Outperform the wood?
IMO....I don't think it's a question of performance. It's fair to say that synthetic is more durable, stable and virtually maintenance free But(and to me and others this is a big BUT) it's what syth. looks and feels like. I hunt. For hours I hold that stock in my hands. The feel of plastic versus the feel of wood. A wooden stocked gun has a character, subtily different from others of even the same make and model. Even wood laminate stocks have a depth that no plastic (synthetic then) can emulate. That's not to say that there isn't a place for synthetic stocks...camp guns, truck guns, boat guns, the like I agree but for me, I want to feel and look at a wood stocked gun.