Wood stock or not:
I am not a hunter, but like to target shoot. And I can understand why some hunters would want a synthetic stock. But I prefer a wood stock for the beauty. To me a good wood stock makes the rifle.
So what is your preference?
OK, let's look at this again. I have no shortage of hunting rifles, most in beautiful American walnut stocks. Some not so beautiful with fond memories of the dings and dents. Mine was a mountain side in WV in snow and that ride truly sucked, thank God for the snow.
All of that and memories of hunting rifles is here nor there. The original poster specifically mentions he doesn't hunt and specifically mentions he likes to target shoot. OK, now you can target shoot with a hunting rifle with a pencil barrel and be content because the rifle can also be used to hunt with and 2 or 3 MOA is fine. Yes, some do better but if you are going to shoot target you generally run with a target rifle and seek much tighter groups than a hunting rifle.
The below rifle was born as a Remington Model 725 chambered in 222 Remington with a pencil barrel. I re barreled the rifle and chambered it in 223 Remington with as can be seen a full contour fluted barrel. Pictured with the original walnut the rifle sits in a synthetic stock with a full size aluminum bedding block. The recoil lug rest against that block because as the rifle is fired wood would crush and movement between the receiver and stock would increase. Additionally I would have had to hog out the original stock barrel channel. I could have done that but for target shooting wood would suck. When you want .5 MOA groups through the 1:12 twist heavy barrel you don't use wood. Not only for the recoil lug but for the other reasons I mentioned earlier. Do I get .5" groups at 100 yards with 55 grain match bullets? Yes! Pretty interesting with the blue and stainless but not as pretty as wood.
The next rifle is another Remington action that I trued and put a stainless full contour target barrel on. The rifle is pictured with the original wood stock but was actually born stainless. Obviously the stock is not fit for hunting and rest assured this rifle would not be fun to drag around in the woods. The same characteristics that applied to the first rifle also apply to this rifle. This one is chambered in 308 Winchester and before the stock was a 1.5 to 2.0 MOA rifle. Now it delivers sub MOA with Sierra 168 grain Match King bullets.
Now you can have a hunting rifle or you can have a target rifle. If you want both you can target shoot with a hunting rifle in beautiful wood but don't expect target rifle results from a hunting rifle.
I shoot at a range populated by primarily bench rest shooters. They build target rifles there, If you
go here and ask them to build a target rifle in a wood stock they will look at you funny. No, I am not a bench rest shooter, I just like the place.
I vote synthetic, that's my story and I am sticking with it.
Ron
P.S. The stocks used on the above rifles were not cheap factory garbage. They ran about $250 plus 15 years ago when the rifles were built.
