THE ACCURATERELOADING.COM BIG BORE FORUMS


Moderators: jeffeosso
Go
New
Find
Notify
Tools
Reply
  
circasian walnut Login/Join
 
One of Us
posted
I have a 458 whitworth I beleive was a special run that is turkish walnut, have read that turkish is most desired for its strength, is this another armchair conversational input or fact, what would be the best choice?
 
Posts: 85 | Registered: 07 January 2013Reply With Quote
one of us
Picture of Fjold
posted Hide Post
The best choice of what?


Frank



"I don't know what there is about buffalo that frightens me so.....He looks like he hates you personally. He looks like you owe him money."
- Robert Ruark, Horn of the Hunter, 1953

NRA Life, SAF Life, CRPA Life, DRSS lite

 
Posts: 12767 | Location: Kentucky, USA | Registered: 30 December 2002Reply With Quote
one of us
Picture of ramrod340
posted Hide Post
Turkish can be strong. Depends on the grain just like other walnuts. Turkish used to be cheaper for the amount of pattern. However that price is increasing.

I see it as having the strength of a good English and the grain patterns of Claro.

For me much of it is a little too much. I'm more of a "less is more"


As usual just my $.02
Paul K
 
Posts: 12881 | Location: Mexico, MO | Registered: 02 April 2001Reply With Quote
One of Us
Picture of Use Enough Gun
posted Hide Post
My understanding is that Bastogne Walnut is the strongest walnut, but also the heaviest. Big Grin My big bores all carry Bastogne Walnut, per my gunstock man, Cecil Fredi.
 
Posts: 18581 | Registered: 04 April 2005Reply With Quote
one of us
Picture of ramrod340
posted Hide Post
quote:
My understanding is that Bastogne Walnut is the strongest walnut

For sure the densest. If I needed a stock for a heavy kicker it would be my choice. Others could work just as well. People tend to get lost in the Type of Walnut and how pretty the grain is and forget the grain flow.


As usual just my $.02
Paul K
 
Posts: 12881 | Location: Mexico, MO | Registered: 02 April 2001Reply With Quote
One of Us
posted Hide Post
ok so bastogne, does it have to be from europe, california does it matter, sorry to be so confusing my writing skills are somewhat hunkered.
 
Posts: 85 | Registered: 07 January 2013Reply With Quote
One of Us
Picture of dpcd
posted Hide Post
Walnut varies widely depending on how and where it was grown; you can have very hard and dense black (Juglans Nigra, or hard shelled), and very soft and porous English; and everything in between. So to say one is always better, is not valid. You can say that, usually, Juglans Regia (thin shelled walnut) (Circassian is just a trade name based on geography), is usually the most dense. Turkish is just Juglans Regia grown in Turkey.
Claro is, usually but not always, softer and more porous. (Juglans Hindsii) comes from California. All English walnut in the US has been grafted onto Claro roots.
Bastogne is just a trade name for a hybrid of English and Claro; it is rare, and "usually" has the hardness of English and the figure of Claro. Bastogne walnut is just a trade name; has nothing to do with Bastogne, geographically. It does not come from Europe. It comes from California.
Bottom line, each blank stands on it's own, with some generalizations that could be made about it's density. Which varies.
I prefer English, regardless of where it is grown (but California is affordable), and Black walnut. Bastogne looks too much like Claro; sometimes too fancy for me, and good English is just a hard and dense.
 
Posts: 17393 | Location: USA | Registered: 02 August 2009Reply With Quote
one of us
Picture of ramrod340
posted Hide Post
quote:
Bastogne walnut is just a trade name; has nothing to do with Bastogne, geographically

You might see it called paradox.

Stole this
""Bastogne Walnut, also called Paradox, is a rare hybrid tree resulting from a cross between an English Walnut and a Black Walnut species. Bastogne Walnut is a favorite for large caliber rifles because of its closed pores and hardness. It can take hard recoil. The wood can have very beautiful color and high fiddleback, and is either very beautiful, or simply ugly.

Many people in the marketplace confuse Royal Walnut, which is a cross between Claro Black and Eastern Black, with Bastogne. In today's marketplace, Royal Walnut has been sold as Bastogne for many, many years. Royal Walnut also has high fiddleback, great color, and great hardness, which is why it is so easily confused with true Bastogne. It is also a great wood for large calibers because of its hardness. """


You might want to spend a little time on this site. http://www.oldtreegunblanks.co...blanks.html?woodid=5


As usual just my $.02
Paul K
 
Posts: 12881 | Location: Mexico, MO | Registered: 02 April 2001Reply With Quote
One of Us
Picture of dpcd
posted Hide Post
I forgot to answer your actual question.
Turkish Walnut is Juglans Regia, English, French, Circassian, Turkish, et al; all except the scientific name, are trade names based on where it was grown. Given good density and the figure you want and can afford, can't go wrong. Bottom line, for a hard kicker, pick the blank that has good density, small pores, and the figure you can afford. Those characteristics will lead you to English, or Bastogne, which is half English.
 
Posts: 17393 | Location: USA | Registered: 02 August 2009Reply With Quote
One of Us
Picture of CHIPB
posted Hide Post
quote:
Originally posted by Use Enough Gun:
My understanding is that Bastogne Walnut is the strongest walnut, but also the heaviest. Big Grin My big bores all carry Bastogne Walnut, per my gunstock man, Cecil Fredi.


After a crack at the tang, I had my Ruger .458 Lott restocked by Le Roy Barry of Canyon Creek Custom Gunstocks. We used a blank from Cecil Fredi. In my opinion, it is beautiful. Picture follows. Cheers. Chip.




 
Posts: 268 | Location: TUCSON, AZ | Registered: 18 November 2007Reply With Quote
one of us
Picture of ramrod340
posted Hide Post
Beautiful is a good word. I have one that looks like it came from the same tree. coffee


As usual just my $.02
Paul K
 
Posts: 12881 | Location: Mexico, MO | Registered: 02 April 2001Reply With Quote
One of Us
Picture of Use Enough Gun
posted Hide Post
LeRoy has re-done all of my big bores. My 458 Lott was one of the first Lotts that he did. And Cecil has supplied wood for them all. Cecil only lives 10 minutes away, so I usually stop by and we pick out the woodstock blank together. It's like going into a candy store when you enter his warehouse and start looking at shelves containing over 35,000 gunstock blanks.
 
Posts: 18581 | Registered: 04 April 2005Reply With Quote
one of us
posted Hide Post
2 kinds of walnut, hardshell and soft shell, most important is where and how its grown..Turkish is huge old trees, arid and cold clime, makes good wood. Turkish is pretty hard to beat, but a lot of Turkish has been cut..The best that's left IMO is from Russia, across the line from Turkey and the Ruskys are shooting Turkish wood poachers...

Us wood is grown under soft conditions and a lot of it is inferior IMO..ditch bank calif. wood, some good enough and some not so good..It would take all day to just get the basics of this subject...


Ray Atkinson
Atkinson Hunting Adventures
10 Ward Lane,
Filer, Idaho, 83328
208-731-4120

rayatkinsonhunting@gmail.com
 
Posts: 42228 | Location: Twin Falls, Idaho | Registered: 04 June 2000Reply With Quote
One of Us
posted Hide Post
I don't usually hang out in this forum but I love good wood and a discussion about it even more. Grain flow first then figure and color. I haven't seen Bastogne as dark as the rifle above. It looks great with good grain flow. With Bastogne, I like the checkered look where the fiddleback figure is broken. I have also seen some pretty dense good quality wood come from Utah. It gets cold here and a lot of the pioneers brought thin shell walnut to Utah from England France, Europe in General. It's just limited to 1847 for age.
 
Posts: 1016 | Location: Happy Valley, Utah | Registered: 13 October 2006Reply With Quote
One of Us
posted Hide Post
quote:
Originally posted by Use Enough Gun:
LeRoy has re-done all of my big bores. My 458 Lott was one of the first Lotts that he did. And Cecil has supplied wood for them all. Cecil only lives 10 minutes away, so I usually stop by and we pick out the woodstock blank together. It's like going into a candy store when you enter his warehouse and start looking at shelves containing over 35,000 gunstock blanks.


I drive through Vegas often enough. What part is Mr. Fendi in, and does he allow visitors to his warehouse?
 
Posts: 2059 | Location: Mpls., MN | Registered: 28 June 2014Reply With Quote
one of us
Picture of ramrod340
posted Hide Post
quote:
I haven't seen Bastogne as dark as the rifle above.

This one off mine is almost as dark


As usual just my $.02
Paul K
 
Posts: 12881 | Location: Mexico, MO | Registered: 02 April 2001Reply With Quote
One of Us
Picture of custombolt
posted Hide Post
I'm sure he'd let you cherry-pick. Give him a call to make sure he is expecting you. Cecil Fredi (702)382-8470.
quote:
Originally posted by lindy2:

I drive through Vegas often enough. What part is Mr. Fendi in, and does he allow visitors to his warehouse?


Life itself is a gift. Live it up if you can.
 
Posts: 5290 | Location: Near Hershey PA | Registered: 12 October 2012Reply With Quote
One of Us
posted Hide Post
Not sure if this is Claro or Bastogne. Lots of fiddleback, though. It's a Weatherby Mark V Classicmark II I've had, in 7mm Wby.



 
Posts: 20175 | Location: Very NW NJ up in the Mountains | Registered: 14 June 2009Reply With Quote
One of Us
posted Hide Post
My .505 Gibbs, Granite Mountain action, Smithson scope mount with fitted receiver sight, metal work executed and stocked by Lon Paul in Bastogne walnut.



 
Posts: 1748 | Registered: 27 March 2007Reply With Quote
One of Us
Picture of Use Enough Gun
posted Hide Post
Cecil Fredi lives in the northwest part of the Las Vegas Valley, and yes, he will let you look through his vast warehouse of gunstock blanks! tu2 In fact, he might even let you look at his huge trophy room, if you asked him nicely. There are animals in there that no one will shoot again. His trophy room was featured in the First Volume of Great Hunters and Their Trophy Rooms. Tell him that Vaughn sent you! Big Grin
 
Posts: 18581 | Registered: 04 April 2005Reply With Quote
One of Us
Picture of boarkiller
posted Hide Post
Circumcised walnut works on occasion, at least that's what she said...


" Until the day breaks and the nights shadows flee away " Big ivory for my pillow and 2.5% of Neanderthal DNA flowing thru my veins.
When I'm ready to go, pack a bag of gunpowder up my ass and strike a fire to my pecker, until I squeal like a boar.
Yours truly , Milan The Boarkiller - World according to Milan
PS I have big boar on my floor...but it ain't dead, just scared to move...

Man should be happy and in good humor until the day he dies...
Only fools hope to live forever
“ Hávamál”
 
Posts: 13376 | Location: In mountains behind my house hunting or drinking beer in Blacksmith Brewery in Stevensville MT or holed up in Lochsa | Registered: 27 December 2012Reply With Quote
one of us
posted Hide Post
My favorite wood today is some of the Russian Circassian walnut I have from Old World Walnut from Bill Dowtin..Ive know Bill for a century or two and he does know his wood. He is a partner with a mill operator in Russia, and oversees the cutting and delivery to the USA..Some of his stuff is awesome, and his average blank has always suited me..

I prefer European wood grown under the harshest of conditions, but have seen some local stuff that was great..I have a blood red claro that I bought from the late Tony Barnes, that is hard as Woodpecker lips..

However every blank, regardless of whatever, deserves a good inspection of both sides, top and bottom and butt end IMO, and a nice slice of a pocket knife if allowed..I do see too many nicely done custom guns with inferior wood because the owner likes "marble cake' and goes by color alone..


Ray Atkinson
Atkinson Hunting Adventures
10 Ward Lane,
Filer, Idaho, 83328
208-731-4120

rayatkinsonhunting@gmail.com
 
Posts: 42228 | Location: Twin Falls, Idaho | Registered: 04 June 2000Reply With Quote
  Powered by Social Strata  
 


Copyright December 1997-2023 Accuratereloading.com


Visit our on-line store for AR Memorabilia