Wood or plastic stocks

[oldtiredman]

I hear wood can be a pain in damp weather, but it looks so much nicer. For someone looking at their first rifle, when so you recommend wood vs. plastic?

 

[skwerl]

I'm a traditionalist , I love Walnut.
...skwerl

 

[m1008]

This stock is plastic,

Your first rifle should be a 22 and for that it don’t matter. Your not hunting/shooting on the wet coast, southern Ontario isn’t an extreme environment

 

[sillymike]

I like wood... so thats what I buy/use. As long as the grain is sealed, it's a non issue.
- if you are trying to shoot tiny groups at long distances, and the barrel isn't free floated... maybe. But for most hunting/plinking situation, the shooter is the limiting factor.

Just my 2 cents

 

[greatwhite]

I hear wood can be a pain in damp weather, but it looks so much nicer. For someone looking at their first rifle, when so you recommend wood vs. plastic?

Wood has been used since forever. All my stocks are wood, I would never buy plastic looks like junk.

 

[fire@will]

All of my rifles, carbines, shotguns have wood stocks. Never cared for the look of "special, space age, Man-made, synthetic" stocks. Having said that, I'm not a hunter, so my guns are never beating around in the woods - if they were, I might consider having one with a synthetic stock. Wouldn't bother me so much, to get that dinged up, rather than some nice walnut.

 

[starvin]

If being out in damp weather is your concern the stock type won’t matter, neither wood or plastic rusts. Go stainless, but you’ll still have to pop the stock off for maintenance. You’re less likely to damage a synthetic taking it apart imo.

 

[Hurtin North Albertan]

I hear wood can be a pain in damp weather, but it looks so much nicer. For someone looking at their first rifle, when so you recommend wood vs. plastic?

I planned on doing my first hunt, still not done, with the old Enfield Long Branch .303 I've had since '77 but once I got it fitted out with a new Crossfire II 4-12x50 it weighs in at over 10lbs compared to the 7lb 2oz weight of the .270 Savage Axis1 I purchased at an estate sale with the standard 3-9x40 Bushnell attached.

I was thinking of getting a synthetic stock for the .303 but decided to just use it for long distance target shooting so picked up a new Nikko Stirling Diamond 10-50x60 NATO at a 60% off sale for that use. I put the 4-12x50 on the .270 and replaced the 4X Bushnell on my Ruger 10-22 with the 3-9x40 from the .270.

Hopefully next year I'll get to go hunting and the .270 will be plenty for a whitetail or mule deer once I get it sighted in properly and as I can shoot the .22 or shotguns in my yard I can drive tacks at 100yds with the ,22. Going for 200 yds once all this snow is gone in the spring.

In the market for a used Lead Sled to help get the bigger guns sighted in to 100yds at a local gravel pit. There is a fish and game club with a range a half hour away I'll probably join in the spring as they have a lead sled there for member use but only 100yds for target shooting I believe.

Here in northern Alberta it's so dry most of the year shrinking and cracking of wood is more of a problem.

 

[SigWig]

Laminated wood for me

 

[chuckAA]

Wood!!

 

[MRP]

All 3 for me, wood is always better looking, laminate is supposed to be more stable and often heavier, nicer for bench shooting. Synthetic of any sort is usually lighter, nice on them long hikes and handle bush wacking better not having to worry about the finish.

 

[jparent]

The only wood stocked rifles I own are heirlooms that come out fit civilized hunts. Everything else is synthetic of some kind. While I love the look of wood on a rifle, for my usage; everything from +40 to -40, I’ll stick with plastic.

 

[HuskyDude]

Wood has been used since forever. All my stocks are wood, I would never buy plastic looks like junk.

Wood has been used forever. All my stocks are wood, except for hunting.

 

[Hand Skills]

Laminated wood for me

The best of both worlds;.

Great look of wood with the stability of synthetic.

Often they are a little heavier too, which can make the rifle more forgiving to shoot

 

[bfraser8]

I hear wood can be a pain in damp weather, but it looks so much nicer. For someone looking at their first rifle, when so you recommend wood vs. plastic?

It maybe shouldnt factor in as much as it does but for me wood is a much more classy / traditional look.