Wood or Synthetic Stock?
 

Im looking in to buying the new Browning X-Bolt. Only question now is whether to go with the basic wood, hunter model for 650, or to buy the synthetic/stainless model for 680. I like the looks of the wood better, however i like the feel of the dura-touch coating and the durability of synthetic and stainless. Just wondering what everyone else's opinions are. Im goin with the 25-06 caliber.

RE: Wood or Synthetic Stock?
 

For hunting rifles,I only buy synthetic stocks,as they are much more stable when exposed to changes in humidity.

RE: Wood or Synthetic Stock?
 

You could always buy one of each!;) Think of one as a fair weather gun and the other as the bad weather gun!

RE: Wood or Synthetic Stock?
 

I find that the stainless X-bolt tops my list of some of the ugliest rifles made today with all of that brite silver aluminum they use for the mag well, rear tang, and trigger guard. I don't much like the black aluminum around the wood stocked hunter model either but at least it matches the color of the barrel.

Personally I would either get the hunter or bluedsynthetic with mypreferance being the blued synthetic. It looks much much cleaner to me being that the entire rifle is black.

RE: Wood or Synthetic Stock?
 

Synthetic and stainless. It may not look the best, but they sould be the most durable.

RE: Wood or Synthetic Stock?
 

I myself like the look of a stock. However, if I already had a couple in wood, and was maybe buying this one as a, say, niche gun, I could see myself buying a synthetic stainless. First or only gun though? I would buy wood.

RE: Wood or Synthetic Stock?
 

stubblejumper...Am I missing something, or do you have this reversed...??..:D...

RE: Wood or Synthetic Stock?
 

+1 :).I recently got a Hawkeye in SS/Blk syn stock.Not as warm'n pretty as walnut but it'll take anything nature throws at it.

RE: Wood or Synthetic Stock?
 

It really would depend on what you already have.
I have both and my synthetic stainless ruger is my rough hunt gun the wood and blue is just so pretty I can't stand the thought of scratching it much. Don't get me wrong it will be used and scratched just not like the other.

RE: Wood or Synthetic Stock?
 

Thanks for all the opinions so far. This is going to be basically my first bolt rifle. I own an old model 94 lever right now and am just looking to get something to deer and coyote hunt with here inwisconsin, basically a new all around gun to use. I usually take decent care of my guns so im leaning towards the wood, but still am not sure, i just think that the synthetic/stainless would be a better deal for only 30 dollars more. To me looks matter somewhat, but not as much as fuctionality.

RE: Wood or Synthetic Stock?
 

Guilty as charged.I was typing as I was doing something else and typed wood by mistake.:D

RE: Wood or Synthetic Stock?
 

I knew that.... Hence my ..:D....

I'm somewhat of a duffer as far as rifles go, but I know enough ( and have enough grey hairs) to recognize a poster who knows of what he speaks, and you qualify in that respect...

RE: Wood or Synthetic Stock?
 

I used to think plastic stocks looked cool, but in my old age (24 years old, hahahaha) i'm starting to realize that nothing is prettier then blue steel and a wood stock. I the synthetic stocks have lots of advantages but there is something special about a nice piece of walnut.

RE: Wood or Synthetic Stock?
 

If you buy rifles to look at ,pretty may be better for you,but I buy rifles to hunt with,so I will stick to a quality synthetic stock like Mcmillan,which by the way is not made of plastic.

RE: Wood or Synthetic Stock?
 

I will not argue againstthe utility of synthetic stocks and stainless steel...

However, I love walnut and blued metal, and IMHO, Life is too short to hunt with an ugly gun..;)... But that's just me.. One concession I'll make is for laminate...My pet .280 wears a brown laminate stock and I find it rather attractive...It's also less prone to changes from humidiity than a walnut stock..

I've never babied my hunting rifles..On a couple of my wilderness hunts my rifle got soaked every day.. The stock DID swell, but there was no change of impact that I could detect.. That's not saying it doesn't happen, though.. A good coat of automotive paste wax, like Turtle Wax, goes a long way to protect the metal finish ...

However I have no disagreement with the old axiom " Form Follows Function"...

Also, beauty is in the eye of the beholder..A lot of people like the looks of synthetic/stainless , I'm just not one of them...

RE: Wood or Synthetic Stock?
 

One thing to consider is your location/weather.In my area it goes from one extreme to the other every year.

RE: Wood or Synthetic Stock?
 

I have been on sheep and elk hunts where it rained non stop for several days at a time.It's nice to be able to just wipe the moisture off of my stainless barreled actions and mcmillan stocks,and not have to worry about rust or a change in the point of impact.Laminate is certainly much less effected by moisture than walnut,but even it isn't as stable as a top quality synthetic stock.

RE: Wood or Synthetic Stock?
 

Go with the walnut stocked model. It's prettier and will be a rifle to cherish. The sythetic stocked versions are more stable and damage resistant but I look at them as simply tools. The finish is VERY tough on the wood stocked models and they come glass bedded factory. Congrats on your choice!

RE: Wood or Synthetic Stock?
 

Since I buy guns to shoot bullets at targets,and at game,I consider all guns to be tools.A Prettier gun certainly doesn't do the job any better,and even a glass bedded walnut stock is not going to be as strong or as stable as a quality synthetic stock.I would rather have a plainer looking gun that has a consistent point of impact,than one that looks pretty,but is not as consistent.But if your priority is how pretty a gun is,rather than a consistent point of impact,a wood stock might be a better choice for you.

RE: Wood or Synthetic Stock?
 

Well said stubblejumper but look where you live. Down here we can actually have both in same package.

RE: Wood or Synthetic Stock?
 

I hunt in rain,sleet,snow and temperatures from 80F during August sheep season to -30F in November.If you are lucky enough to not have to hunt in rain,sleet,wet snow or in changing humidity,then a synthetic stock is of little advantage to you.However I have never hunted in such a place myself.

RE: Wood or Synthetic Stock?
 

I own quite a few rifles and NONE are synthetic. I like the weight, feel and most of all theLOOKS of a fine, wood rifle stock. I have yet to see a synthetic stock that appeals to me. And don't believe all the hype about how wood stock will change with weather conditions. That's not a concern if you purchase a quality firearm.

RE: Wood or Synthetic Stock?
 

I agree.... There is just something about wood and a blued barrel that can't be described. Wood gives a gun its own unique personality. Each bump, ding, scratch, scrape, tells a story. I know a duck hunter who has this sorry old 1956 Remington 870 12GA that is a little rust pitted and stock is all weathered and beatup.But the guy still knocks ducks out of the air every time with it! [8D]

RE: Wood or Synthetic Stock?
 

What would you call a quality firearm?I have seen for myself the change in point of impact with a Remington 700bdl,a Weatherby MarkV,and an A-Bolt.It is a fact that wood absorbs moisture in wet conditions,and it usually swells or warps as a resultYou can reduce this somewhat,but you can't totally eliminate this.

RE: Wood or Synthetic Stock?
 

As a matter of fact, you CAN keep walnut from adsorbing moisture. All it takes is attention to detail and good quality finish. The kicker is the moisture level already in the wood when it was finished/sealed. When I make stocks from blanks, I make SURE the moisture content is less than 5%. I realize you've had bad luck with stocks but when properly free floated, bedded, dried before finishing, and pillar or bedding block, you CAN hunt with wood from now on without having to worry about the stock causing the barrel to walk. I have several customers/friends in Canada AND Alaska that swear by my work and havn't had ANY problems yet with walnut stocked rifles I built for them. Of course you might be talking about factory rifle stocks only.

RE: Wood or Synthetic Stock?
 

You can greatly reduce the amount of moisture that a walnut stock will absorb,but unless you can seal it 100% and keep it sealed 100%,it will absorb moisture.Any nick scratch or ding will break that seal and let moisture in to the stock.

Why would you bother with pillar bedding,bedding blocks or free floating if you can keep walnut from absorbing moisture?If you can be 100% effective at preventing the walnut from absorbing moisture and either swelling or warping,these procedures are totally unnecessary.I think that you will agree that if you really want the prettiest rifle,full length bedding without the unsightly free floating gap looks best.In reality,these procedures are usually carried out to try to prevent a change in the point of impact when a stock absorbs moisture.

My response was to the previous posters statement about "quality" firearms,and the rifles that I mentioned were in fact factory rifles.

RE: Wood or Synthetic Stock?
 

I agree 100%, this is something I think stock makers and other wood workers don't follow and should.

I do the same with hickory bows I am making. I keep near my wood stove and can get moisture down to 9% or less while building (5% for walnut and hickory for a longbow is way too dry for me, it can explode) but for gunstocks, be pefect. Then seal it several times with poly or whatever. Its been proven time and time again with trad bows, you can make a whitewood bow a real shooter if you build it in dry climate and seal it in dry climate. A moisture meter seems handy. I don't have one, but thinking about it. And I have seen several times that they don't get that moisture back if you do it right.

I have even seen some do it so well, the bow became brittle and blew up in the summer, which is strange with hickory and walnut.

RE: Wood or Synthetic Stock?
 

Well, thanks for all of the input. I think i am going to end up buying the synthetic/stainless just because it will last better. I dont plan on sitting it in a gun cabinet and looking at it so i guess the pretty wood stock really isn't all that important. Now just to close the deal.

RE: Wood or Synthetic Stock?
 

I bought a Rem Model 700 in .270 for this season.Best buy I've made in a long time.It's an all weather gun,very accurate,and it is so much easier to carry all day because it's lighter than I'm used to(I also use a Rem 7400 in 30'06 and although I really like the gun it's as heavy as a cannon).

RE: Wood or Synthetic Stock?
 

I'll admit that wood looks and feels better but maybe because I am a military guy I just get the synthetic. Who needs pretty when the point is to go bang and kill, especially when your hiking it through rough terrain? I know not everyone goes into rough terrain but I am also an all purpose type of guy. That's also why I go stainless. :)

RE: Wood or Synthetic Stock?
 

Seems nowadays I'd only buy synthetic.... with the exception of large bore african rifles....such as a 416 or 458 I plan to have with wood.

I do have wood smaller bores, but of late the newest are synthetic...

RE: Wood or Synthetic Stock?
 

removed by RD

RE: Wood or Synthetic Stock?
 

remember guys, everything that can be killed with a rifle (in every type of weather imaginable) has been and will continue to be killed with the rifle wearing a wood stock. select the stock you like and have a great hunt.

RE: Wood or Synthetic Stock?
 

And all of those animals have also likely been killed with a spear,but that doesn't make a spear the best choice.:D