Question on wood stocks for hunting

[Chukar Hunter]

Just want to ask the opinion of those of you who love wood stocks. We have all heard stories of wood warping when it gets wet, and changing the POI. I personally haven't experienced it.

My question is if one has a rifle that is glass and pillar bedded rifle with a free floating barrel that has at least 2-3mm of clearance between the barrel and the stock, will this ever be a concern?

[catnthehat]

I have never owned a synthetic stocked rifle and never had an issue with POI change .
Cat

[Chukar Hunter]

Originally Posted by catnthehat

I have never owned a synthetic stocked rifle and never had an issue with POI change .
Cat

Thanks Cat.

[timsesink]

Never had it either. Composite is great for a variety of reasons but a good wood stock is just as stable in my experience.

I'd say a good wood stock is better then 75% of the junk synthetic stock out there currently. More resilient, stronger, stiffer and just feels better. The higher end composites are another matter.

[elkhunter11]

I have personally witnessed a change in poi due to wood stocks being exposed to moisture, but those stocks were not all properly bedded and free floated. I prefer high end composite stocks like McMillan myself.

[Salavee]

[QUOTE=timsesink;4203481]Never had it either. Composite is great for a variety of reasons but a good wood stock is just as stable in my experience.

I'd say a good wood stock is better then 75% of the junk synthetic stock out there currently. More resilient, stronger, stiffer and just feels better. The higher end composites are another matter.[/QUOTE

Totally agree. I have used properly finished wood stocks for many years and have neve experienced an issue with well prepared and maintained wooden stocks and moisture induced warpage. It just wont happen.

[Buckhead]

I've used a lot of wood stocks all my life and had very few issues.

When I had a concern at all, I pulled the stock off and put a couple coats of diluted spar varnish on any exposed wood that hadn't been previously finished.

Seemed to do the trick.

[fps plus]

Not only is it a good idea to properly bed ,I feel one needs to seal all the areas of the stock . Inside the action mortise , the checkering , and under the recoil pad

[Paintearthmike]

Originally Posted by Buckhead

I've used a lot of wood stocks all my life and had very few issues.

When I had a concern at all, I pulled the stock off and put a couple coats of diluted spar varnish on any exposed wood that hadn't been previously finished.

Seemed to do the trick.

I, too, have always hunted with walnut stocked guns;well bedded and with free-floated barrels. I prefer an oil finish, and before each season, I give the stock a light coat of Swedish oil. As to the inside of the stock, I periodically take it off and give all exposed surfaces a coat of furniture wax. This has always waterproofed it just fine. But Buckhead's strategy my be a more permanent, one-time, solution.

And as to the little dings and scratches you may get, I regard them as character marks; mementos of the good times spent afield. (Some of them even provide lasting, memorable stories!)

[Brbpuppy]

I haven't had any issues with my poi on wood stocks. Before each hunting season, I coat my firearms with ballistol.

[graybeard]

I had heard that laminate trumps both the walnut wood and the synthetic....I have owned all three.....with no problems....And no POI change on any of them.
I will say though, I have a de-humidifier in may safe and one in the room itself.

In addition, I wipe down all my rifles with "Johnson's" floor wax, to reduce any moisture embedding into the stock.

[W921]

Originally Posted by catnthehat

I have never owned a synthetic stocked rifle and never had an issue with POI change .
Cat

Same with me!
Would also add that I have had POI changes because of cheap scopes. I have thrown away so many tasco,bushel, Weaver scopes. Came on guns I bought and I threw em right in garbage.
I have never had issues with Leopold.
Most scopes are made for a guy who might shoot a box or two a year of low recoil 270 or 308. Plus there is a big difference between hunting from a tree stand and packing a rifle on a horse.
Even the mounts can be flimsy. I used to drill out the factory base scews and re tap with oversize.
Iron sights can get knocked as well. Depends on design. Military definitely has the best ideas on iron sights.

[W921]

Bill Ruger said that he went with plastic stocks because it was so expensive to source good walnut.
If you get a chance to look at Bill Rugers private gun collection you won't find any synthetic or plastic.
Basically all the changes in Ruger guns are about lawsuits and cutting costs. Ruger says this himself.

[58thecat]

Originally Posted by W921

Same with me!
Would also add that I have had POI changes because of cheap scopes. I have thrown away so many tasco,bushel, Weaver scopes. Came on guns I bought and I threw em right in garbage.
I have never had issues with Leopold.
Most scopes are made for a guy who might shoot a box or two a year of low recoil 270 or 308. Plus there is a big difference between hunting from a tree stand and packing a rifle on a horse.
Even the mounts can be flimsy. I used to drill out the factory base scews and re tap with oversize.
Iron sights can get knocked as well. Depends on design. Military definitely has the best ideas on iron sights.

whoaaaa stop right there...next time you get to chuckin' scopes out pm me....

perhaps many moons ago wood was not as good quality and QC was well never so yup you get crap and pressure points on barrels etc just like the bullets everything has evolved to the point of higher quality products....

[no-regard]

Most of my rifles have wood stocks, and though I've only been hunting for 10 years or so I've never had a problem.

In fact this past December I used this Tikka 7RM...



To do this....



And then this...



No problems here!!

[Homesteader]

I can't say if POI changed but I had a factory Savage 110 wood stock warp horribly hunting in a wet snow one fall. To Savages credit they replaced it no questions. Never had another wood stock twist like that Savage, bought new, and never touched, so they missed some sealant somewhere.

[Kapustacrk]

I have hunted since my youth, with wood stocked rifles, deluxe's and fancy AAA monte Carlo walnut. All were bedded and sealed from moisture, there all shot very consistent, specially Laminated wood. !! The wood is so appealing to the eye and in your hands. Can't get that from plastic. JMO. If done right it'll serve you well. and be a consistent shooter. !! KAP-Crk.

[58thecat]

Originally Posted by Homesteader

I can't say if POI changed but I had a factory Savage 110 wood stock warp horribly hunting in a wet snow one fall. To Savages credit they replaced it no questions. Never had another wood stock twist like that Savage, bought new, and never touched, so they missed some sealant somewhere.

seen a few swollen stocks too....but quality control has come a long way...


seen many wood stocks repaired due to exposure, hot, cold, wet, repeat...then out at the range a crack appears just to be repaired. These were on rifles by people who actually use, carry them more often than the average person....these people tend to run high end so called plastic stocks just for the simple nature of what they are put up against daily....but for most the beauty of a wood stock is simply stunning and to get it out for a week or so every year it fills the freezer nicely.

[58thecat]

Originally Posted by no-regard

Most of my rifles have wood stocks, and though I've only been hunting for 10 years or so I've never had a problem.

In fact this past December I used this Tikka 7RM...



To do this....



And then this...



No problems here!!

ok your rifle is sweating from all the work, beads of sweat pouring off of it, you look toooo comfortable, wish I had a rifle that did all the hard work for me.....

[catnthehat]

Not only wood, but my favorite hunting rifles are two piece stocked as well.
I quite often here how those are inaccurate .
I guess I never got the memo even after I got my first no.1 in 1980!
Cat

[Brbpuppy]

Originally Posted by no-regard

Most of my rifles have wood stocks, and though I've only been hunting for 10 years or so I've never had a problem.

In fact this past December I used this Tikka 7RM...



To do this....



And then this...



No problems here!!

AWESOME NICE HUNT! We got the same hat

[W921]

Originally Posted by 58thecat

whoaaaa stop right there...next time you get to chuckin' scopes out pm me....

perhaps many moons ago wood was not as good quality and QC was well never so yup you get crap and pressure points on barrels etc just like the bullets everything has evolved to the point of higher quality products....

This would have been back thirty years ago. Guess I could have gave them to somebody. Problem is I like people. If there was someone I didn't like I guess I could have gave them to em haha.

[Battle Rat]

It won't hurt to tung oil the inside of the stock if you are concerned about it.

[Mateo]

As a furniture maker who works a lot with Walnut, I can say walnut has a real personality. It's beautiful wood for sure but can retain tension as it dries. If it wasnt so good looking it would be a terrible choice for rifle stocks. But part of the challenge is why I enjoy working with it. wood takes in moisture at the end grain first and fastest. so sealing the wood under your recoil pad is a must. Also , anywhere where they machined the stock to fit the action and floorplate/mag, will have exposed end grain that will pull in any moisture quickly and will work it's way in and start the wood moving. So sealing these areas is also a must. It is shocking how often this area is raw wood. Checkering on the forend that has had the finish worn off it another good spot to let moisture in. this lets the forend move and will certainly affect poi if there is anyway the barrel contacts the wood.

[Dean2]

I hunted with wood stocks for decades, and in some really terrible weather. Like so many others have said, as long as all of the spots on the stock are well sealed, one place often missed is under the butt pad, recoil pad, then they are a great platform for a rifle. With the exception of top quality synthetic stocks like Wildcat, McMillan and the like, most of the factory synthetics are significantly inferior to a decent wood stock. The cheap synthetic stocks are used primarily as a cost saving measure, they are not used for improving performance. Many shooters think they are superior merely because it is now hard to find a wood stocked rifle. It is amazing what nonsense marketing can spin into a positive.

[catnthehat]

Several reasons why professional stock makers use walnut over other woods is because it stays stable after being properly dried, " takes a chisel well" in that it cuts well with had tools , and generally has a good tight grain .
One well known German master gunsmith once remarked to me that he would only do walnut stocks if he had a choice , but worked with other blanks if they were customer supplied .
My father , who stocked rifles as part of his R&D work said to me when asked " Any wood will do to build a good gunstock as long as it's walnut!"
Cat

[W921]

Years ago I saw some beautiful muzzle loaders that had maple stocks. There are different types and I can't really remember anymore. Birdseye was one. Some maple is way denser than others. Saw muzzle loaders with burned rope patterns.
Never owned a maple stock but some sure can be pretty.

[Chukar Hunter]

Originally Posted by Mateo

As a furniture maker who works a lot with Walnut, I can say walnut has a real personality. It's beautiful wood for sure but can retain tension as it dries. If it wasnt so good looking it would be a terrible choice for rifle stocks. But part of the challenge is why I enjoy working with it. wood takes in moisture at the end grain first and fastest. so sealing the wood under your recoil pad is a must. Also , anywhere where they machined the stock to fit the action and floorplate/mag, will have exposed end grain that will pull in any moisture quickly and will work it's way in and start the wood moving. So sealing these areas is also a must. It is shocking how often this area is raw wood. Checkering on the forend that has had the finish worn off it another good spot to let moisture in. this lets the forend move and will certainly affect poi if there is anyway the barrel contacts the wood.

That's some intricate advise, thank you sir!

[Chukar Hunter]

I have also heard that a lot of F class shooters are now switching to wood.