Plastic or wood?

It depends on the use of the rifle. I like a nice wood stocked rifle. I also like a composite stock a whole lot more for somethings. I hate plastic.
 
I have a few inexpensive rifles and shotguns with plastic stocks, but the guns that I reach for 95% of the time are stocked in wood. I like the look and feel of wood. The notable exception is the AR I use for predator calling. And, I've never tried a real high quality composite stock, so can't comment on those.
 
ok,i'll be "that guy".

I like the plastic stock. Because of the terrain I hunt in, I can't in good conscience carry anything "nice". I don't abuse my tools, but unfortunately the terrain makes it more of an occupational hazard.

HOWEVER...I am not a "gun guy" so my opinion is generally "uninformed" when it comes to what makes a quality rifle.
 
I like composite stocks. Not really the cheap plastic that seems to be abundant now a days. There is also a big difference in regular ole plastic and glass reinforced polymer...just IMO.

Having said that, they all have their place. I have some of each type.
 
Make mine a quality synthetic. Just hurts my feelings too much to dent or scratch nice wood. And any calling rifle of mine is going to get dinged up some.

- DAA
 
Originally Posted By: DAAMake mine a quality synthetic. Just hurts my feelings too much to dent or scratch nice wood. And any calling rifle of mine is going to get dinged up some.

- DAA

My exact thoughts ^^^^^
 
For me, depends on how I'm hunting or shooting. Varied terrain, game and hunting styles here in PA between mountains/laurel/boulders/steep and the woodlots and farmland typical further south. Groundhogs and farmland deer and such - anything is fine if the gun is accurate with it. Weight is an issue if you're walking far. Target - the same. For my mountain hunting, plastic by far! I've wiped out in the laurel (bear drives in this stuff is more like a miles-long forced stumble) and rocks more than once. I have a sawed off Rem 760 with mismatched plastic stocks that I love for this stuff - it was scratched, gouged and beat up when I got it, and I've added more. Did find the Ramline stock it came with flexed at the pistol grip SOOOOO much, that it thru accuracy out, so I switched the rear on to the Rem factory - much stiffer. I love the contour and gripping on the Ramline forend though.

I have some classics that I baby, a few pretty ones, and even a nice composite or two. But when I really go hunting, I take something already with scars - cushions my feelings for when I come home with more! LOL! To me, usable accuracy is first. Cost is obviously an issue for all of us at some point. After that, looks be d****d, but I do appreciate good wood, quality materials and craftsmanship for what it is. I personally just dont need the ultimate in precision to do most of what I do at this point. And look at what these $300 Savages are doing at distance with cheap plastic. Noise with brush banging against it can be more of an issue with the plastics FWIW.
 
I currently do not own a wood stocked rifle, except my Father's Remington 760 "deer rifle" which never leaves the safe. All of my rifle stocks are laminates, composites, or "plastic". The floppy plastic factory stocks get replaced, with composites, but a couple of factory/after market plastic stocks have passed the test.

I grew up with a J.C. Higgins 22RF rifle(re-branded Savage 87A), with a plastic stock, that was older than I was. So I was perverted at an early age. At the tender age of 13(1966), I bought my first shotgun, a NIB Remington 1100, and every ding that pretty walnut got, was a traumatic experience. My J.C. Higgins, could slide down a hill side, and I would clean it, and be GTG. My Remington 1100, would get a slight scuff, and I would go into mourning. That and I duck hunted my Remington 1100, in the rain, and cleaning and drying it, always found the stock and forearm swelled. So as I grew older, and started adding centerfire rifles to my arsenal, my early life experiences had me gravitating to something synthetic, or laminated, if I want pretty, too.

Squeeze
 
Given just the choice of plastic or wood, I'll take wood or
laminate any day. About all my rifles are bolts, and when I
do decide to buy a tupperware stocked rifle, it usually gets
a laminate stock before ever being shot.

Plastic stocks CAN be stiffened up, but one ends up with the
same amount of weight, or heavier than wood after all things
are said and done.
 
As much as I like a nice wood stock, my two main predator rifles both have Blackhawk stocks. The rifles are in my truck from mid November through mid February, neither have ever shifted point of impact.
 
All of my hunting rifles are stainless/synthetic/Leupold. I just wipe them off with a towel after being covered in rain, snow or slush and they are ready to go the next day! Wood swells or breaks and blue rusts, just way to much hassle for me.
rolleyes.gif
 
I prefer wood for many reasons beyond beauty. I have purchased many synthetics without being really satisfied.
This year the T3x came along so the Superlight caught my attention and it has been a very satisfactory synthetic model.
My opinion may be changing which usually isn't easy.
 
If it's for looking at then wood. If it's for hunting, personally I will only use synthetic plastic stuff. I'm not sure if my Savage 111 is glass fiber reinforced or not but what I do know is that it shoots great as is and I don't mind powering through heavy brush with it in hand. These stocks are also usually lighter making you less out of breath when you finally get your shot.

I've considered putting a laminate stock on it but for hunting I love the "tool" aspect of this gun. No frills, it just has what you need to put something on the ground.
 
I have always been partial to wood stocks. Had a nice Dakota with XX English walnut. Sold it because I couldn't bring myself to use it like the tool it was meant to be. Same was true of my 1952 Manlicher Schoenaur, Cooper, and the list goes on. Now most of my rifles are Savages with Accutocks on an after market composite. The notable exceptions are my hard working CZ 527, CZ 453, and my Anschutz .22.
 
There is no comparison in quality between a molded synthetic stock like you find on lower entry level rifles and a wrapped composite synthetic stock from someone like H-S Precision. Two different worlds.
 
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