Protecting a wooden stock
 

I just picked up a Remington 700 CDL in 270 Winchester. I was lucky and found one with a vey nice piece of wood. Does anything need to be done to this stock to protect it from the elements when deer hunting? Idon't remember myDad doing anything to his rifle stocks back in the 70's and they still look good to this day.

RE: Protecting a wooden stock
 

One thing to avoid on wood stocked rifles is the over use of gun-oil on the metal parts. "Gun Oils" are very light weight lubricants and will "run" over time even though you cannot detect it doing so. That is why you will see many, many older rifles and shot guns with a darkened area near the action or chunk (in the case of an old SBS or older O/U).

I am not certain how the Remington 700CDL stock is finished. Some factory rifles are finished "glossy". Lots of Remingtons are. Some are finished "flat". If the CDL is a "flat" finish, it might be a rubbed linseed oil. If that is the case, rubbing it down periodically with boiled linseed oil will preserve both the wood and leave the stock "flat". I would refer to Remington for advice.

For sure I, after a wet day of hunting, I would remove the stock and wipe both it an the metal, including the bore, with a dry cloth. Try rubbing , pressing hard, the exterior metal with a thin, thin coat of gun-grease ... like rubbing polish into a leather shoe. The grease will actually penetrate the top layers of the metal at the molecular level. Let it sit 30-45 minutes when wipe with a clean cotton cloth like an old T-Shirt or towel to remove the excess.

Spray the "action" with an "Action Cleaner" product. This dries water out the parts that you would have a tough time getting to. You might want to put an ever so light application of a non-petroleum lubricant on the action's parts, such as Rem-Oil ... but do not over do this. A wee bit goes a long way. Over done, this can lead to the lubricant capturing and holding face powder fine dust particles, "gunking" up the works so to speak.

Going this route will mitigate "oil" or "grease" damage to the wood and keep your rifle in tip top shape.

RE: Protecting a wooden stock
 

Good advice Mojotex. Did your gun come with a book? I would start there. Although they look "natural", I would bet that there is some proprietary coating or finish on iit that protects it somewhat from the elements.

RE: Protecting a wooden stock
 

CDL stocks have a semi-gloss or satin sheen finish. A good automotive grade paste wax will keep it sealed and looking good. Be careful not to get it into the checkering, though. If you do, a toothbrush can be used to clean it out.