Wood or polymer stock?
- Thread starter HALLAUSTIN
- Start date
Weatherby Fan
New member
I have found that wood looks nicer and is far less functional.
Living way up in Northern Canada, my W70FW stock dried right out because of the dry climate here. I oiled it but it didn't help enough. Now the sling swivel which anchors into a steel anchor which is glued to the stock is no longer straight for use with a bipod or sling. The wood shrunk when it dried out. What a pain in the ass. It's totally not necessary.
The 'glass bedding' in the rifle is so tight it takes a hammer to separate the stock from the action and it's necessary because the wood is so vulnerable to its environment.
I have some inherited heirloom rifles where the wood is cracked at the wrist or needed repairs in its lifetime. It's just too fragile.
It's the last new wood rifle I will own. They're just too problematic just so it can look a bit better. What's next? Hunting in the wood with a luis vuiton bag so you look better?
A rifle is a tool. Functionality over form. A synthetic stock has it ALL OVER wood in every conceivable way except looks. Looks is not a function.
Living way up in Northern Canada, my W70FW stock dried right out because of the dry climate here. I oiled it but it didn't help enough. Now the sling swivel which anchors into a steel anchor which is glued to the stock is no longer straight for use with a bipod or sling. The wood shrunk when it dried out. What a pain in the ass. It's totally not necessary.
The 'glass bedding' in the rifle is so tight it takes a hammer to separate the stock from the action and it's necessary because the wood is so vulnerable to its environment.
I have some inherited heirloom rifles where the wood is cracked at the wrist or needed repairs in its lifetime. It's just too fragile.
It's the last new wood rifle I will own. They're just too problematic just so it can look a bit better. What's next? Hunting in the wood with a luis vuiton bag so you look better?
A rifle is a tool. Functionality over form. A synthetic stock has it ALL OVER wood in every conceivable way except looks. Looks is not a function.
bamaranger
New member
sleeping with the harlot
I carried a M88 Winchester as my first and only "deer" rifle for nearly 20 years. An absolutely elegant piece of pre 64 blued steel and walnut. The rifle seemed an extension of my person. As a kid, I lived and hunted in a state where I only got a half dozen or so hunts in a season. But as I moved about I found more generous seasons and bag limits and I got to hunt a whole lot more. As the old Winchester was an heirloom, and I came into better pay and circumstances, I semi-retired the M88 and bought a Rem700 ADL synthetic.
It certainly was rough and ready. . I could tumble on and off ATV's, in and out of the truck, shooting houses, haul it up trees, and not worry to much about it. I liked that aspect.
But the Rem had no soul. It was cheap appearing, and made a funny hollow sound when handled and brushed. And it was cold in the hands, colder than wood I felt certain. And no looks to speak of. Just that grainy metal and that cold, hollow stock. No history either. This thing was just a convenience, it possessed no character, no connection to my past, my kin. I kill a deer with and feel no connection with anything, it was just a bullet launcher.
I'd slept with a harlot.
I carried a M88 Winchester as my first and only "deer" rifle for nearly 20 years. An absolutely elegant piece of pre 64 blued steel and walnut. The rifle seemed an extension of my person. As a kid, I lived and hunted in a state where I only got a half dozen or so hunts in a season. But as I moved about I found more generous seasons and bag limits and I got to hunt a whole lot more. As the old Winchester was an heirloom, and I came into better pay and circumstances, I semi-retired the M88 and bought a Rem700 ADL synthetic.
It certainly was rough and ready. . I could tumble on and off ATV's, in and out of the truck, shooting houses, haul it up trees, and not worry to much about it. I liked that aspect.
But the Rem had no soul. It was cheap appearing, and made a funny hollow sound when handled and brushed. And it was cold in the hands, colder than wood I felt certain. And no looks to speak of. Just that grainy metal and that cold, hollow stock. No history either. This thing was just a convenience, it possessed no character, no connection to my past, my kin. I kill a deer with and feel no connection with anything, it was just a bullet launcher.
I'd slept with a harlot.
The absolute KEY to having no moisture change induced issues with a wood stock is SEALING the pores of the wood. Many people simply assume that an off the shelf wood stock that comes on a rifle is properly sealed against weather. Usually, it ain't so. The INSIDE of the stock is the area most often neglected.
Anyway, with a PROPERLY sealed wood stock, there is never an issue with the wood drying out, cracking or swelling (due to moisture changes)....because the moisture content won't change. Some mistakenly believe that temperature is the actual factor at work - that a stock will swell on a hot day....and shrink on a cold one. ALL materials do change dimensionally with temp. change, but an amount so small as to not matter for this purpose. Change in MOISTURE CONTENT is the relevant factor. Prevent that from happening....and a wood stock will be just as stable as any other. Some also mistakenly believe that, once a piece of wood is kiln dried to a certain moisture content, that percentage won't change. That is absolute nonsense.
Again, IF the wood is not properly sealed, then the moisture content can and will change. Seal it properly....and the wood will be as stable as plastic.
A wood stock that has not been properly sealed....and allowed to dry out excessively, can be brought back via application of moisture, then re-drying to the optimum moisture content - if done slowly and carefully. However, ONLY if the "drying out" was not so excessive as to cause significant damage from shrinkage. If cracks have appeared, due to excessive drying - then things have gone too far. Such a stock is probably best used for firewood, at that point.
No question, wood stocks require more care than plastic ones. For me, though, it is worth it. For others, maybe not.
Anyway, with a PROPERLY sealed wood stock, there is never an issue with the wood drying out, cracking or swelling (due to moisture changes)....because the moisture content won't change. Some mistakenly believe that temperature is the actual factor at work - that a stock will swell on a hot day....and shrink on a cold one. ALL materials do change dimensionally with temp. change, but an amount so small as to not matter for this purpose. Change in MOISTURE CONTENT is the relevant factor. Prevent that from happening....and a wood stock will be just as stable as any other. Some also mistakenly believe that, once a piece of wood is kiln dried to a certain moisture content, that percentage won't change. That is absolute nonsense.
Again, IF the wood is not properly sealed, then the moisture content can and will change. Seal it properly....and the wood will be as stable as plastic.
A wood stock that has not been properly sealed....and allowed to dry out excessively, can be brought back via application of moisture, then re-drying to the optimum moisture content - if done slowly and carefully. However, ONLY if the "drying out" was not so excessive as to cause significant damage from shrinkage. If cracks have appeared, due to excessive drying - then things have gone too far. Such a stock is probably best used for firewood, at that point.
No question, wood stocks require more care than plastic ones. For me, though, it is worth it. For others, maybe not.
All my rifles are wood stocked guns, just personal preference I guess. On the other hand if we're talking really harsh conditions like laying in mud and snow goose hunting I'm taking my synthetic Benelli over my wood Beretta ALL day. I know shotguns are a different story, Someone had to throw it out there. 
Ah the lure of the wild, it seems from all the replies that one has to be a romantic and love wood, or a pragmatist and embrace plastic. Well that presents a problem. My favorite rifle is my Savage Model 10 in 243 wearing a walnut stock, not french walnut for sure, but walnut never the less. And my favorite hunting rifle is a Savage Model 100 in 270 Winchester wearing a synthetic featureless dark gray stock.
So that is my problem, I like both and see them useful for their own purpose and looks. So what does that make me, a romantic or pragmatist?
Well, I guess a romantic because my fall back rifle is this.
Romio oh Romio where forth art thou Romio. Ah, hell the deer won't know the difference.
Jim
So that is my problem, I like both and see them useful for their own purpose and looks. So what does that make me, a romantic or pragmatist?
Well, I guess a romantic because my fall back rifle is this.
Romio oh Romio where forth art thou Romio. Ah, hell the deer won't know the difference.
Jim