Wood stock rifles

[Dawg2019]

I know that plastic/composite stocks are quite popular these days, but why is it increasingly difficult to find a new classic walnut gun? I understand carrying some black stocks, but keep the normal production of wood guns available.

 

[Challer]

All my hunting guns are wood stocked. But you wouldn’t believe that going into any gun store. A combination of things are at work

Americans are hooked on camo.
Plastic is much cheaper to make and we certainly are addicted to cheap
Many people are afraid to “mess up” a fine walnut stock so demand is low

 

[Hoofnit]

Came to say this , wood has become more expensive as a raw material and a really nice stock has a bunch of hours of labor in it that most are not willing to pay for…

 

[KJE81]

I only have rifles with blued steel and wooden stocks, I am quite conservative that way I guess you could say.

But in the gun store they mostly sell guns with plastic/syntethic stocks, AR10/AR15 seems to be what sells these days.

 

[MS 9x56]

The one and only answer to that is money. I cannot abide black plastic stocks. I will not ever buy a rifle or shotgun with a plastic stock. Hell I don’t even like laminated wood stocks with black in them.

 

[Ryan]

As @Challer and @Hoofnit mentions. Economics and changing markets.

Though there are some exceptions. I've seen some decent Winchester M70, Ruger #1 and some models of Ruger Hawkeye. My first Ruger #1 had what looked like very boring walnut and I improved it immensely by stripping the matte finish and refinishing it with a good stain and oil.

Thankfully there's aftermarket stocks too. My plain jane plastic stock Savage now has a decent laminate stock with fish scale carved texturing from Boyd's. Not quite as nice as high grade walnut, but it puts up with Alaskan weather well. And I upgraded my plastic stocked Thompson/Center Encore with a high grade walnut stock from High Plain Gunstocks.

 

[Russ16]

I agree so hard to find a gun wood much less decent wood.

I’ll go one further. Why do so many of the new guns have those massive bolt handles? And not just rifles. The new semi auto shotguns have huge handles on the bolts. All they do is get hung in things and tear up gun cases.

 

[PARA45]

It is sad, but unfortunately that is the world we live in today. My son said to me one day to look at his beautiful synthetic stock rifle. I said to him, yup, it's a nice rifle, but all other rifles are exactly the same as yours. Wood stock rifles are different because wood is never the same. He still didn't get it. I still ask myself where I went wrong with him.

 

[Ryan]

I agree so hard to find a gun wood much less decent wood.

I’ll go one further. Why do so many of the new guns have those massive bolt handles? And not just rifles. The new semi auto shotguns have huge handles on the bolts. All they do is get hung in things and tear up gun cases.

Yeah, why does every bolt gun need a door knob?? Saw two lefties in Cabela's gun library a couple days ago. One had a big bulb, the other this long knurled round bar for a bolt handle. Way overkill. Walked away from both.

 

[Hunter-Habib]

100% agree. Classic walnut stocks all the way.

These days I quietly chuckle whenever I see certain youngster hunters who think that you can’t possibly hunt a deer without getting a camo finish synthetic stocked rifle.

In general, I’ve observed younger hunters these days have an increasing degree of predilection towards tactical looking firearms instead of classic looking ones.

 

[Racer00]

While I agree with all your feelings towards wood and blued steel, I also feel that if the next generation finds plastic and camo attractive, support them. We need every new or young hunter to stay the course and help carry on the tradition of shooting and hunting we all love. Don’t dissuade them. Encourage them. And show them the beauty and serviceability of wood and hope they come to our side eventually.

 

[franzfmdavis]

I agree that there are fewer options in wood, which is unfortunate; however, I think there’s a place for all of the various options. I would struggle to attach my Rigby to the rack of my four wheeler while driving up a mountain in the Rockies in the snow and mud to hunt elk; less so with my Cooper carbon/composite stock rifle. Correspondingly, I would not enjoy carrying the Cooper rifle on the African plains.

 

[Papa72]

Up until recently I never gave much thought to laminate wood, but the .416 Taylor project rifle I acquired came with a Boyd’s “nutmeg” laminate that has changed my opinion somewhat. It’s growing on me.

 

[PARA45]

I agree that there are fewer options in wood, which is unfortunate; however, I think there’s a place for all of the various options. I would struggle to attach my Rigby to the rack of my four wheeler while driving up a mountain in the Rockies in the snow and mud to hunt elk; less so with my Cooper carbon/composite stock rifle. Correspondingly, I would not enjoy carrying the Cooper rifle on the African plains.

I'm with you on this 1000%. This is why we have options, and we choose the rifle(s) for the conditions we will encounter. I'm sure you would not take your Rigby to a coastal bear hunt in Alaska. Synthetic stock rifles have their place and usage. However, the argument/discussion here is that today's younger generation do not appreciate a beautiful wood stock rifle and instead gravitate and choose a synthetic stock rifle.

 

[Firebird]

Cost imo is the number one factor. However, since 911 if you identify as a male in the USA, you have grown up in a world where firearms don’t wear wood, have tactical bolt handles and large magazines. That environment transfers from the war to the woods and brings a different cross section of guys who use guns with it.
Also the non wood stocks have gotten much better-reinforced, bedded, fit and finish. Not all of them, but the better brands offer some really good non wood options.
Conversely wood stocks have gotten sloppier, with machined checkering, mass production and weak (see also cheap) woods.
I have several of each type in my safe as do most of you and use them in appropriate applications. But my heart belongs to custom walnut and always will.

 

[BJH65]

What about some synthetic stocks that appear like wood? There have been a few synthetics that have appeared wood like made in the past but I imagine producing a synthetic stock that appears like high end walnut wouldn’t be cheap or wouldn’t be desirable to the new generation.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

While I agree with all your feelings towards wood and blued steel, I also feel that if the next generation finds plastic and camo attractive, support them. We need every new or young hunter to stay the course and help carry on the tradition of shooting and hunting we all love. Don’t dissuade them. Encourage them. And show them the beauty and serviceability of wood and hope they come to our side eventually.

Every year I see more hunting land locked up, either from development or rich game hog transplant pseudo ranchers. And ranges for shooting have become ridiculously expensive and stand in line. Why should we be encouraging more young people to get involved in gun sports with shrinking availability/affordability? Just to have their support to protect MY guns? I can understand why they are only interested in playing Rambo with black guns. Crime shows are all I see on TV anymore.

 

[Papa72]

Every year I see more hunting land locked up, either from development or rich game hog transplant pseudo ranchers. And ranges for shooting have become ridiculously expensive and stand in line. Why should we be encouraging more young people to get involved in gun sports with shrinking availability/affordability? Just to have their support to protect MY guns? I can understand why they are only interested in playing Rambo with black guns. Crime shows are all I see on TV anymore.

I simply cannot conjure a politically correct reply to your asinine response…so I won’t.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

My shotgun is black plastic. I hunt hard and walnut is just not practical. Went through two walnut stocks on my 870 goose gun before finally throwing in the towel and switching to plastic. Then my eyes went to hell and I switched to an A5 to mitigate recoil. That gun also destroyed wood on both ends due to two design flaws. So it also now wears indestructable plastic. I don't like it but is what it is. My rifles wear walnut. I also hunt hard with them but these days usually only a couple days a year (sometimes only a couple of hours to get my deer).

Most North American guns ceased to be made by artisans a long time ago. Plastic stocks fit well with assembly line mass production. They don't warp or break and no hidden blemishes to worry about. Nothing like getting an expensive beautifully figured walnut blank half carved into a stock and suddenly finding a crack, knot, or rotten spot. Plastic stock comes out of the mold and it's ready to slap on the receiver. No fitting by hand. Any half-wit who can hold a screwdriver can do it.

 

[franzfmdavis]

I'm with you on this 1000%. This is why we have options, and we choose the rifle(s) for the conditions we will encounter. I'm sure you would not take your Rigby to a coastal bear hunt in Alaska. Synthetic stock rifles have their place and usage. However, the argument/discussion here is that today's younger generation do not appreciate a beautiful wood stock rifle and instead gravitate and choose a synthetic stock rifle.

I agree with that. I bet a significant contributing factor to this diminished interest is the type of entertainment that is prevalent. if we had more movies about big game hunters and other interesting historical figures, I think that the interesting and traditional rifles would correspondingly increase. Case in point, the TV show Yellowstone has apparently significantly increased sales at RRL and Filson, and the John Wick movies have increased the interest in double stack 2011 pistols