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Rifles, Reloading, Optics, Equipment
Gunsmithing
Stock's Wood or Synthetics
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<blockquote data-quote="FearNoWind" data-source="post: 966768" data-attributes="member: 50867"><p>"Synthetics" is not a singular category. There are many types of synthetics, some even include wood in their composition. Some of the synthetic stocks used in production rifles are really quite flimsy. You can often squeeze the end of the forestock and the barrel together with one hand and bend some of them. You can't do that with my McMillan stock. There are a number of laminated wood stocks that are much stiffer than just plain wood. </p><p></p><p>The purpose of soaking a wooden stock in testing is to obtain exaggerated data to reveal how they expand and contract with increased moisture. Whether you're in the dessert or a jungle, humidity will have some affect on a wooden stock. How much and in what direction the grain will expand or flex has no constant value. When a synthetic stock changes due to outside influences such as heat, the changes are essentially linear - because there is no "grain".</p><p></p><p>Synthetic stocks can be "dollar bill" clearance free floated and can still interfere with the barrel's flex and some wooden stocks can be similarly free floated so that when it swells from moisture it interferes in the same way. If you're going to free float a barrel dig a big hole so no amount of atmospheric change will create pressure on the barrel at any point. Bottom line, IMO, is that as long as the action is properly bedded and the barrel properly free floated there isn't enough difference in the stock's affect on the rifle's accuracy to make a solidly sound argument either way.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="FearNoWind, post: 966768, member: 50867"] "Synthetics" is not a singular category. There are many types of synthetics, some even include wood in their composition. Some of the synthetic stocks used in production rifles are really quite flimsy. You can often squeeze the end of the forestock and the barrel together with one hand and bend some of them. You can't do that with my McMillan stock. There are a number of laminated wood stocks that are much stiffer than just plain wood. The purpose of soaking a wooden stock in testing is to obtain exaggerated data to reveal how they expand and contract with increased moisture. Whether you're in the dessert or a jungle, humidity will have some affect on a wooden stock. How much and in what direction the grain will expand or flex has no constant value. When a synthetic stock changes due to outside influences such as heat, the changes are essentially linear - because there is no "grain". Synthetic stocks can be "dollar bill" clearance free floated and can still interfere with the barrel's flex and some wooden stocks can be similarly free floated so that when it swells from moisture it interferes in the same way. If you're going to free float a barrel dig a big hole so no amount of atmospheric change will create pressure on the barrel at any point. Bottom line, IMO, is that as long as the action is properly bedded and the barrel properly free floated there isn't enough difference in the stock's affect on the rifle's accuracy to make a solidly sound argument either way. [/QUOTE]
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