Having a new rifle built a 257 AI with a Douglas barrel,on A Rugger model 77 old style tang saftey, trigger job, and all the neat stuff done to bolt says the gunsmith. This is my first costum gun and need some advise go with the wood or get a carbelite syn or? Was looking at the Ben and Carlson any suggestions. I kinda want to keep the price resonable as the gun was just going in for a trigger job when the Ackley thing with Douglas barrel and Zeiss scope was added. This has turned out to be one high pricest trigger job.

Well, you already have a stock, and you could probably clean it up some whilst the metal work is being done.

My rifles have a mix of stocks, walnut, laminates, HS Precision, and I've just today ordered a Bell and Carlson Carbelite (for a Sako). As long as you like the feel and weight, it doesn't matter what they're made of...

Whatever you do, order the bedding pillars from Brownells, and have the gunsmith pillar bed it. Worked wonders for my R77 when I went down a similar route.