I just purchased a pre-64' Winchester Model 70 in 375 H&H as my first big bore rifle. The action is in great condition but the stock is a replacement and I would really like to turn this rifle into something special. Ultimately, I would like to utilize a locally grown wood as there are a few places where I can get nice blanks if I'm patient. In all honestly, I do not know much about the specifics of individual woods and the pros/cons of each in stock making. In central PA we have plenty of maple (red and silver), cherry, and some black walnut; all of which I've considered for a custom stock to be made from. At this point I am only seriously considering maple and black walnut. Here are some of my thoughts/concerns about each:

Black Walnut:
1. Not as readily available here but I'm in no hurry to complete this project.
2. I have read that black walnut can be more porous, and therefore, not as strong for stock-making as english or turkish walnut. How can I decipher a good piece of black walnut from a "less sturdy" one?
3. I prefer a stock with a lot of burl or quilting in the butt; I've seen plenty turkish walnut stocks like this but will it be difficult to find a black walnut with this quality?

Maple:
1. Maple is certainly dense and heavy, but is it a good choice for a rifle stock in a larger caliber?
2. Maple tends to be lighter in color but I prefer a darker, more "classic" color in a rifle stock. Can a darker color be achieved in a maple stock reliably?
3. I've heard maple is more difficult to checker, is this a legitimate concern or just an issue with picking the right person to do the checkering?

Thanks in advance for any help or insight!

having built stocks from Black walnut, californian english, and turkish walnut I have a little experience.

The black walnut will not be as strong in my experience. Its also harder to work with hand tools as it is more prone to chip. Burl in the wood; a nightmare to work with. you finish will likely have waves in it. Usually it wont hold fine checkering well. I wouldnt checker finer than 24lpi.

English walnut is much stronger and is good wood imo. Much stronger and deepending on the wood easier to work with.

Turkish has been the best. Strongest and easiest to work with.

I havent messed with maple and never will. Just not my thing.

One issue with buying your own wood is you must be educated on finding a good blank. layout is important. Also if you buy it fresh cut you will have to wait a few years to use it as it must be dry before making into a stock.

Stephen Heilmann's blanks are air dried for 8 years. I believe he only has California English, but it's great wood.

www.metalandwood.com

I've heard very good things about Paul Dressel as well. He sells several kinds of wood blanks:

www.dressels.com

Skip the Maple....that will cut out 90% of buyers if you decide to part with it later. If you do decide on Maple, you might as well plan on a flared grip cap, skip-line checkering, reverse taper forend, and huge exaggerated roll-over cheekpiece. Hey...it's 1960 again! :-)

biebs, would you say the same of maple if it were treated like the rich, warm, red stocks on flintlocks? i have a fiddleback blank that i think would look stunning stained.

Black (eastern walnut) is not worth a crap...after all only several million factory guns made with it...

quote:

biebs, would you say the same of maple if it were treated like the rich, warm, red stocks on flintlocks?

NO! Flintlocks are in a different category...Maple Curly or Birdseye on Flintlocks rules!!! :-)

Have built stocks from Black Walnut,English Walnut,Claro Walnut,Myrtle,Curly Maple,Birdseye Maple,Cherry,Laminated Birch and actually found the laminate and curly maple hardest to work. I have a beautiful piece of Black Walnut on a 375H&H that I made. I got the blank from a well known local gunsmith when he was dumping all his Black Walnut for Turkish and such. I actually prefer dark wood and Black Walnut fills that bill nicely. My favorite to work was Myrtle. Bishop and Fajen made an awful lot of Black Walnut stocks. It would probably be the least expensive of all the woods for a pretty piece. You get to choose cause it's YOUR rifle. Do as YOU like. I currently have a 458WinMag built on an 03 action by A&M Rifle Co that has a very nice BIRCH stock on it.

There was a rifle posted in the big bore section several years back, a single shot, made up with a maple stock that was a lovely dark red with lighter stripes in it like a tiger or zebra. If I recall correctly, the stock was maple and was heated up before a stain was applied. Something with how the heat was applied made the wood soak up the dark stain for that lovely stiped look.

As for the stock itself, I have 3 rifle stocks being built up now with black walnut stocks, the smallest caliber of those being for a 9.3x62. While English seems to get the unanimous nod for big bores, it is important to talk to your stock maker and wood guy. Not all English is good, not all black walnut is bad. If you want a black walnut stock, use one, just ask for something dense and strong. Your wood guy should be able to find you a slab in his inventory that suits your needs.

call Henry at Great American Gunstock

http://www.gunstocks.com/

Both Red and Silver Maple are considered "soft" maples. The kind best used in stocks is Sugar Maple, sometimes called rock or hard maple. Black walnut will work of course bedding is critical with heavier recoil. some flavor of Juglans Regia would probably be better, it sure cuts, carves,and checkers cleaner. What ever you use give the wood lots of time to dry and "normalize". Fiddle back grain will not hurt strength but crotch or stump figure should only be in the butt. Best of luck with your project.

I have to give Great American Gunstocks a thumbs up. I have thre pre 64'S built by an old friend and hunting buddy. He passed away just before the last rifle was finished. His nephew finished the rifle. The original builder loved fiddle back walnut so I wanted to stock the rifles in nice fiddle back and Great American worked with me. I purchased three stocks cut side by side out of the same tree. This particular stock will be going on a .270 win.

Sevens: There was a rifle posted in the big bore section several years back, a single shot, made up with a maple stock that was a lovely dark red with lighter stripes in it like a tiger or zebra. If I recall correctly, the stock was maple and was heated up before a stain was applied. Something with how the heat was applied made the wood soak up the dark stain for that lovely striped look.

I really like the idea of a black walnut stock, now it is a matter of finding the right blank. What qualities should I be looking for in a good, sturdy blank?

quote:

Sevens: There was a rifle posted in the big bore section several years back, a single shot, made up with a maple stock that was a lovely dark red with lighter stripes in it like a tiger or zebra. If I recall correctly, the stock was maple and was heated up before a stain was applied. Something with how the heat was applied made the wood soak up the dark stain for that lovely striped look.

That's the one! An absolutely stunning piece of wood and metal.

I think my smith got this blank from his old instructor at Trinidad. I'll see if he can find out where.

IMO, a M70 should be stocked in walnut. Numerous M70 blanks FS on ebay, including original pre-64s if you want to put it back original.

Can someone help me out with grain flow? What characteristics of grain flow should I be looking for in a blank? Any pictures would be extremely helpful. Thanks guys!

quote:

Originally posted by PAGuardian:
Can someone help me out with grain flow? What characteristics of grain flow should I be looking for in a blank? Any pictures would be extremely helpful. Thanks guys!

Check this out:

http://dressels.com/rifles-ame...lack-waln/bkr-50000/

The one on the bottom.

I don't own any Maple stocked rifles but if I did it would be this one!

http://www.heymusa.com/invento...tt/heym_458_lott.htm

My taste usually runs toward english walnut, however lately I have been working on some plaques for church. My neighbor donated the wood and has more that is quarter sawn, cut 10 years ago and just beautiful. The wood has red streaks silver, some faint purple and predominantly red brown. All is Common Black Walnut. Not Claro we are in Utah. This stuff is hard as the back of my head and heavy. I am going to find a piece so I can make or have made a gunstock out of it. It's beautiful.

I like Maple myself, and if a competent stockmaker works with it, can be darker or lighter, and beautiful. Have a 270 I had stocked with maple. I have had trouble with Great American Gunstocks, and so have a few others I know. I personally would NOT deal with him again. The man who made stocks in Trinidad, and who was an instructor at the Trinidad school, died a while back. I had him turn out a few stocks for me, as did a guy in Pueblo.. try a place called hunterbid.com, and I think that will work and they have some beautiful wood at good prices. Actually, if not that familiar with what to look at, might want to have the stock maker pick something for you, as they know what to look for layout wise..

While these are a long ways from finished, you can get the idea of what maple can look like from them. Just darkened with a propane torch. Takes a lot of practice with the torch, to prevent a lot of extra sanding if you get it a bit too hot.

Contact Cecil Fredi at Custom Gunstock Blanks on the Web. He has over 34,000 gunstock blanks in his inventory and can answer every question that you have.

quote:

Originally posted by Biebs:
Skip the Maple....that will cut out 90% of buyers if you decide to part with it later. If you do decide on Maple, you might as well plan on a flared grip cap, skip-line checkering, reverse taper forend, and huge exaggerated roll-over cheekpiece. Hey...it's 1960 again! :-)

Now THAT is funny stuff!

The right piece of maple would look stunning, as seen above. I might try one on my next project.