Best Wood Stock Rifle

[COSA]

Been wanting to return to the look and feel of a wood stock in the $800 - $1500 range, and kind of like the SS barrel look. Still want it to be accurate (~1 moa), but also pretty, but not so pretty I won't use - 300 Win Mag or 300 wsm. Any opinions?
Here's what I'm looking at from my research, kind of leaning towards a model 70:

• Model 70 Super Grade: Nice stock, action, and prefer the hinged floorplate magazine style. Heavy, tough to get in SS bbl, and accuracy?
• Browning X Bolt White Gold Medallion: Accurate, pretty, light. Detachable plastic magazine and too shiny?
• Model 70 featherweight: Light, action & hinged floorplate magazine. Stock is pretty plain jane.
• Sako 85 Hunter: Accurate and smooth, a bit expensive and don't like the Sako scope mount system.

Have also looked at Montana Rifles, Tikka, and Remington a little. Thanks for any input

 

[DRUSS]

Kimber used to make a nice looking stainless walnut gun?

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[Akwoodchuck]

I always thought the Savage 14 stainless was a good looking gun...there's a few beautifully stocked Rugers around too....

 

[myalias789]

Don’t get the super grade m70. Local shop has a few and I wouldn’t want to scratch them. They are way too pretty imo to take hunting. And they are heavier than necessary.

You can get a regular blued featherweights NIB for less thAn $700 online. Stock is plain jane though.

 

[Burnt Reynolds]

Take the plain jane, let the battle scars be the adornments...Note: the mag contour barrels on the featherweights get a hogged out barrel channel to fit in the stock. Looks a little disproportionate to my eye and might allow for forend flex to more of a degree than one would like.
While my fwt is wood/blued and a 270 vs the stainless 300 mag you're looking for, I love it. I've had great accuracy with 129 grain barnes LRX. I added a timney trigger. I'm seriously considering an M70 Alaskan in 30-06, which they also offer in 300 mag.
Weight as pictured with 5 rounds in the magazine is 9lbs 6oz. Harris bipod, strap, Leupold dual dovetail base/rings, Leupold vx3i 3.5-10x40 cds duplex. Perfect carrying weight with some nice features for the weight.

 

[NDGuy]

Have also looked at Montana Rifles, Tikka, and Remington a little. Thanks for any input

Heard nothing but negative things on Montana rifles. Stay away.

If you want pretty wood I would look for a used rifle. If you want a new rifle I would check out the Tikka Hunter or that Sako!

 

[prm]

Perhaps not in the price range you mentioned, but you can have a stock made to the receiver of your choice. Can make as fancy or plain as you’d like and fit will be perfect.

https://www.aigunstocks.com/

 

[NDGuy]

Perhaps not in the price range you mentioned, but you can have a stock made to the receiver of your choice. Can make as fancy or plain as you’d like and fit will be perfect.

https://www.aigunstocks.com/

View attachment 102550

Sigh...someday

 

[Gearqueer]

I’ve been looking at the same type of rifle myself. It looks like the Browning X-bolts come glass bedded which is a custom feature for everyone else. I love the M70’s, but I’m a lefty and they stopped making them years ago for southpaws.


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[duckhunter175]

Consider picking up a stainless Rem 700 for cheap and getting a Cooper drop in wood stock. Have a smith bed it (add a trigger while you are at it) and you are still under $1000 but you've had a chance to have a say in everything.

 

[TomM]

M70 Supergrades weigh a ton, I’d go Fwt as they are bedded and floated from the factory. The South Carolina guns Ive owned (3) were all accurate. My one Portugal gun was a disappointment and I’m still not over it or I would have a Fwt 7-08.

If you really want an accurate and weather proof wood stocked gun, get a Rem 7600. The stock can warp all it wants and those dam things will still shoot straight. There is no bedding, just a steel receiver with wooden handles.

 

[DangerRanger]

Have you looked at any of the CZ offerings?

 

[Bisley45]

My xbolt hunter 30.06 is boring, it shoots my 165 sgks and 180 interbonds both under 0.75 inches and the group centers are within a half inch of one another. Loaded rifle with scope and sling is a hair over 8 lbs. However those white gold medalion rifles look like something a 1983 Los Angeles pimp would put together. The regular medalions are beautiful.

Pic below is 4 rounds at 100 yards.

 

[Wmmichael20]

I'm with you on liking the look of Walnut and stainless, and last I remember Ruger made some in the combo, or with a laminate stock. This one clicked for me saw it had to have it

 

[juan trueno]

This was an old youth model 7 with the maple shnable tip stock. That is a CDL stock I was handed down. The forearm has a channel routed from the tip to the recoil lug that has section of a graphite flyrod bedded in it- so the forearm effectively cannot warp. The barrel channel is heavily waxed with Johnson’s paste wax the reciever and floor plate are pillar bedded and the exterior of the stock gets waxed as well. It’s impervious.

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[Buckman]

Going down that same path as you, wanted to have something that reminded me of my youth. Bought a model 70 Super Grade in 243. The problem I'm having is keeping everything gloss. Very hard finding a scope in gloss, i did order one from Cameraland to get me by. Wanted leupold dual dovetail bases and rings but no go. Can get them in standard so i will do that. Its been quite the search, but when its all together i think it will be just right. Check on Gun Broker and theres some good pics to see of the one you could get. Northern Firearms is really REEDS sporting out of Minnesota and ship for free. Good people too. Good luck.

 

[30338]

Built this 6.5x47 recently. Like it a lot and in your budget. Well maybe without the DBM bottom metal it would be.

 

[Uttlc]

Weatherby Vanguards would fall within this range. I have a simple sporter in 25-06. Decent walnut, not fancy, but shoots like a dream

 

[Osteodoc08]

My Kimber Longmaster in 308 has a really nice walnut stock.

If wanting a custom, Macon Gunstocks have done me well on my custom lever guns.

 

[Two Roads]

We are huge cooper fans because typically they use really nice wood, and they are shooters. With a little persistence you can find a used one more towards the top of your budget range. Then over the long winter you can boost it to look even better using 800 / 1500 grit, wet sanding in 50% mineral spirits and 50% True Oil (just mix VERY TINY amount each time in disposable plastic shot glass). About 15 - 20 super thin coats of that followed by 5 thin coats with just your thumb rubbing it in will take that stock up two notches. Follow with a buff out.