Is a wood stock really that bad for a hunting rifle?

[ecno]

Hi,

I'm looking at buying a nice hunting rifle for myself (I have a bunch shotguns, an old Enfield Sporter and a .223 Rem Tac in a HS stock) and I want to get something with a wood stock. BUT, it would be used for hunting in Ontario where we're susceptible to all weather types during the rifle seasons and some reading has me wary of buying a wood stocked gun. I really like the X-Bolt medallion but would also consider the Hell's Canyon version (which visually is a complete departure in look).

I have a precision(ish) rifle in my .223 so I don't necessarily want for another rig with those characteristics.

If possible, I would like responses to focus on whether or not, given the weather we deal with, a wood stock is truly a detriment or have I just read too much nonsense.

I am EXTREMELY hard on my hunting shotguns when goose and deer hunting, especially during deer season when we're out everyday for a week. It's something I try and stay on top of but there's always stories to exagerate and a cold beer to drink with the boys at the end of the day that eats into cleaning time and I don't see that changing.

Semi-important to me is a nice heirloom type rifle to hand down one day which was the catalyst for wood.

 

[BullOnParade]

Many thousands of guns have come before you with a wooden stock. Proper care before and after field use goes a long way in preserving that heirloom quality.

 

[Necro Monger]

delete

 

[Westward1]

No, wood is fine.

 

[Gnome75]

People made it with wood stock rifles for many decades. Wood stocks can swell and mess with your zero but I don't think its enough to make a difference for hunting.

Polymer stocks are more practical because they are less effected by weather and don't damage as easily but wood stocks look nicer.

Polymer stocks some times weigh less but not for every gun.

Buy what you want and take it easy on your guns. Military guns like your enfield can handle the abuse, civilian sporting guns were not designed to be abused as much

 

[chasseur]

I have hunted with guns having woods stocks for about 46 years and have never had a problem save a small mark here or there ,about the same marks you can get on them hauling them out of the gun safe.I don t baby them but neither am I hard on hard on them.i have quite a few guns that are 50 to over a hundred years old and the stocks are in great shape and have gone through a few owners in their lifetime.
The biggest factor is basically the owner ,if you treat your gun like a sledge hammer and smash it through the woods then maybe a wood stock is not for you.Also fiberglass stocks etc have been known th break from rough treatment ,though they can be fixed easier

 

[TacticalTeacher]

I could say that I too am also hard on my hunting (deer / rifle season) rig , but that’s because I’m getting old and my back issues play havoc with my trail travels. Walking on wet/slippery leaves resting on damp rocks results in a few falls. And that’s why I like plastic stocks. I don’t know about. Your but even when rabbit hunting in the winter (Ruger 10/22) I have replaced the factory walnut stock for a Magpul X22 or Hunter stock. I’ve fallen many more times rabbit hunting especially in the deeper snows... ha ha ha ha

My Marlin rig 30-30 setup from deer season 2018.....





This year I took my 870.... and I did fall a couple of times....





Honestly, don’t listen to me... buy what works for your budget, your fondle factory, your favourite caliber, your style of hunting, your level of support (repair, tweaking), your comfort zone, your type of action, your brand of ammo, your availability of ammo (300 weatherby North of Cat Lake, ON)

Find your style and type of rig. I know I spend more time fondling my hunting rig in the blind/stand than I actually do any shooting (at game).

Hope this helps....

Cheers, Barney

 

[DAgunlvr]

Wood is much warmer on the hands.

 

[Hitzy]

Never had a problem with wood myself with shifting zero. It gets beat up, but can always be refinished down the road. I'm more of a traditional rifle guy and most of my guns are walnut/beech stocked, some 70-80 years old.

 

[Potashminer]

There is a lot that can be done to help the wood stocks do its job. Swelling and shrinkage is due to moisture going into and coming out of the stock. Strip it down completely - remove butt plate/recoil pad, etc. then make certain all the hidden raw wood surfaces get a coat or two of spar varnish, or even a good coating of wax. Same with the hidden parts of the metal - under the action, magazine box, under the barrel, although wax is probably preferred on the metal. Almost any tool requires some maintenance periodically - even a Jackall thrown in a truck box after getting unstuck will eventually rust up if it is never looked at and bounced around in all weather. I own several wood stocked hunting rifles that are over 100 years old, and they continue to do exactly what they were made to do!!

 

[Falconflyer]

Synthetic or plastic stocks are a relatively new thing on rifles and there is no question that they are more practical than wooden stocks on a hunting rifle but the fact still remains that wood still works well if you take care of your equipment.

 

[J10archer]

There is a lot that can be done to help the wood stocks do its job. Swelling and shrinkage is due to moisture going into and coming out of the stock. Strip it down completely - remove butt plate/recoil pad, etc. then make certain all the hidden raw wood surfaces get a coat or two of spar varnish, or even a good coating of wax. Same with the hidden parts of the metal - under the action, magazine box, under the barrel, although wax is probably preferred on the metal. Almost any tool requires some maintenance periodically - even a Jackall thrown in a truck box after getting unstuck will eventually rust up if it is never looked at and bounced around in all weather. I own several wood stocked
hunting rifles that are over 100 years old, and they continue to do exactly what they were made to do!!

I put wax on mine. It's a cheep and quick way to help.

 

[Dogfish858]

Wood has been used for centuries and for tens of millions of firearms. Wood looks better, is easier to refinish, is warmer on the hands, and in many cases is less likely to take a mark than synthetic.

That said, the reason wood is touted as being 'better' than wood is due to domestic manufacturers using absolute garbage walnut unfit for anything but firewood. I have one book that shows racks upon racks of domestic black walnut branch slabs being dried and then laid out for gunstocks. It appears that the castoffs (limbs, branches, sapwood) from the furniture industry are used to make gunstocks. A basic knowledge of wood can see why this is a terrible idea. As well, the aging of the wood is cut short, or the wood is kiln dried, both of which especially combined with poor wood give equally poor gunstocks.

So in my opinion, if you can't source a quality gunstock made of cured quality walnut, use a synthetic. Or don't, but don't be surprised if the wood stock gives you some grief. I prefer wooden stocks and don't mind scratching them. All things considered some very big trees grow on gunstocks and that to me is testament enough.

 

[john-brennan]

Wood stocks worked for me for many years, still have a couple around.

 

[kamlooky]

I too like the beauty of wood stocks.
Look at trees, they'er made awf wood.

 

[lone ranger]

wood stocks........well they certainly must be durable,...they used them in WW1 and WW2......and they are still being used after 100 years in some cases.....ya,,,,,zero problems there.

I always go by the "observable Evidence" it doesnt lie. I had an old Nylon Remington,..and boy was it brittle. Had no strength left.
I have also seen alot of plastic in older cars that has completely broken down.
Will all these plastic guns they are making now follow the same path ? Time Will Tell.

 

[ChromeArty]

There is just something about a classic, wood stocked hunting rifle

 

[Coho]

Wood works, Nylon/plastic/synthetics work, Fibreglass works. There is nothing wrong with any of them, its mostly a weight and feel issue. I am a fan of Laminate. Its heavier a teeny bit (and I mean TEENY) - but its also stiffer and what I believe is the most durable.

Woods are also capable of being about perfect for beauty where the others always look like tool stocks vs the natural burl and colours of wood.

** The other thing about woods (for me) is how something that came from the same nature and forests you hunt in is a part of the tool you carry when hunting the animals that live within it. "You carry a piece of the forest in your hand" as a part of it in appreciation or that ties you to it.

 

[Butcherbill]

I love a wood stocked rifle but synthetic definitely has its place in my life also, I generally consider a synthetic stock when weight is a consideration. If you’re hard on your hunting rifles, consider a laminate stock.

I’m not rough or hard on my rifles but I generally only clean them after the season closes or over the winter, during the hunting season I will wipe them down with an oily rag once they dry or warm up. I hunt in all weather conditions with my wood stocked rifles.

 

[beretta boy]

Another firm vote for welll-grained walnut and nicely blued steel.
Tupperware belongs in the cupboard, stainless in the sink.
Yup, a Fudd, through & through and proud of it !