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My wife says I'm totally nuts, but I think I'm Semisane.
Things I've Learned: (1) It's not possible to please everyone, but quite easy to piss everyone off. (2) If you love animals as I do, then you're not a vegetarian. (3) There's no need to act stupid, even if you're very good at it. (4) If you eat right and exercise, don't smoke or drink, you're going to die anyway.
Plastic is cheap! and you cant hurt it, its already ugly. Its light, some people like that. You can still get wood if you want to pay for it. I have fiberglass on my 270, its ugly but i was going for light on that one. My muzzleloader needs to be heavy cause it kicks like a mule, so that one got wood(well almost, its laminate).
It is also much more weather resistent and doesn't warp like wood with moisture or temperature changes. That is why I have all my barrels floated on mywood stock guns
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Venor ergo sum (I hunt, therefore I am)
Its a matter of mass production and bottom line cost I would guess. To make a product able to enter the market place in a competitive manner, companies cut costs everywhere they can. Some places cut back on inspections. How many get a new rifle that has to go back to the factory right away because something was not fitted properly? Sometimes it is a change in material, like from wood to they laminates or the composite stocks that are now so popular. Many people request the non wood stocks. Also they have made great steps in making some of the material they use very pleasing to the eye. Some of the laminates are very attractive. Granted they are not wood, but they are still very nice.
Also wood does have some qualities that can hamper long range accuracy. If not cared for properly, wood can absorb moisture and swell. Anyone that shoots between summer and winter knows what happens to a wood stock as it expands and contracts. Some people report changes in POI others do not. Although this happens to synthetic stock rifles as well.
If I had to guess, it is a bottom line production cost reason. Make a good product as low cost as possible and pass the savings on to the consumer. The end results are more sales and satisfied customers along with higher company profits. Wood is still nice in the traditional rifles. It is so uncommon now in the modern inline rifles that people do not even get upset over the missing wood. They want thumb hole stocks, and other items. I like a nice chunk of wood on a rifle. But the new composite and laminate stocks are fine also.
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"Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, a total wreck, screaming Yahoo, with a big smile on your face."
I really do not find them ugly - I find them functional especially in the weather that I hunt in.
For show, I would much rather have a beautiful wood stock on the gun, but I am not sure I would want to submitt it to the wear and tear of hunting in the rain, snow, sun and cold.
Ah, but back to your question - expense is the key factor in my mind. We all look for the best deal we can get and a rifle with a synthetic stock is going to cost less.
Further, I the Texas Hunter was right on track with his comments.Although in a wood stock you really do not have to float the barrel but you would have to do a bedding job.
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Keep on Shooting Muzzleloaders they are a Blast
I really do not find them ugly - I find them functional especially in the weather that I hunt in.
For show, I would much rather have a beautiful wood stock on the gun, but I am not sure I would want to submitt it to the wear and tear of hunting in the rain, snow, sun and cold.
My A&H 420 with wood stock is heavy, looks good but its the heaviest rifle in camp. I think it would be heavy without the stock. I don't think A&H made a riflle that weighed less than 9 pounds. Even their Mountain rifles are heavy. But I tell myself I'm going to carry it until I kill a bull with it.
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I tell my sons that I'm still in my prime. Its just harder being in your prime at this age.
why synthetic stocks?
