RE: steel wool
 

Glad you got that taken care of, I figured you could get the stock you wanted. I can't remember if they are offered in left hand but the Hunter Field edition is even better than the standard Hunter version because the HF features a Monte Carlo style stock with a raised cheekpiece. Might wanna ask him about that, especially if you are going to put a scope that is larger than a 40mm on the gun.

A simpler "tool" for knockin the shine off a polycoated stock is using a simple "Scotchbrite" pad. It is just the right courseness, no need to worry about which grit sandpaper and they are dirt cheap at the grocery store (you wife probably already has some in the kitchen!).
RA

RE: steel wool
 

Excellent pointer RedAllison. They also sell specially designed pads at the stores that specialize in autobody paints and supplies.Not as cheap as the kitchen pads but still cheap anda little different quality and they sell various coarsnesses (!?) and can tell you the approximate grit they correspond to. I used them when I repainted an outboard motor and they worked extremely well on curvy surfaces.