks. The nice weather guns are in high grade wood

 

[Deleted member 115654]

Life is too short to hunt with an ugly rifle.