quote:

Originally posted by woods:
Ugly, I think not

http://www.mcmfamily.com/mcmillan/hunting/sako.asp

http://www.hsprecision.com/pss42.htm

http://www.hsprecision.com/new_phr.htm

http://www.siskguns.com/grand_waputi.htm

http://www.remington.com/products/firearms/centerfire_r...00_sendero_SF_II.asp

OK, please bear in mind that I own examples of some ofthe stocks you have just listed but sorry they vary from ugly to butt ugly. Now function has a beauty all it's own, but beyond function the stocks you've listed are cold lifeless artless tools. Good tools but UGLY..................DJ

quote:

Ugly, I think not

http://www.mcmfamily.com/mcmillan/hunting/sako.asp

http://www.hsprecision.com/pss42.htm

http://www.hsprecision.com/new_phr.htm

http://www.siskguns.com/grand_waputi.htm

http://www.remington.com/products/firearms/centerfire_r...00_sendero_SF_II.asp

Which one isn't ugly?

My wife likes tupperware, I like trees. I personally don't own a synthetic stocked ANYTHING. Mama has a synth stocked 7X57, and a Walther P22 synth. I like the life that wood has, Jon H

Another advantage of wood is that it can easily be custom fitted. With synthetics you can adjust length of pull and not much else unless it's a target style stock. With wood if you want 1/4" cast on and 3/8" toe out or the like it's no problem...................DJ

I really like wood rather than plastic, but it is just a personal preferrence. While I have both, it seems that, looking through the safe, all of my cheaper guns wear plastic and the custom/pricier rifles wear wood. There are a couple reasons...for the price of a good plastic stock, I can get a fairly nice blank and do it any way I like and...I had real bad luck with a "good" HS that needed LOTS of squaring and lapping to get right, so that turned me off to them. But I find both to be very functional.

Lamunated stocks is also fine, the feel of wood combined with the ruggedness of the keclar stock.

Savage99: Well I guess I will have to live the rest of my life not knowing just exactly what Remington attributes, constitute, "suffering negative development"!
And maybe thats OK?
The VERY SERIOUS Hunting I have done with my various and many Remington 700's in western Canada, Alaska, Wyoming, Utah, Oregon, Montana, Idaho, Washington, South Dakota and some other places, did not seem to suffer any negativity that I am aware of! And legions of Riflesmiths/Gunsmiths from EVERY State in our union create wonderful looking and performing and even glamorous looking (clean classic lines, no bulges nor obtrusions!) custom Rifles based on Remington 700 actions!
I think but do not know for a fact that the Remington 700 is the NUMBER ONE (most popular and largest number made!) selling factory bolt action Rifle in American (World?) history.
In other words I strongly contend NOTHING has passed the Remington 700 by that I am aware of nor of the shooting public.
Maybe "negative development" is a good thing - I don't know?
But I do know that a high percentage of the Big Game Hunters, Varmint Hunters and shooters at the ranges I go to use Remington 700's happily and successfully!
Long live the Remington 700 family of Rifles (XR-100's, 40X's, 721's, 725's and 722's included!).
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy
PS: I wonder how many Remington 700 look-alike type actions various companies have closely copied and produced? I can think of quite a few myself!

In the past if all I wanted was a cheap accurate rifle for non sressful shooting a Remington would be ok. Today Savage has taken that spot they say.

As to the machinery aspect I say it's my aquired taste. I could be specific with each aspect of the 700 series but why rile you and other 700 fans up?

They are all functional guns to some level.

I've hunted out west, northern Canada, Africa the USA all with wood stocks, never a problem. I wouldn't use anything else........


WOOD!

I took a Rem model 721 06 to the range yesterday. Bone stock, which means old wood stock, lousy finsih, ugly as sin. About 40 or so years old. Barrel was a bit dirty - I hadn't cleaned it since I bought it last year. Ran a few patches through the bore, bore sighted it, and shot a few groups with 165 Noslers and H 4350. Final group about .75 inches 3 shots at 100. Wood stocks might not be as stable as synthetics, but they will shoot. My 7 rem mag on Mauser is full glass bedded, has never shifted POI over 38 years.

quote:

Originally posted by djpaintles:

quote:

Originally posted by woods:
Ugly, I think not

http://www.mcmfamily.com/mcmillan/hunting/sako.asp

http://www.hsprecision.com/pss42.htm

http://www.hsprecision.com/new_phr.htm

http://www.siskguns.com/grand_waputi.htm

http://www.remington.com/products/firearms/centerfire_r...00_sendero_SF_II.asp

OK, please bear in mind that I own examples of some ofthe stocks you have just listed but sorry they vary from ugly to butt ugly. Now function has a beauty all it's own, but beyond function the stocks you've listed are cold lifeless artless tools. Good tools but UGLY..................DJ

DJ..Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Take myself for an example, I prefer women with nice big round semi-firm rears, while some prefer women with skinny flat ones. Also, wood is rather lifeless to me once you cut the tree down, but dead wood sure does make pretty stocks. Give me a holler, I owe you a lunch and thanks to you for letting me shoot your hand cannon.

Savage99. I think you're tarring the 700 with a very wide and vague brush. Kinda like the fellow that pontificates "I have issues with Remington" and when you ask for specific "issues",he has nothing to say.
I mean, don't feel bad if you don't like Remingtons. Lots don't. But then, lots do. I'm one of them.
That what makes a horse race.

To me there is something sick and wrong about treating a rifle like a cheap crescent wrench. The throw it in the bed of the truck mentality that seems to accompany some of the synthetic advocates....mmm-naw! cant go there. Even the military emphasizes great care of a rifle. Take care of it and it will take care of you. Point is, even a poly stocked rifle should be handled and cared for properly.

I dont subscribe to the notion that wood isnt tough enough either, for the "strength or stability" of wood to become a real issue in the field would be an extreme case indeed.

The only bummer about wood is when it does get buggered up, and it will, it matters. Ugly rifle, who cares!! Thats the real advantage of synthetic IMO. Might as well just get a used ugly rifle if a beater is what your after.

Id certianly rather have to glass bed a wood stock than a polywhachamacallit.

wood looks better but utility is go with the plastic and be happy

quote:

Originally posted by Jon H.:
My wife likes tupperware, I like trees. I personally don't own a synthetic stocked ANYTHING. Mama has a synth stocked 7X57, and a Walther P22 synth. I like the life that wood has, Jon H

Wood is only alive when it is growing as a tree. There is no life in dead wood, just as there is no life in dead anything. I do like a nice dead wood stock though. I have both fiberglass and dead wood and I like them all.

Synthetics stocks and stainless barrels are great for field use. It is hard to find any reason to fault them in almost any environment.
And as far as looks are concerned I remember when Browning came out with their Stainless Stalker about 15? years ago, they FLEW out of the racks.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

FWIW,

Walnut. I've had no stability issues with my first ever centerfire rifle, a 700 in 30-06, in the twenty-six years I've owned it, nor in any other wood stocked rifle.

On the functional side, a wood stock is quieter in the woods, without the noise when inevitably banged or pulled against a branch, vine or...Wood doesn't feel so cold when its chilly either.

If the nicks and scratches eventually get to you, you can steam out bangs with a wet towel under an iron, sand out scratches and refinish a wood stock.

JPK