Do you like wood or synthetic stocks?

Rimfire bolt action rifles, lever action, pump action and self loading rifles. Air rifles.

Do you like wood or synthetic stocks?

Post by jwai86 » 13 Mar 2022, 9:03 am

My preference in my ongoing search for a rimfire rifle is for a synthetic stock. I'm probably in the minority, but I don't have any particular attachment to wooden stocks. I would also probably feel less sad if a synthetic stock takes a knock or scratch than if it were a wooden one.
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Re: Do you like wood or synthetic stocks?

Post by Lsfan » 13 Mar 2022, 9:34 am

I prefer the look of a timber stock but am nervous about damaging it. I can't see a synthetic stock ever looking as good to me as a nice timber one. But I guess like everyone says, depends on the purpose. I think maybe best to reserve timber for range work and synthetic for hunting. That seems practical.
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Re: Do you like wood or synthetic stocks?

Post by Wyliecoyote » 13 Mar 2022, 10:11 am

It depends on how you view a firearm. Some view them as art or a period of nostalgia. Others like myself view them as a precision instrument in which case wood has a limited place. The only exception for me would be an alloy bedding block glued into a well aged laminate stock. There is a vibration damping effect in wood that no alloy or synthetic stock can replicate and why these stocks are highly favoured in long range benchrest. Even in short range benchrest the trend for some years now has been a synthetic outer skin with a structural core of either balsa or cedar or a combination of both. The reason being the wood stops the barrel ring that would otherwise affect harmonics of shots fired in rapid succession.
No matter what you do or how you do it a plain jane wood stock will shift POI eventually.
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Re: Do you like wood or synthetic stocks?

Post by Larry » 13 Mar 2022, 10:30 am

+1 for the above Well said Wyliecoyote.

I cringe every time I read someone saying I am going to swap out the wood stock for a alloy chassis to improve accuracy. Giving reasons that wood may change due to weather conditions. The wood stocks do not change so quickly and dramatically that you could ever tell. Shots on any one day are always going to be consistent.
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Re: Do you like wood or synthetic stocks?

Post by bladeracer » 13 Mar 2022, 10:49 am

jwai86 wrote:My preference in my ongoing search for a rimfire rifle is for a synthetic stock. I'm probably in the minority, but I don't have any particular attachment to wooden stocks. I would also probably feel less sad if a synthetic stock takes a knock or scratch than if it were a wooden one.


If it's something I just want to fondle and drool over quietly, I like nice wood and blue steel.

If it's something I want to put bullets in the same place every time, be reliable and consistent, and not make me wince every time I drop it I want polymer or aluminium.
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Re: Do you like wood or synthetic stocks?

Post by jwai86 » 13 Mar 2022, 11:10 am

Lsfan wrote:I can't see a synthetic stock ever looking as good to me as a nice timber one.


I'm quite partial to some of CZ's rimfire rifles that have a blued barrel and a black synthetic stock.

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Re: Do you like wood or synthetic stocks?

Post by Oldbloke » 13 Mar 2022, 11:14 am

When plastic stocks first come on the scene they cost a fair bit. The marketing was that they were more robust. Now they are much cheaper.

I'm happy with both. But, wood looks very nice. Wooden ones often become Safe queens

Horses for courses IMO.
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Re: Do you like wood or synthetic stocks?

Post by bigpete » 13 Mar 2022, 11:52 am

Wood. I loath plastic and tacticool crap.
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Re: Do you like wood or synthetic stocks?

Post by Blr243 » 13 Mar 2022, 1:44 pm

Wood def looks nicer Synth more practical
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Re: Do you like wood or synthetic stocks?

Post by bigpete » 13 Mar 2022, 1:46 pm

Wooden ones often become Safe queens

Not in my house they don't
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Re: Do you like wood or synthetic stocks?

Post by Clem » 13 Mar 2022, 2:13 pm

Wood stocks give me wood.........
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Re: Do you like wood or synthetic stocks?

Post by Oldbloke » 13 Mar 2022, 2:54 pm

Blr243 wrote:Wood def looks nicer Synth more practical


Yep
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Re: Do you like wood or synthetic stocks?

Post by Blr243 » 13 Mar 2022, 6:16 pm

As soon as I purchased my new blr in 96 I noticed the nice glassy finish o the walnut stock and I knew there was no point protecting it if I was goin to be walking and riding a motorcycle thru limebush and melon holes so I just let it go. But now that I’m older and hunt a different pace And style my nicely finished 4570 marlin I think I’m goin to baby it in the field for at least a couple of years
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Re: Do you like wood or synthetic stocks?

Post by Shootermick » 13 Mar 2022, 7:16 pm

bladeracer wrote:
jwai86 wrote:My preference in my ongoing search for a rimfire rifle is for a synthetic stock. I'm probably in the minority, but I don't have any particular attachment to wooden stocks. I would also probably feel less sad if a synthetic stock takes a knock or scratch than if it were a wooden one.


If it's something I just want to fondle and drool over quietly, I like nice wood and blue steel.

If it's something I want to put bullets in the same place every time, be reliable and consistent, and not make me wince every time I drop it I want polymer or aluminium.


Plus one. This is how I look at my guns too.
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Re: Do you like wood or synthetic stocks?

Post by LawrenceA » 13 Mar 2022, 7:20 pm

Wood
There is enough ugliness in this world without ugly guns.
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Re: Do you like wood or synthetic stocks?

Post by bigpete » 14 Mar 2022, 8:08 am

LawrenceA wrote:Wood
There is enough ugliness in this world without ugly guns.

1000%
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Re: Do you like wood or synthetic stocks?

Post by Gamerancher » 14 Mar 2022, 11:23 am

Truoil finish on .45-90.jpg
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This timber stock has seen 7 years of work, ( used at least one weekend a month ) and has done two trips overseas. I've only ever put a couple of scratches on my timber stocks in nearly 40 years of shooting, including many 100's of miles hunting in the bush. The scratches I have put in my stocks were done walking into the gun room to put them away. I don't know what some blokes do with there rifles but I've found if you look after them, timber stocks aren't a problem.
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Re: Do you like wood or synthetic stocks?

Post by on_one_wheel » 14 Mar 2022, 11:37 am

They've both got their place.

I prefer the look and feel of oiled wood.
I've found standard wood stocks to be far more rigid than standard synthetic which equals more precision especially off a bipod.

Synthetic is great for knocking around.
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Re: Do you like wood or synthetic stocks?

Post by Blr243 » 14 Mar 2022, 12:12 pm

Gamerancher ... that nice rifle u just posted pic of ... can I borrow it for my next pig hunting trip and is securing it to the front rack of my quad with occy straps ok?
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Re: Do you like wood or synthetic stocks?

Post by jwai86 » 14 Mar 2022, 12:46 pm

bladeracer wrote:If it's something I want to put bullets in the same place every time, be reliable and consistent, and not make me wince every time I drop it I want polymer or aluminium.


It's hard to completely eliminate unexpected clumsiness, so I would prefer to have a stock that won't easily bear reminders of such embarrassing incidents :P
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Re: Do you like wood or synthetic stocks?

Post by bladeracer » 14 Mar 2022, 1:41 pm

jwai86 wrote:
bladeracer wrote:If it's something I want to put bullets in the same place every time, be reliable and consistent, and not make me wince every time I drop it I want polymer or aluminium.


It's hard to completely eliminate unexpected clumsiness, so I would prefer to have a stock that won't easily bear reminders of such embarrassing incidents :P


I don't baby my firearms at all, they get dropped, visible reminders are fine :-)
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Re: Do you like wood or synthetic stocks?

Post by Over The Hill » 14 Mar 2022, 4:11 pm

Even my wife prefers the feel of natural hard wood over plastic
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Re: Do you like wood or synthetic stocks?

Post by LawrenceA » 14 Mar 2022, 4:59 pm

Gamerancher wrote:
Truoil finish on .45-90.jpg


This timber stock has seen 7 years of work, ( used at least one weekend a month ) and has done two trips overseas. I've only ever put a couple of scratches on my timber stocks in nearly 40 years of shooting, including many 100's of miles hunting in the bush. The scratches I have put in my stocks were done walking into the gun room to put them away. I don't know what some blokes do with there rifles but I've found if you look after them, timber stocks aren't a problem.


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Re: Do you like wood or synthetic stocks?

Post by Gamerancher » 15 Mar 2022, 1:01 am

Yeah Lawrence, CPA. Got it built after meeting Paul and Gail in the U.S.
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Re: Do you like wood or synthetic stocks?

Post by jwai86 » 15 Mar 2022, 10:13 am

As an aside, do laminate stocks like the ones from Boyd's still count as being wooden despite the extra work done to them?
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Re: Do you like wood or synthetic stocks?

Post by bladeracer » 15 Mar 2022, 11:25 am

jwai86 wrote:As an aside, do laminate stocks like the ones from Boyd's still count as being wooden despite the extra work done to them?


In my opinion, no. Most laminated stocks are laminated the wrong way so the action screws crush the wood. You need pillar blocks to bed it properly.
My Ruger American Rimfire Target came with the lami stock and it feels and looks no different to the polymer ones, except it's heavier. It doesn't look and feel like a true wood stock as most of my rifles have. Laminated wood does have benefits over solid wood, but not enough to matter in my opinion. If you want a stable material go with polymer or aluminium, if you want the look and feel of wood go with wood. Laminated, or plywood, is somewhere in between.
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Re: Do you like wood or synthetic stocks?

Post by jwai86 » 15 Mar 2022, 12:01 pm

bladeracer wrote:If you want a stable material go with polymer or aluminium, if you want the look and feel of wood go with wood. Laminated, or plywood, is somewhere in between.


I've read that some synthetic stocks can flex a bit, particularly at the fore end. Is it possible or desirable to perform a bedding job on a synthetic stock to get the barrelled action sitting better inside?
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Re: Do you like wood or synthetic stocks?

Post by InisBineest » 15 Mar 2022, 12:28 pm

Why don't we have both? ;)

Love my CZ 452 FS

Also love my Bergara B-14R Carbon in its aluminium chassis.

Both do a different job, both look amazing. I like them both, but you don't have to:)
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Re: Do you like wood or synthetic stocks?

Post by Mini Hulk » 15 Mar 2022, 4:33 pm

bladeracer wrote:
jwai86 wrote:As an aside, do laminate stocks like the ones from Boyd's still count as being wooden despite the extra work done to them?


In my opinion, no. Most laminated stocks are laminated the wrong way so the action screws crush the wood. You need pillar blocks to bed it properly.
My Ruger American Rimfire Target came with the lami stock and it feels and looks no different to the polymer ones, except it's heavier. It doesn't look and feel like a true wood stock as most of my rifles have. Laminated wood does have benefits over solid wood, but not enough to matter in my opinion. If you want a stable material go with polymer or aluminium, if you want the look and feel of wood go with wood. Laminated, or plywood, is somewhere in between.


A Boyds stock was a huge upgrade for my Savage FV-SR, but as Bladeracer said I had to add reinforcing/bedding blocks. As it came from Boyds the wood around the mag well was only about 3-4mm thick, which left an air gap between the wood stock and action pillars. When I tried to torque up the action screws even a little the stock would start making cracking sounds. I ended up using some oak dowel cut to about 5.5mm thick to take up the space and glued it in with wood glue. I also bought a thicker (3mm) stainless bottom metal to help spread the load.

If you wanted to get really carried away you could install some aluminium pillars, but it shoots really well as it is and I can torque the screws to the correct setting with no worries.

Bottom of the boyds stock in front of the mag well (including reinforcing blocks)
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Top view of reinforcing blocks:
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Finished prdouct:
FV-SR finished.jpg
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Re: Do you like wood or synthetic stocks?

Post by LawrenceA » 15 Mar 2022, 4:58 pm

Like them all a all have a place BUT...


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Ugly

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Ugly but interesting

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Pretty
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Almost 200years old and still a thing of beauty!
One well placed shot is all it takes.
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