Wood vs. Synthetic

StefanGreybeard

StefanGreybeard

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I'm looking to pick up a Winchester SXP as my first shotgun. I know I plan to use it for hunting, and maybe target/clay shooting.

I like the look of wood furniture. There's just something classic about it. But I'm wondering what people experience is, if synthetic is a better way to go, especially since it'll be used in varying weather and possibly wet conditions.
 
If you prefer the wood get the wood. Pull it apart when you get it home, make sure the wood is properly coated - my turkish semi had bare wood under the forearm, so I slapped some lacquer or something like that (I forget exactly what I used, just grabbed something off my shelf, but it was clear, and meant for wood) on the inside/ends of the foreend that were not coated from the factory. As long as the wood is properly coated weather shouldn't be an issue.
 
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It depends on the kind of guy you are and how careful you are with nice things. For the most part, I've taken my wood-stocked guns everywhere and taken care of them during and after the hunt, with no real damage. Even after rain. Actually, you're better off preparing your gun before going out into the rain rather than after.

That said, every year I encounter a specific event where rain, mud, rough handling, and possible submergence are distinct probabilities. I finally gave in and bought a synthetic shotgun just for that occasion and now I can breathe a sigh of relief.
 
Buy whatever one you like the most, they will all get dinged or scratched if you hunt with them. As far as wood or laminate in wet environments, keep it oiled if it’s an oiled finish. I have both wood and synthetic stocked shotguns I hunt with and I can’t say one is better than the other in the bush, synthetic is usually a bit lighter but the wood feels better in the hands.

Check if the barrel channel of the forend is oiled as well as the wood under the recoil pad and at the wrist where the stock bolts to the receiver, oil a few times if isn’t and I usually give the wood a couple of buffed coats of furniture wax.
 
Everyone's said most of it but consider that some of the mud flung at wood stocks is the fact that they can warp. On a rifle that needs to be accurate at distance that can be a bad thing. The stock for these guns can be long and a small deflection can make a big difference from one end of the gun to the other, setting uneven pressure at bedding points or maybe even getting contact between barrel and stock. A sxp won't have this problem because the action isn't fitted to the stock, there's a chunk for your shoulder and a grip for your hand. It's also a two piece so a warp at the grip won't affect the butt and all that. It's also a shotgun so the standard for accuracy is lower than a rifle.
 
Winchester has some nicer wood finished SXPs

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I use both. I prefer wood but I bought a 1301 comp for a general purpose gun that I don't care if I scratch it. Wood will likely weigh more which will dampen recoil more.
Nothing beats a finely figured chunk of walnut on a fine firearm. I doubt you will find highly figured wood on the sxp. They're made to be used
 
gwes2003 said:
The wood on an sxp is about as nice as plywood from home depot. Great shotgun, have one myself. The hybrid hunter is the best way to go.
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Yeah, I've been considering it. Winchester just has so many models, and even looking at the specs, I find it hard to determine the differences. Like, what defines the "Hybrid" aspect?

cosmic said:
If you plan to hunt waterfowl, you might consider a camo finish. Got your PAL yet?
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No. My 28 days ended yesterday, and there's no update on my account. I'll likely call and check in next week, just to make sure there aren't any flags that need to be addressed.
 
I'm not hard on tools or my guns, but synthetic stocks have their place. We've gotten past leather, wool, linen, canvas, and cotton as the only choices for clothing; why only think of wood for gunstocks?

I hunted a lot with a plastic stock .300 Win Mag. It didn't dent or split. I cleaned it with Windex and a toothbrush. When I had to repair it, the JB Weld and paint pen came out, after TLC with a wood rasp and sandpaper. I also liked the way it flexed on recoil. The impulse seemed less.

If I was going to be in a boat, a muddy blind, or trudging around with dirty decoys and wet dogs, I'd get a synthetic stock 12 or 10-ga. No questions. Even stainless vs carbon steel!

In the safe, I rely on sleeves to keep the kisses to a minimum. I don't have any really nice hardwood stocked guns, so worrying about dings and dents is not the first thought.
 
maple_leaf_eh said:
I'm not hard on tools or my guns, but synthetic stocks have their place. We've gotten past leather, wool, linen, canvas, and cotton as the only choices for clothing; why only think of wood for gunstocks?

I hunted a lot with a plastic stock .300 Win Mag. It didn't dent or split. I cleaned it with Windex and a toothbrush. When I had to repair it, the JB Weld and paint pen came out, after TLC with a wood rasp and sandpaper. I also liked the way it flexed on recoil. The impulse seemed less.

If I was going to be in a boat, a muddy blind, or trudging around with dirty decoys and wet dogs, I'd get a synthetic stock 12 or 10-ga. No questions. Even stainless vs carbon steel!

In the safe, I rely on sleeves to keep the kisses to a minimum. I don't have any really nice hardwood stocked guns, so worrying about dings and dents is not the first thought.
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I'm not arguing that every stock needs to be wood but there is a reason they are so common. They work well enough and they can look great. And BTW, when i I want to drop $3000 for a suit, $500 for a sweater or $300 for a shirt, wool and linen still top the options. You want a cheap tee that doesn't stink....buy cotton. Want a more expensive one that doesn't stink.....buy merino wool. Just because it's new or synthetic doesn't always make it better.
 
100’s of thousands of shotguns out in the field with wood stocks many 125 years old still being hunted with no need to think that wood can’t stand up to bad conditions synthetic stocks have finishes that are sticky that peel and scuff one more thing they are ugly
Just saying so it’s each to his own
 
canvasback said:
i'm not arguing that every stock needs to be wood but there is a reason they are so common. They work well enough and they can look great. And btw, when i i want to drop $3000 for a suit, $500 for a sweater or $300 for a shirt, wool and linen still top the options. You want a cheap tee that doesn't stink....buy cotton. Want a more expensive one that doesn't stink.....buy merino wool. Just because it's new or synthetic doesn't always make it better.
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exactly
 
StefanGreybeard said:
I'm looking to pick up a Winchester SXP as my first shotgun. I know I plan to use it for hunting, and maybe target/clay shooting.

I like the look of wood furniture. There's just something classic about it. But I'm wondering what people experience is, if synthetic is a better way to go, especially since it'll be used in varying weather and possibly wet conditions.
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I've never used a synthetic shotgun ever, and I only have 1 synthetic rifle, which I never use because it's, well ... a cheap synthetic rifle).

I hunt in the rain all the time, and it's never been an issue for me. Wood or synthetic, the process is the same - take everything down at the end of the day, dry it all off, then wipe it down with an oily cloth. Do a quick clean and oil in the bore (that's where it's going to rust first).

And, NEVER put a damp gun in a case. Just open the action and lean it against the wall near the woodstove (or whatever) to dry out before you put it back in storage.

I'm always surprised how many people are afraid to use their firearms in the rain. Synthetic stocks aren't common now because they're better. They're common because they're way way way cheaper to produce.

In short - the rain wont hurt your wood stock at all. It will hurt your metal parts if you don't take the basic and simple steps to take care of them, but that's going to happen no matter what kind of stock you have, so you might as well get the one you like best.
 
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