Wood stocks, is it just me?

[husky390]

To me, the typical synthetic stocked rifle is like a Glock, or a hammer. Soulless but a tool nonetheless. I can kill an hour in the Cabelas or Bass Pro fine gun room appreciating the fine wood grained stocked rifles and to me they have a soul, kinda like a 1911. Now, before I get flamed, I own Glocks and 1911's and both are fine arms, just the Glock is like driving a base model Toyota Corolla while the 1911 feels like I'm driving a Bentley.
The majority of my hunting rifles have that ugly black synthetic stock for reasons as others have stated, and my wood stocked rifles only come out when it's a nice sunny day. I recently purchased two rifles, one is a Winchester 88 in .243 that I plan to hunt with it but only after I put a Boyds wood stock on it as I don't want to bang up the original stock and it will only be used on nice days. The other rifle is a Ruger American Compact in .308 and I could care less what happens to it which means it will see a lot more field use, like my Glocks do.

 

[LazyV]

To me there is a place for both wood and synthetic stocks. Next weeks hunt for spring bear in the wenaha it will be a kimber Montana because I'll be backpacking and it will be exposed to more. Come deer season at the farm I will carry a kimber Classic in 7mm wsm because I can clean it easily every day and it is much less likely I will damage the stock there. Seems easy enough to match the weapon to the hunt as they both have their place in my eye.

 

[handwerk]

Being a rifle nut I have some of both, all my rifles are pre 64 model 70's....1 in a very nice custom wood stock, really a joy to look at and hunt with. I often can be found using my original stocked M70's enjoying their history all the while giving them even more field use, but I will add that about 1/2 of my rifles sit in mcm stocks, have been customized and have turned out to be accurate workhorses that end up get hunted every year. It's ok to like them all.

 

[KINGSNAKE]

All my rifles are tools built for a specific purpose and I have zero Intrest in wood stocks. Custom Composite stocks are far superior. However I do like wood over under shotguns.

 

[Backpack Hunter]

The majority of the time a wood stock is not going to make a bit of difference. I have a bit of both styles. Still like the look of good wood, but with my personality synthetic is usually preferred.....you know for that .0001 chance when it might matter.

 

[Kevin Dill]

The guys who prefer wood are no doubt in the minority these days....agree? Go to any gun shop and scan the entire rack. Interestingly, I have yet to own a synthetic stocked gun of any type. Even my good Winchester turkey gun (1300) sports some very nice walnut and has never been camo'd. I'm a real weirdo!

 

[CAhunter]

I have a wood stocked Kimber, I kept the wood stock for its beauty and put the Kimber action in a McMillan stock. Just couldn't beat that wood up, it is so nice and as Shrek said it had to go. Now I only did this because I got the Kimber nib at 50% off avg selling price from a buddy that won it in a raffle.

dotman,
Which McMillan stock did you get for your Kimber? I glanced at their site and wasn't sure which would fit. Thanks,
Brian

 

[njdoxie]

I go strictly ss/synthetic, couldn't give a rats behind about the warmth and feel, it's strictly a tool for me, not a work of art.
Is it the right caliber? Is it the right weight? Is it SS/synthetic? If yes to all of the above then I'm good.

 

[idelkslayer]

I'm a wood stock guy. MAybe that comes from years of doing finish carpentry and custom cabinets. I'm pretty traditional when it comes to most of my gear. All of my rifles are stocked with wood. I did buy a .22 LR that was plastic stock so I went out and bought a piece of walnut and carved out a nice stock for it. I hunt in very wet areas of northern Idaho and haven't had any issues with warping. A properly sealed and oiled stock isn't going to absorb moisture. I do glass bed my rifles but that's it.

As for durability, I don't think that synthetics have an advantage. Anything that will scratch a wood stock will scratch a synthetic stock. It adds character and memories. I've bought most of my rifles used and one of the first things I do is strip and refinish the stock, it looks like new when I'm done and then I know that every scratch and dent is mine. It does hurt when that first blemish happens but it gets easier.

 

[GKPrice]

Being primarily a bow guy, I'm chiming in for the heck of it. I think a majority of this is a matter of a man's sentiment, personality and preference. I grew up with wood-stocked everything in guns. If it was worth buying back then, it wore a damned-good walnut foundation and that was that. Every bow I've ever owned has carried wood somewhere, and today my bows are as much about the wood in them as anything else. I love wood arrows. Beautiful...warm...traditional, begs-for-a-hug wood has a sort of presence and personality. I find it a bit hard to explain at times. I simply can't don 100% synthetic clothes, put on plastic boots, grab a synthetic weapon, and use every laboratory-made creation I can to help me afield. I like wood and I accept the limitations it presents. Now that said...I can be impressed by a custom rifle carrying a custom syn-stock. AR weapons tweak my wannabe-bad lobe some days. But when I place a well-stocked walnut gun next to a synthetic rig...my preference will be for the wood. It might not perform like synthetic. It might be heavier to carry. It might get some character marks on it. I might have to accept its limits and be okay with it. No problem here.

I also like canvas, wool and goose down, though they are repped to have their limits. Turkey feathers are on all my arrows despite the allure of plastic vanes. Leather soaks up water, but I still can't give up on it 100%. My 65-pound no let-off longbow weighs 28 ounces and it kicks ass...better for me than any synthetic wheeled, cabled and sighted bow could ever be. Give me straight Kentucky single-barrel bourbon in a glass tumbler, too. I like the traditions.

I LIKE the way you think

 

[GKPrice]

To each his own (as they say) I long ago chose synthetic stocks for the lightness mainly, I've broken 3 - I would not dream of questioning or challenging another for liking or using wood stocks - it is not difficult to waterproof a good wooden stock, it's been done for years (and years) I usually choose stainless when buying a new rifle but as far as SS being "superior" to CM steel, well I've got a nice Tikka T3 sitting in the safe that has rust pock marks all over it and I was aghast when I discovered it's condition after an elk hunt - Cerakote is far superior IMO but RIG grease works just as well too, you just gotta take the time ..... laminated wood, although tough as nails is also heavier than plain wood - it all depends on a) what is your personal preference b) how do you hunt c) your budget and d) your personal preference - I'd never back away from hunting with a friend because he chose to carry a wood stocked rifle

 

[MRidge]

My $0.02 to this would be answer ( D ) all the above. Growing up, wood was pretty much all that was readily available. The safe is full of mid 70's early 80's Rem 700 BDL's. My first synthetic didn't come along until the late 80's in a Rem 700SS Mtn Rifle chambered in .280. Since I've added around a half dozen others, however nothing on the high quality end in my opinion.
I took a 700SS in .257Bee and restocked it into a pillar bedded pepper laminated stock. Honestly, it's probably the best feeling set-up I have, and has also turned into one of my favorite calibers. With that said, I wouldn't be taking that rifle out into conditions I know it would be getting soaked or exposed to extreme elements. I have synthetic stocked rifles, and that's what those are used for. Chose the tool for the job/conditions.

At the end of the day I'd have to agree though - wood stocked is much more personable.

 

[6mm Remington]

I think synthetics have their place, but I like my wood. Now I really like a nutmeg laminate like Boyds makes. Pillar and glass bed something like that and you have the best of both worlds. The picture is of my 280 AI I just had built. The stock is the classic Winchester that came on the rifle which has been pillar and glass bedded. Love it and love the way it looks!

 

[dotman]

dotman,
Which McMillan stock did you get for your Kimber? I glanced at their site and wasn't sure which would fit. Thanks,
Brian

The A5 is the only stock they will inlet for it. At first I was kind of on the fence because the A5 is a tactical stock but I'm very happy I went this route. I have the standard fill and it weighs in at 32oz so only 4oz more then the wood stock. I got mine as a factory second that needed some cosmetic cleanup from Bushmen stocks for 40% off.

If I was going to order direct I would get the Edge fill and drop the weight of the stock down to around 27oz.

Total weight of my setup is just over 8lbs.

 

[Kevin Dill]

As said before, I'm primarily a longbow guy who loves wood. I do own a number of fine guns though they seldom see use on game these days. I fully support the idea and functionality of synthetic stocks...they are unbeatable for performance. So is a GPS, but a good magnetic compass works as well as it ever did if the man knows his stuff. Sometimes I wonder how I ever shot sub-half-inch groups with my old Model 70 .243 sporter back in the '70s. Maybe my eyes were better. No...they definitely were better! Anyway...

I've got a very healthy population of coyotes living all around me on my Ohio farm. They come into the yard and around my buildings, and howl very close at night. My wife says they need...hmm...intimidated. To that end, I broke down and acquired a new Kimber Longmaster Classic less than a week ago. It's going to primarily be a 'house gun' (I can shoot up to 400+ yards off my back deck) for varmint action, but I might take it on the occasional walk or drive in the neighborhood. Did I mention it has w-w-w-wood?

 

[husky390]

That Kimber is beautiful.