Synthetic or Wood
 

I'm buying a 30-06 next month and can't decide between a wood or synthetic stock. What direction should I go? What are the pro's and cons?

RE: Synthetic or Wood
 

I would go with synthetic.

Wood: looks good (often better); scratches/marks easy, expands/contracts if wet or abrupt temperature changes

Synthetic: doesn't scratch, doesn't expand (i.e. holds accuracy better); years later still looks the same. Cheaper to replace as well. Lighter (sometimes too light). I buy all guns in synthetic now

RE: Synthetic or Wood
 

I prefer synthetic for durability. But the heavier wood sometimes helps with absorbing recoil. Plus they really do look better and definately more traditional. But I also kinda like the way that synthetics look to.

It all comes down to personal choice I think.

RE: Synthetic or Wood
 

I buy only synthetic now, and swapped a synthetic stock onto my Model 700 .30-06 instead of the laminate that it had. I got tired of the scratches and dents every time I bumped the wood against something in the blind or on the 4 wheeler. With the synthetic, I don't worry about scratches and dents any more...

RE: Synthetic or Wood
 

I have gone back to a preference for wood over synthetic. Reasons are looks, feel and balance. Bonus for me is alittle easier to tinker within DIY(bedding, hawging, etc). I haven't found a wood stock to beless accurate then a synthetic. It gets scratched but those are just like notches in a bed post;). As far as care no real differenceto me either as I wipe down my wood with some light gun oil while doing the barrel/action/etc, just like a synthetic stocked rifle.

As far as cost for replacement the cheap plastic synthetic stocks may be but I think that is why I don't like them as much anymore. If you want a higher grade syntheticthe saving aren't there. Plusbeing a left handed shooter no such thing as cheaper![&:]

Like said boils down to preference.

RE: Synthetic or Wood
 

Women should be hot, beer should be cold, and Guns should have wood stocks!

RE: Synthetic or Wood
 

LOL! Can't argue with that! :D

I prefer wood stocks. I have shot synthetic stocked guns before (some buddies of mine have them) and they are okay. But for some reason, I just prefer wooden stocks. Maybe I'm "old school"... who knows.

Butch A.

RE: Synthetic or Wood
 

Both, Tom.

RE: Synthetic or Wood
 

Synthetic will hold up to nicks better and as stated not swell, but some factory synthetic stocks leave something qaulity/rigidity wise to be desired. I refer to the synthetic stocks that savage uses, flimsey.

RE: Synthetic or Wood
 

Shato...I agree heartily...A man after my own heart...

I prefer walnut, but will settle for laminate...

My reasons are purely asthetic and personal... I like wood, and I like blued steel... IMHO,if PIMPS carried rifles, they would be synthetic and stainless..:D..

I can't deny the utility of synthetic stocks and stainless finishes... They are very practical, and if you like them, more power to you...Many hunters could care less what thier gun looks or feels like, as long as it does the job..That's fine..Beauty is in the eye of the beholder...

As for MOI, I subscribe to the old axiom " Life is too short to hunt with an ugly gun.."...

RE: Synthetic or Wood
 

IMO, a wood stock definately is much better looking but I prefersynthetic stocks. I hunt with all my rifles and just think that the synthetic stocks are better suited for the way I use my guns. Like others have said it is more of a personal preference.

RE: Synthetic or Wood
 

I refer to my savage 10II's stock as tupperware. I am havingtroubles finding a straight comb to replace it, being a southpaw and right hand action gun. URG I now wish I would have waited till a laminate version was available. At the time boyds had a sporter that would have worked without going the custom route and I liked it better than the savage laminate plus I could have gotten it in S&P vs just nutmeg. Live and learn I guess

RE: Synthetic or Wood
 

I like wood [8D]

RE: Synthetic or Wood
 

Synthetic, not as high maintenance.

RE: Synthetic or Wood
 

Afew years ago,I'd just gotten back into hunting after nearly 20 years of dormancy. The folks I wentbirding with were carrying Benellis, & I was given a decript Wingmaster to tote around. Funny how mine was the only gun that didn't jam during that trip!. I ended up getting an 870 synthetic, because I knew it would work, and Iwanted something that I wouldn't cry over when it got beaten up.Besides, I hadn't yet acquired any hunting buddies who'd be overly impressed if I showed up in the field with a Browning Clitoris (or whatever they're called...).

Then I started to realize how much I really enjoyed hunting, & I wanted to plan my 1st big game hunt. I decided on a .30-06, and I held dozens of different models. I fell in love with the feel of the stock of the 700 CDL: it felt like it was made to fly to my shoulder. I also thought it looked awfully good, like it had a soul of its own.

Mostly, though, this riflereminds me more than a little bit of the gun my Dad has hunted with since before I was born. When I was a kid, I just always looked up to my Dad, & I figured whatever he chose must be the best. I have later come to understand that a Griffin & Howe custom mauser in 7x57 (they called it a .275Special) is a pretty damned nice rifle, no matter WHO owns it!

Since I'm not a ultra big-time hunter, I tend toward wood stocks, figuring I can fuss over them a little, and have lots of good stories & memories to pass down to the kids.

RE: Synthetic or Wood
 

The wood certainly looks better. However it scratches easier, it can crack(it's happened to me), and it is certainly heavier. All of my guns are in synthetic but I don't really care which it is. They're both good. Beware of cheap synthetic stocks though. I've seen many that could break easily.

RE: Synthetic or Wood
 

For looks, my friend learned how to spray paint his plastic stocks. He painted them in different camoflauges. It took patience and thin coats but looks surprisingly professional and is factory quality durable paint.

My favorite rifle stock is walnut thumbhole. I don't own one yet but I couldn't believe how good it felt and how much difference that hand angle can make when shooting.A gunsmith quoted meone custom fit to my Winchester for $550. I am having a hard time parting with that much money.

RE: Synthetic or Wood
 

Shato said it beautifully!!!

i enjoy wood working...kinda hopeing some of my rifles need refinished...so far i only found a reason to redo one...and i hunt with them all hard. 2 of my shotguns are synthetic..just because they would be beat if they were wooden..ive also never seen effects of temp or moister effecting my rifle stock. ill leave camp where its 70degrees and steamy right outside to rain and snow and 20-30degrees..never effected it....i heard that many times..and its very plausible..but ive never had a problem..if i lived somewhere where it rained alllllll the time or i needed light weight the wood would go..but till then ill take a nice piece of walnut!

RE: Synthetic or Wood
 

If you buy a gun to look at,wood is the better choice.If you buy a gun to hunt with,a good quality synthetic is much more stable.

RE: Synthetic or Wood
 

One thing better about wood is that if the stock is a bit too long for you, you can shave it down to the perfect fit much easier. You can do it yourself or have it done fairly inexpensively. Not so easy on a synthetic. I had one of my synthetic stocks shortened for my wife and it left some weird discoloration throughout the rest of the stock. Maybe bad quality work, but the guy warned me about cutting a synthetic stock before he did it.

Also, you can buy wood stock blanks and do pretty much anything you want with them. It's not hard to get a really custom look with the wood with just a little patience and good instructions.

I also agree that synthetics don't seem to fit as well sometimes. I think that depends on quality. The cheaper ones like you find on savages and stevens and other aftermarket stocks don't seem to fit as well as the wood replacements.

RE: Synthetic or Wood
 

I like good quality synthetics stocks for serious hunting rifles and wood stocks for target shooting or small game...

RE: Synthetic or Wood
 

Wood! Nothing like the feel of a wood stockin the hands and up against the cheek. :D

RE: Synthetic or Wood
 

I like laminate. Looks nice like wood but doesn't swell and effect accuracy.

Tom

RE: Synthetic or Wood
 

I think synthetic looks and feels better than wood.