No more Wood?

[COBrad]

I grew up when all there was were wood stocks and fell in love with a beautifully stocked rifle. For me Cooper custom and western classics best carry on that tradition. I've had 5 of them but just couldn't bring myself to hunt with abandon for fear of ruining the high grade wood mine had. I still have one of each and they are as accurate as any other rifles I have owned but my big game rifles are carbon fiber and stainless steel. For me they are the better tool.

 

[Mitchell Demand]

There are few objects more beautiful than a fine piece of wood for a stock. Proper bedding will get you very good accuracy but sadly considering the extremes in weather they can not hand with mod stocks or composite. That said inside 600 yards you should have few issues

 

[Deleted member 115751]

I own a Weatherby Vanguard Deluxe that has a gorgeous wood stock and the famous Winchester Model 70 in Supergrade Maple both chambered in 270 Win. I also own some Mossberg Patriot Revere rifles and a Winchester Model 70 all with a French Walnut stock and a Howa Hunter in 308 win in walnut also. I like wood stocks too but I am beginning to warm up to fiberglass composites also. They are incredibly stiff and strong and I don't have to worry about the elements affecting them. Some of composite stocks from Greyboe and HS Precision are beautiful. I admit to being especially fond of the black with green webbing HS Precision Stocks found on the Remington 700 5R that have the stainless barrel and action. The shiny stainless steel works really well against that green and black stock especially since I have always associated the color green with Remington. I am just saying they look good and am not saying anything about the quality of the barrel and action of those Remington 700's. I own two Remington 700 Long Range Stainless, one in 7mm Rem Mag and one in 300 Win Mag. I purchased them in January 2020 before Remington went belly up a second time. I found a place online that has the Remington 5R Stainless in 300 Win Mag in stock but I am really hesitant to spend another $1000k on a Remington rifle. I have heard they have quality control issues. If you get a good one then you lucked out but if you get a bad one there may be a problem with the new owners (Roundhill Capital) honoring their lifetime warranty. My favorite Remington knock off right now is Bergara. Their B14 Wilderness Terrain is a beautiful piece of engineering. The stocks are stiff as hell and have an aluminum chasis that runs down the length of it. They are strong and shoot like a tack driver.

Bottom line is I love the look and feel of a good wood stock on a premium rifle but I decided to go with the high quality fiberglass resin composites because of the durability and low maintenance concerns. I have some old Howa 1500 action GameKing rifles and recently decided to replace the Hogue pillar bedded stocks with a Hogue overmolded full aluminum bedding block ones. They are not as attractive as the Greyboe or HS Precision stocks but they are incredibly stiff and come it at about half the price of the other two. I am doing this for a Howa 1500 in 308 win, 243 win, 7mm Rem Mag and another in 308 win with a varmint barrel. Yes buying all four stocks costs me as much a brand new rifle with a premium synthetic stock but it's a one time expense. After it is all said and done I have four Howa rifles with a very stiff and very good gripping stock ready for use in the field.

 

[R-Dog]

I love wood too but i am more careful with wood, so I only have wood-stocked shotguns. I don't want to have to worry about scratches hiking around in the woods or in a metal tree stand. Don't get me wrong, they can add character, but too many or on the wrong stock and they take away from it.

Some wood i don't really like. Browning's high gloss stocks are one. Looks too plasticy to me. But the matte stodk on an almost 40 yr old Browning BPS Upland Hunter in 20ga with a 22" barrel is maybe my favorite quail gun. I have a 16ga Citori Gran Lightning that has beautiful wood. But the Caesar Guerrini 20ga I have tops them all. It is beautiful. Pics below.

View attachment 218287View attachment 218288View attachment 218289View attachment 218290View attachment 218291

Beautiful...

 

[Big Guy]

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

The nicer the wood, the better they shoot and they just feel good..

 

[Scimitar762]

 

[Stockbroker]

Buy what you want.. no problem either way. I think laminate has definitely replaced wood, but theres no reason you should avoid them. I like the aluminum bedding block that doesnt come in wood, but a proper bedding job will make wood or laminate just as good.

We specialize in aluminum chassis in wood stocks.
aigunstocks.com

 

[Philward]

It takes someone with knowledge and effort to grade wood. This person may travel all over the US and possibly the world seeking the finest grain wood.

The wood is purchased is cut into blanks for a given firearm. The best wood is separated for higher-end firearms all the lower grade for lower prices.

Custom made firearms like the ones made in the UK, the wood is hand-shaped and hand carved. Working with wood is a very labor-intensive process.

Polymer stocks or plastics stocks are made by a method called molded injected plastic.

Polymer pellets are melted and injected into several molds simultaneously to create the stocks. Several hundred stocks an hour can be produced in this way. Mass production bring down the cost of a product.

Are wood stocks bad for firearms? Of course not wood stocks have been used in firearms for hundreds and hundreds of years.

The reason for the transition to polymers dogs is partly due to environmentalists who are pushing to save the forest and save the trees. Manufacturers also realize that mass production of plastic stocks can make more money than wood stocks.

So how do you sell it to the hunters who are used to wood stocks on their firearms?

By selling them the idea that plastic stocks are lighter, reduce weight, resistant to scratches, nicks, dents and that you would get on a wood stock.

And you introduce camouflage patterns on the plastic stock which eventually creep to the receiver and barrel.

Do we really need camouflage on rifles? No. It's just another selling point to trap the unsuspecting hunter into spending more.

I have photos of my dad's side of the family hunting in New Mexico during the 1940s and 50s. None of them have camouflage rifles and none of them have plastic stocks on the rifles.

The manufacturers are making a fortune on rifles with polymer stock because polymer stocks are extremely cheap to make yet they're charging us the same amount of money if not more for the same product.

Polymer pellets for rifle stock is a $1.35/ton. So how many rifle stocks do you suppose they can make with 2000 pounds of polymer. And with a method of molded injected plastics how many rifle stocks do you think they can make on a given shift?

Personal preference.

Not to mention the high-polished metalwork that used to be pretty much standard but now it's all rough finished and black. Cheaper to produce and charge a premium for the low glare finish.

 

[nksmfamjp]

Wood can be fine. It is all about stability. Wood dried properly and fully coated is pretty stable. A laminate might be more stable than composite!

These bedding blocks in wood can fix slot of concerns about wood!

Wood is a better way to get a properly fit rifle. Composite can be ok, but wood can be perfectly fit to you.

Wood is stronger. Composite has to be strengthened where your doodads attach.

Composite finish is both more durable and folks care less when damaged!

I would be interested in hearing how wood sprayed with clear cerakote hold up to abrasion/nicks??

 

[1894C]

Were you able to restore the wooden stock?.

Yes. I put it on aluminum pillars and had to sand on the barrel channel where the stock swelled on one side. But it still looks fantastic

 

[epags]

if you live and / or hunt in a place where the weather is reasonable consistent it's not that big a deal providing that the rifle has been properly bedded. Meaning, a good quality glass bedding & pillars. Also make sure the bbl is well floated .015 thousands (or the thickness of 3-dollar bills)
I have a nice Remington 700 (wood) bedded like I've stated here.
It's been from California to Montana, Wyo., Tx. and it's never been a problem.
That's the only wood stocked rifle I own. Everything else is composite.

Now, If you want to find a nice used stock, start by going to every gunsmith shop you can.
There you can find nearly anything your heart desires.
This is the graveyard for wooden stock. And, man do they have plenty.

Hope this helps
Steve C

I guess I am feeling silly this morning. I have 1 dollar bills and 2 dollar bills but I don't have any 3 dollar bills. Can I use a 1 and 2 or three 1's LOL

 

[Anthony Bonavia]

I like wood also, I bought a Cooper Model 52 in 30-06, just love it. Coopers have a 1/2 moa guarantee, and my rifle shoots into a 1/2 in with hunting loads. Looks great, shoots great, can'task for more than that.

 

[Gone Ballistic]

I hunted with wood stock rifles for many years, even building a few beauties, but, hunting in wet,cold weather can cause problems. Regardless of how well your rifle is bedded or barrel free-floated the wood can swell from high humidity and harm your accuracy. This doesn't happen with fiberglass or composite stocks. Personally, I would rather have a stainless steel rifle on a composite stock, mitigating problems with accuracy caused by the swelling of wood stocks and rusting. Although they look beautiful to the eye, functionally to place the kill shot where I am aiming is of far more importance to me. Additionally, composite stocks can be made much lighter than wood, making them much easier to carry. They aren't susceptible to cracking and being damaged from a drop or a wreck with a horse.

 

[tooth doc]

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.

I have rifles, many of each type. Iam a lover of the look and feel of wood. If you feel the same way, accuracy innovations makes gorgeous wood stocks with an aluminum chassis in the wood so you have the accuracy of a chasis, beauty of wood!