High quality wood 308 rifle
- Thread starter Jdb5324
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jackstrawIII
New member
The wood type is up to you.
Regarding the rifle, the X Bolt is excellent. As is the CZ 557 and the Winchester Model 70.
Regarding the rifle, the X Bolt is excellent. As is the CZ 557 and the Winchester Model 70.
Maple, in my opinion is too hard and too heavy to be practical. It is harder to work with, hence more expensive. And the finished product tends to be pretty heavy to carry around. If you like the look of lighter color wood then it might be the right choice for you. If I'm going wood, I'm going walnut. But that is personal preference. And you did ask.
If you're just looking at basic wood stocked rifles and hoping for a good looking one it is usually just by chance. Most every manufacturer turns out some nice looking stocks occasionally. But I've probably seen more decent looking wood on Kimbers than any other brand. Not all of them, it just seems like the odds are better with Kimber.
If really nice wood is a requirement you're either going to need to go with a custom stock, or one of the factory custom shops. Occasionally manufacturers will offer limited production guns with really nice wood. I assume this is what you're talking about with the Browning.
One other thing. To me nice wood and classic rifle designs go together like peanut butter and jelly. If I'm going to the expense of a nice stick of wood it will be on a classic rifle design like CZ, Winchester 70, Remington 700, or the Kimber as well as a few others. Not that there is anything wrong with an X Bolt. But it is a very modernistic design. A high end wood stock on one wouldn't look as good to my eye as it would on a more classic rifle. If I had an X Bolt it would look less out of place with a modern synthetic stock. But once again that is just me. There is no wrong answer, just the one you like best.
If you're just looking at basic wood stocked rifles and hoping for a good looking one it is usually just by chance. Most every manufacturer turns out some nice looking stocks occasionally. But I've probably seen more decent looking wood on Kimbers than any other brand. Not all of them, it just seems like the odds are better with Kimber.
If really nice wood is a requirement you're either going to need to go with a custom stock, or one of the factory custom shops. Occasionally manufacturers will offer limited production guns with really nice wood. I assume this is what you're talking about with the Browning.
One other thing. To me nice wood and classic rifle designs go together like peanut butter and jelly. If I'm going to the expense of a nice stick of wood it will be on a classic rifle design like CZ, Winchester 70, Remington 700, or the Kimber as well as a few others. Not that there is anything wrong with an X Bolt. But it is a very modernistic design. A high end wood stock on one wouldn't look as good to my eye as it would on a more classic rifle. If I had an X Bolt it would look less out of place with a modern synthetic stock. But once again that is just me. There is no wrong answer, just the one you like best.
I wouldn't go for an X-bolt, I'd look to Kimber or Cooper rifles. The Kimber will cost about the same as the X-Bolt, but the Cooper is a major step up in wood and price. I think Browning makes their wood rifles too shiny, just my personal taste. Something like this M70 Supergrade would be nice as well but I like the Featherweight M70 rifles much better.
Pathfinder45
New member
Here's another vote for the model 70 Winchester, in Walnut of course. Then you have the choice between Featherweight, Sporter, or Supergrade. You can't have the Alaskan, though, unless you are willing to go with a 30-'06. For that matter, if you are willing to be flexible enough to include 30-'06 or 270 as potential options, then your possibilities are near endless. Might there be a nice pre-'64 in your future?
If you already have other rifles in 308/7.62 NATO, then I can understand why you could have a preference for 308. Otherwise, the 30-'06 can do everything the 308 will do and more besides.
If you already have other rifles in 308/7.62 NATO, then I can understand why you could have a preference for 308. Otherwise, the 30-'06 can do everything the 308 will do and more besides.
Saltydog235
New member
Sako, Cooper, Winchester SG, Montana to name a few. Why on earth would you spend that much on a Browning rifle, especially an X-Bolt. When I think of quality rifles, Browning is way down the list.
There are good reasons walnut is traditionally used for gun stocks and maple is not : Maple is significantly less stable than walnut with changes in humidity ..... it splits along the grain easily (very bad for hard recoiling rifles) ...... it is heavier than walnut, harder to work, harder to stain evenly ..... while it is harder than walnut, hard is not what you are needing most in a rifle stock...... I work with wood for a living, and there's applications for everything ..... maple rifle stocks? I've seen them, but most were done by some home gunsmith just because he confused "could" with "should" ......
"...not the 1917 version..." It's an M1918 and you're a Philistine. snicker. Know a guy who has a BAR that was made for the civilian market in the 1920's. Picture the old S&W deep rich bluing(It was like a might night blue tuxedo. Including the Mags and bi-pod.) and the most expensive burly walnut you ever saw on an LMG. And it has never been fired.
"...and maple is not..." Depends on the Maple. Maple was used(dunno which one) as an alternate stock wood on Long Branch No. 4 Lee-Enfields. Issue with it is mostly the colour. Think Swedish blond. Pretty but not so good for a battle rifle.
"...30-06 is to big for my small frame..." Ballistically the '06 and .308 are identical. Same felt recoil as a .308 out of like weight rifles. Difference between a .308 and '06 is a half inch of case/receiver length and about 100 FPS with like bullet weights. However, your size makes no difference(LOP is adjustable without much fuss. A recoil pad adds about an inch.) Had a small statured female cadet(5 foot nothing and about 100 pounds soaking wet.) when I commanded a CF Army Cadet Corps(teenagers), who could shoot circles around most of the male teenage lumps with an FN C1A1(Our 12 pound 7.62Nato FAL)or a No. 4 Lee-Enfield .303 Brit.
"...and maple is not..." Depends on the Maple. Maple was used(dunno which one) as an alternate stock wood on Long Branch No. 4 Lee-Enfields. Issue with it is mostly the colour. Think Swedish blond. Pretty but not so good for a battle rifle.
"...30-06 is to big for my small frame..." Ballistically the '06 and .308 are identical. Same felt recoil as a .308 out of like weight rifles. Difference between a .308 and '06 is a half inch of case/receiver length and about 100 FPS with like bullet weights. However, your size makes no difference(LOP is adjustable without much fuss. A recoil pad adds about an inch.) Had a small statured female cadet(5 foot nothing and about 100 pounds soaking wet.) when I commanded a CF Army Cadet Corps(teenagers), who could shoot circles around most of the male teenage lumps with an FN C1A1(Our 12 pound 7.62Nato FAL)or a No. 4 Lee-Enfield .303 Brit.
Pathfinder45
New member
Here is the link to the Winchester model 70 Featherweight: http://www.winchesterguns.com/produ...-Current-Products/model-70-featherweight.html
You can get it in a variety of calibers, but I will suggest that you consider the 6.5 Creedmoor if you think a 30-'06 kicks too much.
I'm a 270 Winchester guy, myself. But you ought to know that the 308, 30-'06, and 270, all recoil about the same in otherwise equal rifles with bullets of the same weight. And a lighter weight rifle with dimensions more suitable for a smaller framed person will kick substantially harder than a full-sized rifle of the same caliber. Hence my recommendation for the 6.5 Creedmoor, or even a 243 Winchester.
You can get it in a variety of calibers, but I will suggest that you consider the 6.5 Creedmoor if you think a 30-'06 kicks too much.
I'm a 270 Winchester guy, myself. But you ought to know that the 308, 30-'06, and 270, all recoil about the same in otherwise equal rifles with bullets of the same weight. And a lighter weight rifle with dimensions more suitable for a smaller framed person will kick substantially harder than a full-sized rifle of the same caliber. Hence my recommendation for the 6.5 Creedmoor, or even a 243 Winchester.
Every now and then one of the gun makers will trot out a maple-stocked rifle model, and they often are quite attractive. I have seen both the Winchester M70 with maple stock and the X-Bolt with maple stock, both are quite attractive. Unfortunately, maple stocks come and go, some people love them and some hate them. They are not the traditional look so they won't do for many people, and so they get looked at but not bought. I say if you like it, buy it.
Maple is a bit denser than walnut, and can be very hard, but I have not noticed much of a weight difference when a rifle stock is properly proportioned. Biggest difference and reason why walnut was the traditional wood is that it is a commercially grown wood and the supply is very good, we grow walnut trees for nuts and harvest the trees at about 50 years. Although maple is also grown commercially in some areas for maple syrup harvest, most maple lumber is wild-grown and therefore supply is limited.
Blond woods make the occasional appearance and then fade away again. My Mauser in 7X57 is stocked in figured myrtlewood. Beautiful, but a pain to do the stock work. Just a little bit of stain to make the grain stand out and a blond stock can be a real beauty.
Maple is a bit denser than walnut, and can be very hard, but I have not noticed much of a weight difference when a rifle stock is properly proportioned. Biggest difference and reason why walnut was the traditional wood is that it is a commercially grown wood and the supply is very good, we grow walnut trees for nuts and harvest the trees at about 50 years. Although maple is also grown commercially in some areas for maple syrup harvest, most maple lumber is wild-grown and therefore supply is limited.
Blond woods make the occasional appearance and then fade away again. My Mauser in 7X57 is stocked in figured myrtlewood. Beautiful, but a pain to do the stock work. Just a little bit of stain to make the grain stand out and a blond stock can be a real beauty.