Polymer or Timber stock

[Mada]

As a beginner to this sport and my search for a new rifle narrows, another question is what is better? A Polymer or Timber stock?.

[SCJ429]

Whatever is on your rifle can be made to work. Timber feels better and wins on looks. If you have a Tupperware stocked Tikka, just shoot it and enjoy the accuracy. It doesn't have to look good to shoot well.

[SCJ429]

What rifles and calibers are you considering?

[brett1868]

What's the intended target? For hunting you'd be looking at something light and durable such as polymer. If a mix of hunting / target then timber or for pure target then a chassis rifle is hard to pass up. They all have their places and will depend on what fits you the best.

[marksman]

I like nice timber myself and for more than feel or the look but each to there own its what you like that counts

[in2anity]

Wood changes over time, by looks beautiful. Polys can be good, but it depends on the rigidity, for example the tikkas or Lithgows are very hard, where that factory hogue stock probably has a bit too much flex in it if your chasing pinpoint accuracy.

[JimTom]

Personally being a bit of a traditionalist I prefer the look of the timber however all of my rifles are polymer stocks. I just use them in the bush so I think they can take a little more punishment than timber and in all honesty they do look alright.

[Daddybang]

I like nice timber myself and for more than feel or the look but each to there own its what you like that counts

+1

[Yipikaye]

I love to look at and play with my wood.

I also have a chassis rifle for target and hunting.

[bladeracer]

Poly for me for any rifle I'm taking Bush, or for consistent precision. Aluminium is more rigid and supports the action better, but can be heavier than poly. Wood is great for appearance, but is heavy, absorbent, changes shape randomly according to environmental conditions, and is restricted by its grain in how it can be shaped. Laminated plywood addresses most of these drawbacks, but looks and feels like polymer anyway.

[Daddybang]

I love to look at and play with my wood.

I also have a chassis rifle for target and hunting.

[Mada]

22LR for a k X of hunting and target shooting.

[trekin]

Poly for me for any rifle I'm taking Bush, or for consistent precision. Aluminium is more rigid and supports the action better, but can be heavier than poly. Wood is great for appearance, but is heavy, absorbent, changes shape randomly according to environmental conditions, and is restricted by its grain in how it can be shaped. Laminated plywood addresses most of these drawbacks, but looks and feels like polymer anyway.

Laminated bamboo addresses all those drawbacks, including looking and feeling like timber.

[bladeracer]

Poly for me for any rifle I'm taking Bush, or for consistent precision. Aluminium is more rigid and supports the action better, but can be heavier than poly. Wood is great for appearance, but is heavy, absorbent, changes shape randomly according to environmental conditions, and is restricted by its grain in how it can be shaped. Laminated plywood addresses most of these drawbacks, but looks and feels like polymer anyway.

Laminated bamboo addresses all those drawbacks, including looking and feeling like timber.

Who offers lami-bamboo?

[Archie]

22LR for a k X of hunting and target shooting.

Wood. I was going to go with "depends what you are doing with it" but in this case, get it in wood. My rifles are mostly synthetic, some wood and I have a laminate varmint rifle, weighs a ton but its a varmint so the bullet does the walking. So I don't have much of a personal preference and normally just buy what works best for the intended purpose.

But, a good 22lr will last you the rest of your life and probably your kid's life. When you pick it up in 30 years time and it's loaded with memories, it'll feel better if its wood not plastic. Worry about polymer or wood for the second rifle, not the first.

EDIT: Just realised I assumed it was your first rifle as you said beginner but of course that may be incorrect. Also clearly I am getting sentimental, must be getting old.

[trekin]

Poly for me for any rifle I'm taking Bush, or for consistent precision. Aluminium is more rigid and supports the action better, but can be heavier than poly. Wood is great for appearance, but is heavy, absorbent, changes shape randomly according to environmental conditions, and is restricted by its grain in how it can be shaped. Laminated plywood addresses most of these drawbacks, but looks and feels like polymer anyway.

Laminated bamboo addresses all those drawbacks, including looking and feeling like timber.

Who offers lami-bamboo?

Signiture line give you a hint at all?

[bladeracer]

Laminated bamboo addresses all those drawbacks, including looking and feeling like timber.

Who offers lami-bamboo?[/quote]

Signiture line give you a hint at all?[/quote]

Nope. Is there supposed to be readable text in that picture?
A link to a website perhaps?

[trekin]

Laminated bamboo addresses all those drawbacks, including looking and feeling like timber.

Who offers lami-bamboo?

Signiture line give you a hint at all?[/quote]

Nope. Is there supposed to be readable text in that picture?
A link to a website perhaps?[/quote]

[bladeracer]

Signiture line give you a hint at all?

Nope. Is there supposed to be readable text in that picture?
A link to a website perhaps?[/quote][/quote]

I'll have a look, but you really need a readable sig.
I read a giant R printed to obscure an unreadable word in red printed behind it.

[bladeracer]

Laminated bamboo addresses all those drawbacks, including looking and feeling like timber.

Who offers lami-bamboo?

Signiture line give you a hint at all?

Nope. Is there supposed to be readable text in that picture?
A link to a website perhaps?[/quote][/quote]

I had a look at your FB page, but it looks like they're completely custom hand-made only?
Doesn't that make them somewhat non-viable in the market for the average hunting rifle?
What would it cost to put a Ruger American into one of these?

[sungazer]

Dont worry mate I was able to read it when I looked. Must admit the first time I just thought it was a flag but on closer inspection I googled and found your site.

[Justin9mm]

Does anyone know what would be a good looking chassis/stock for a Stainless Steel Barrel/Action?

I recently bought a new Howa 1500 .223 Stainless Steel heavy barrel and came with the cheap standard rubberised black stock. My intention was to upgrade this stock. I think Timber looks good with the Stainless and the black rubber looks good with it but I'm not sold on a Black Tactical style Chassis like the APC, I can't picture what it would look like and might look a little odd and can't find any pics on the net with that combination.

I want something that looks really nice but no idea which way I want to go..

EDIT: This is a 70%-80% Target rifle.

[MontyShooter]

MDT chassis in FDE looks good with a stainless barrel...to me.

I'm surprised people mention tikka polymer stocks as quality. They are purpose built to be lightweight. But feel as solid as an icecream container.

[Townsville shooter]

MDT chassis in FDE looks good with a stainless barrel...to me.

I'm surprised people mention tikka polymer stocks as quality. They are purpose built to be lightweight. But feel as solid as an icecream container.

My T3X Super Varmint feels pretty solid. Shoots exactly how I expect too.

[SCJ429]

Monty, I hate the look and feel of the Tikka Tupperware stock but it works great, a can of FDE paint made it look less like a murder weapon.
Justin, you can get some stock stabilising goop from Nathan Foster to strengthen that rubber Hogue stock, after that they are pretty good to go hunting with. If you want to spend more money the GRS stocks are excellent if a little slippery, you will need to bed your action. For target only you could get a Manners Tracker.

[Rod_outbak]

The synthetic varmint stock on my Tikka T3 Hunter is great; feels solid, and weatherproof. Seems to be pretty durable.

I bought a Boyds polymer Thumbhole stock for the T3(before a mate gave me his Tikka varmint stock), and I had all sorts of bedding issues with it. It felt pretty good to handle, but the rifle didnt seem to like it.
[With a bit of time, I might have been able to bed this stock in properly, and get better groups from it, but I was given the Tikka Varmint stock, so canned that idea]

I bought a polymer stock a few years back, to go onto the old Remington 788 .223 rifle. Damn thing broke in half after about 6 months!

I like the look and feel of wood, but I must admit that my preference for working rifles, is a good polymer stock.

Have you handled a Macmillan polymer stock? Heavy as buggery, but beautiful stocks, and denser than any wood. Expensive as all get-out, but people who have them love them.

[trekin]

Laminated bamboo addresses all those drawbacks, including looking and feeling like timber.

Who offers lami-bamboo?

Signiture line give you a hint at all?

Nope. Is there supposed to be readable text in that picture?
A link to a website perhaps?

[/quote]

I had a look at your FB page, but it looks like they're completely custom hand-made only?
Doesn't that make them somewhat non-viable in the market for the average hunting rifle?
What would it cost to put a Ruger American into one of these?[/quote]
Well, I can assure you that they are not all "completely custom hand-made only". Pm me with what you want done, so as not to hijack this thread. I think that you will be pleasantly surpised with the price.

[SCJ429]

Great looking stocks, do Tactikool stocks come inletted for a drop in fit?

[Gwion]

Wood changes over time, by looks beautiful. Polys can be good, but it depends on the rigidity, for example the tikkas or Lithgows are very hard, where that factory hogue stock probably has a bit too much flex in it if your chasing pinpoint accuracy.

Yep. Oils ain't oils and polymers ain't polymers.

Each manufacturer will choose a polymer bases on it's own priorities (some performance, some ecconomics and some varying mix if thed two).

As Brett and others have mentioned: use will govern best choice.

If you go synthetc, choose something rigid. Composites will be stiffer than most polymers. You can always buy an aftermarket stock as well.....

[Gwion]

Laminated bamboo addresses all those drawbacks, including looking and feeling like timber.

Who offers lami-bamboo?

Signiture line give you a hint at all?

Nope. Is there supposed to be readable text in that picture?
A link to a website perhaps?

[/quote]

I had a look at your FB page, but it looks like they're completely custom hand-made only?
Doesn't that make them somewhat non-viable in the market for the average hunting rifle?
What would it cost to put a Ruger American into one of these?[/quote]

Trekin can reproduce your factory stock (or other) in bamboo at a very good price, mate.

Definitel another ootion for OP.