Wood or Synthetic?

[mr_trumpet1]

I think I'm gonna get me a Ruger Rifle next. I just recently purchased the P345 about a month and a half ago and have put 300 rnds through her so far and I love it(not a single problem to date). I'm a new Ruger fan and have been looking at the Hawkeye M77 .308. My question is, is what do yall think is best kind of rifle, wood or synthetic? Any pros and cons would be greatly appreciated.

 

[steenroller]

Just my $.02 worth. I just traded and got a new all-weather .308 Hawkeye with the synthetic stock. I like the stock and I got it for the purpose of having a stainless rifle that I did not mind getting a little scratched up or taking out in a misting rain where I would not have to worry about the wood on the stock. Except for that fact I like the looks of the wood. I have an early M77 in 30-06 with some fine wood on it and a .223 with a tan laminated stock on it. The laminated stocks look nice and are not as sensitive to moisture as the wood but with the synthetic stocks you won't worry as much about getting it banged up when hunting. It just depends on how you think you will use it and what your preferences are.

 

[valkrider8]

I'll throw in my $.02

Wood = Nothing like a nice piece of wood on a rifle. Can give you that warm and fuzzy feeling.

Synthetic = Totally utilitarian. Made to combat the elements but certainly have proven themselves to work.

Laminate's = The middle child of the three. Can be attractive to some, can give you that warm feeling (I would't say fuzzy too ) Can take some abuse in the rough elements. Sometimes a little heavy.

I prefer wood and laminate's. Just haven't been able to warm up to the synthetics yet, but I am trying. JMO :wink:

 

[308dave]

I would add that a lot depends on weather conditions and its intended use. I've been using stainless/synthetic rifles for deer hunting for the past 12+ years because weather conditions during MN's firearm season are so variable. I sold a #1 after one season because it began to rain one day and I was worried about what it might do to the rifle.

 

[41 mag fan]

I make wood stocks so I am a little partial. I don't think anything can compare to nice piece of black or claro walnut. Steve

 

[Pinecone]

mr_trumpet1, There's no question that a "nice" piece of wood is very eye-catching and appealing to most, but after having worked with wood stocks for 43 + years as well as synthetics, I would in the end go with a stainless gun in a synthetic stock for the reasons mentioned above. I have had to repair very few synthetic stocks in all my years of gunsmithing but have repaired many, many wood stocks! Having never lived in Georgia, I'm not sure what your "humidity" is like but I would still opt for the "synthetic" if it were me................................Dick :wink:

 

[6mmsl]

I own both- I really appreciate the look and feel of my wood stocks, they just feel like a rifle should.

On the other hand all my hunting is done with my synthetics.

On a a Elk hunt one year I really banged up one of prized M77's in wood and after that I started hunting with synthetic.

I don't know about the humdity thing changing POA it never seemed to happen to me and most of my rifles are stock with forearm pressure.

Love wood- hunt with synthetic.

Good shooting -Steve

 

[Quarterbore]

I am not a huge fan of the cheap plastic and hollow stocks found on most factory guns that come with synthetic stocks. So, if you mean to compare a factory wood stock to one of those plastic boat paddles I will take wood any day!

Now, if you also include the QUALITY stocks made by H-S Precision, McMillan or others, then I have zero reservation saying I much prefer a good synthetic stock on a working gun. My current favorite, as it has worked well for me, is the HS Precsion stock and they are made for the Ruger 77MKII long action and right handed:

http://www.hsprecision.com/shop/stocks/pss/pss033.html

Note - one of the reasons I like Rem 700s better is obvious when you look at the options!

McMillan has a few more options for the Ruger:

http://www.mcmfamily.com/mcmillan-stock ... v=branch2e

These stocks are much stronger then wood or the plastic hollow ones and properly bedded will also allow the rifle to shoot more consistently then wood. They are obviously a bit expensive however.

 

[Divernhunter]

Wood is nice and usually works well.
Syn just plain works and I even like some of the patterns. I am not partical to plain black but really like the tan or gray with webbing in it and a few others.

Have hunted with both but tend to use sys for all weather hunting now.
Get what makes YOU happy.

 

[mattsbox99]

Wood/blue steel only for me. I have a couple of stainless handguns, and a few laminated stock rifles, but the vast majority (65+) of my rifles are blued steel with walnut stocks.

 

[6mmsl]

Quarterbore-does that stock from Mcmillian have the raised cheekpad? I do not perfer the raised cheekpad or palm swells-but that stock looks really nice. I have seen these at the gun shows but have really taken an interest-may start now!

Funny this post 10 years ago would have really favored wood-synthetics have really taken hold.

I can't see that side and it does tell me in the discription.

Good shooting -Steve

 

[Quarterbore]

Most of my Rem 700s have HS Precision stocks, I do not own any McMillan stocks at this point but I did have one on a Rem 700 years ago. Still, there are lots of stock options for the Rem 700 that you can't get for a Ruger so you need to ask the manufacturer and see what they have.

 

[Divernhunter]

I have a mcMillan stock on a ruger tang safety M77 in 7mm rem mag. It is shaped like the ruger stock and I really like it. If someone orders one plan on waiting. It took theey over 3 months to get mine to me but was worth the wait.

 

[RJ556]

I am basically a wood man. But, I do have a Winchester M70 stainless Classic that I had rebarreled with a hand lapped full tapered octagon HS Precision barrel in 280 Ackley that I had restocked by Lone Wolf of Montana. It is made from a hand laid up Kelvlar blank to classic stock proportions, with a spiderwebbed gray epoxy finish. For western hunting, at 8 pounds 3 ounces hunting weight, it is a joy to carry, handle and shoot. Many mule deer and antelope have fallen to this one.

 

[wlhawk]

I got an M1A several months ago with a synthetic stock. I really like the looks of a walnut stock however. Looks like I may need to get another rifle soon!

You can't have too many guns or coonhounds!

 

[mcknight77]

I am partial to the synthetic "boat paddle" stocks that Ruger used for a few years on the M77 MkII when it comes to non-wood stocks. They don't have the hollow sound of most synthetic stocks.

I still love my blued and wood stocked Rugers. They are perfectly fine for hunting in any weather as long as you take care of them. The one caveat is when hunting around salt water, as I do here in AK. For that application, I go for stainless MkIIs with boat paddle stocks. If you really get stuck up the creek, you've always got a paddle. ;-)

 

[gatorhugger]

Wood, Wood, Wood.
Maybe Laminate.
Never Plastic. Not on a rifle.
It may be great functionally, but rifles I like to admire
and I cannot admire plastic.

 

[Sharp Shooter]

Wood, Wood, Wood.
Maybe Laminate.
Never Plastic. Not on a rifle.
It may be great functionally, but rifles I like to admire
and I cannot admire plastic.

Synthetic, Synthetic, Synthetic.
Maybe laminated wood.
Who said anything about plastic? That's like saying wood stocks are gouged out 2X4 fir studs.
Functionality is what I admire.
And I can't admire a rifle that sits in my safe because I'm afraid of putting a ding in it's "beautiful" wood stock, or because its POI might change due to a change in humidity.

Just kidding around gatorhugger. Different strokes for different folks. In truth, I too like wood stocks. But the rifle I'm planning to have built right after the first of the year will be stainless with a synthetic stock. I've learned to like the looks of some synthetics and I've always liked their functionality.
That's "some" synthetics. I don't like plastic, and I don't like fiberglass. But there ARE other synthetics.

 

[jakes10mm]

Good feedback on this thread. Question for all:

Is the Hawkeye the same as the Mark II for stock dimensions?

Although I prefer the warmth of wood, I'm looking at getting a All-Weather Hawkeye for hunting. I am not impressed with the synthetic stocks offered on production guns. Would probably look at replacing it "eventually".

 

[BrianU]

Prefer the look of wood, but you sure can not beat the practicality of a nice synthetic stock, emphasizing nice synthetic. I think most typical factory stocks really are plastic. They look cheap, sound hollow and are butt ugly to boot. I have a Remington Model 700 Mountain Rifle and it has the synthetic stock used by Remington's custom shop, which is a combination of kevlar and fiberglass. Looks and feels a world above pretty much everything you typically see sitting in a rack in most gunshops. I would rather buy a used rifle and spend the money on a Brown Precision or McMillan than pay money for what I usually see coming from the factory.

I think the biggest deciding factor would be the conditions you will most likely be using the rifle in and of course what you like. I have a friend that loves my M77 MKII .243 with the boat paddle stock, while I can not imagine anything uglier.

Brian