Wood vs Synthetic Stock

[hump]

I have synthetic stocks on my hunting guns, when im out in the desert they do get hot ,my hunting partner uses wood and they do not get hot,but they are a little heavy.
I dont abuse my guns but they do get scratched and dinged out in the brush,they are hunting tools not safe queens.
If you like the look of wood get a gun in wood if you like synthetic go with that.

[AragornElessar86]

Only synthetics I have are my modded 870, my 10/22 because the Hogue is waaay better than any wood stocks in the price range, and my Saiga .308 (unconverted). The Saiga and the 10/22 will have wood furniture one of these days, so if anyone's got a line on US made unconverted Saiga furniture let me know.

[Trapper]

I love the look of a fine walnut stocked rifle but for serious hunting a stainless rifle sitting in an HS, Mc Millian or Bell Carlson stock is hard to beat.

[XVIga_Rob]

I have one of each 'old school' high gloss & blue .30-06, and the 'new look' syntetic & black .270. They are both great guns!

[ivanimal]

All my serious hunting rifles are synthetic. My jeep gun is a model 99C in 308 that is the exception.

[Coyotegunner]

I am 50/50 on the wood and synthetic guns I own.
Wood is pretty,like some said scratches more.It is also not so water proof.A person can seal them better.Oil and cleaners attack their finishes with a vengeace.I usually glass bed/free float them to keep the pressure off the barrel when they do get wet.
Synthetics are kind of homely,usually a little lighter depending on the brand/model.Still scratch but it is not going to show as bad.Not effected by weather/most oils,chemicals.I make sure they are glass bedded/free floated as well.
Its all fun and games looking at them in a store where it is dry.Take one hunting for 10 days of rain and snow,a person makes their mind up pretty fast why the synthetics are so popular.

[NapalmCheese]

I don't think the popularity of synthetic rifles has anything to do with their performance in adverse conditions.

The lower end synthetic stocks all suck. All of the non Accustock savages, all of the lower end synthetic 700s and admittedly even my beloved Tikka does not wear a great synthetic stock. There are two things that make these tupperware stocks more popular than a good walnut stock: price and advertising.

If we were all truly concerned with having stiff, lightweight, consistent synthetic stocks we'd all have guns with $500 dollar stocks. Instead we are fed a line from all of the popular manufacturers about how their $400 dollar rifle is better off for having a $50.00 plastic stock that flexes when you use a sling or rest it on a bean bag on a hot day. The manufacturers tell us that these awesome plastic stocks are impervious to everything so we no longer have to do routine maintenance to them and can instead do something else with our time.

My next hunting rifle will wear a wood stock. My next precision rifle will wear laminate or a good plastic. It mostly comes down to personal preference on a hunting rifle, but don't fool yourself into thinking that all synthetic stocks are superior. Some synthetic stocks will give you everything you are looking for; stiff, weather agnostic, light weight, hard to ding up, just the right amount of grippiness. Others will not. On the other hand the worst you get with low end walnut stock is that it looks crappy compared to a nice one and might need to be fitted and finished a little better (barrel clearance and that sort of stuff).

I don't regret having a synthetic stocked hunting rifle, but my next hunting rifle will wear walnut.

[Warrior King]

I don't think the popularity of synthetic rifles has anything to do with their performance in adverse conditions.

The lower end synthetic stocks all suck. All of the non Accustock savages, all of the lower end synthetic 700s and admittedly even my beloved Tikka does not wear a great synthetic stock. There are two things that make these tupperware stocks more popular than a good walnut stock: price and advertising.

If we were all truly concerned with having stiff, lightweight, consistent synthetic stocks we'd all have guns with $500 dollar stocks. Instead we are fed a line from all of the popular manufacturers about how their $400 dollar rifle is better off for having a $50.00 plastic stock that flexes when you use a sling or rest it on a bean bag on a hot day. The manufacturers tell us that these awesome plastic stocks are impervious to everything so we no longer have to do routine maintenance to them and can instead do something else with our time.

My next hunting rifle will wear a wood stock. My next precision rifle will wear laminate or a good plastic. It mostly comes down to personal preference on a hunting rifle, but don't fool yourself into thinking that all synthetic stocks are superior. Some synthetic stocks will give you everything you are looking for; stiff, weather agnostic, light weight, hard to ding up, just the right amount of grippiness. Others will not. On the other hand the worst you get with low end walnut stock is that it looks crappy compared to a nice one and might need to be fitted and finished a little better (barrel clearance and that sort of stuff).

I don't regret having a synthetic stocked hunting rifle, but my next hunting rifle will wear walnut.

Name your poison

As far as I know you can not do bedding on a synthetic stock. So if you are long range shooting and want to pillar bed a wood or laminate could have advantages.

Also, as some have mentioned synthetic cheaper stocks have some issues. Some synthetic stocks can not stand up to recoil of a large caliber rifle, and bend which could effect accuracy. A prime oak stock is time tested for recoil... Extreme temps can also effect synthetic stocks.

However, the most recent synthetic stocks have metal inserts which provide the rigidity and consistency you would get with a good oak stock most of the time...just as wood expands so do some metals including aluminum under cold temps....hence the time tested solution is bedding with plastic a wood stock for accuracy.

All hunting is local...that does not apply just to laws and knowing where the game is but also to your rifle stock. If you have a wood stock it will shoot differently if the humidity and temp changes due to the wood swelling or contracting depending on the season or locale, which will or could effect accuracy. Laminates and synthetics are less prone to seasonal and temp warping.

Name your poison means be honest about who you are and what your expectations are. If you only hunt in a few places during the same times of year, and you value accuracy and want to maximize accuracy with every shot a good solid oak stock could be the ticket. If you hunt hard, value economy over resale value, prefer light weight, because you do extended back country hunts etc. and want a rifle that can be used in a variety of locations and seasons including rain except for extreme cold and are more concerned about harvesting than long range precision, synthetic could be your best bet.

Of course if you are the type that spends most of your free time thinking about hunting, and care more about you hunting rifle than your wife and other relationships all of this is really superfluous. If you were making really rational decisions you would not be investing all your time and energy into harvesting meat you could buy at the supermarket.