First of all....thank you to everyone who have given me caliber and rifle make/model opinions in my previous posts.

I've finally decided that I'm going with a left handed Browning A-Bolt in either .270 or .30-06

Now, I'm trying to decide between the Stainless Stalker and the Medallion.

The practical side of me says to go synthetic/stainless.....but the wood stocked Medallion feels so good and looks great.

Any opinions?

IMO, I prefer the wood feel, always have.

I kinda choose function over form. I love the look of a nice wood stock, but, I don't like scratching them up. I took the wood stock off my 700 ADL .30-06 and installed a synthetic, and all rifles I've acquired lately have had synthetic stocks.

Sounds like wood is your preference.

Personally like wood as well, even more so when compared to most factory synthetic stocks.

To look at Wood, for hard use a Synthetic. The synthetic are allot more forgiving.

I love my abolt medallion, I saw a browning synthetic varmint and the stock just seemed so cheap, like plastic.....some synthetics I like out there, I dont think brownings one of them. I am a fan of synthetics though, esp on most rifles, if you plan to be in the mtns, snow rain....id prob go stainless, though they make a wood/stainless I believe.

I just like the idea of the stock now swelling etc.....and therefore always shooting on point. If you plan to hunt warm conditions you may just want to go with wood.

I think Browning thoroughly waterproofs their wood stocks so movement should not be an issue especially with a gun that has a free floated barrel. That said the Medallion if I am not mistaken has a very bright finish which I wouldn't like in a Hunting rifle and I think they went overboard with it. The Abolt synthetic stock is a step up from most synthetic stocks on most factory rifles. It has no seam lines and sounds more solid compared to what I have seen coming from most other manufacturers.

After I managed to warp a wood stock on an adl I have stayed with the synthetic ones.

After being in the architectural woodwork business for 30 years, I can tell you for a fact, no matter how good a finish is on wood, it will expand, contract, warp, and check with climate changes. A wood finish is also very slippery when wet. I buy all synthetic/ stainless firearms. I really like my Remington 700 XCR in synthetic with the in-layed soft rubber grips at the forearm and around the trigger handle. It has at great gripping actionwhen wet. See attached.

http://www.remington.com/products/firearms/centerfire_rifles/model_700/model_700_XCR.asp

While I agree about sythetic stocks being better for hard use,browning does have epoxy finish on their medallions that is very durable. The way I look at it-if you get a stainless stalker,you'll have a good tool whereas if you get a medallion you'll have a companion that you can be proud of.