I'm getting ready to get my 375/338 Win. Mag. project rolling. The gun is going to be built on a Mauser '98 action(either VZ-24 or Argentine '09) and a McGowan barrel. I seriously considered using a synthetic stock but have decided I want to stock it in a nice piece of walnut? My question is which types of walnut would be suitable for a gun in this caliber? I want something that looks good with some nice figure, but won't cost me an arm and a leg. With baby #2 due any day now, The budget isn't what I'd like it to be.

I would try to find a nice piece of California English for about $200. Check with Richards, Boyds etc...Also a nice piece of Claro if dry will work, but be carefull as much of it is wet.....I call that stuff California cork wood.

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Ray Atkinson

ray@atkinsonhunting.com
atkinsonhunting.com

English/Turkish/French are the same species of walnut and as long as the blank is quality it will work. There still is some Bastogne floating around and, generally, it is harder and more dense that English. Check out www.dressels.com. There are some nice blanks for sale here.

David Schanbel

Be careful about doing business with Richards. I bought a nice English stock for a good price. The only thing they had a picture of a classic stock they call the old classic which is more open and higher grip like the masters are building now. When I received it, it was nothing but their modern monte carlo design with the hump sanded off, a semblence of a shadow line on the cheek piece, fore end square like a Weatherby ( not enough wood left to re shape ) the pistol grip was curled tight and dropped drastically below the bore line.

I called them about it thinking they might have sent their modern classic by mistake but not so. All their stocks are the same basic pattern, their classic is certainly not like the picture.

Still I got some fairly nice wood so later I ordered a fancy English walnut for a large ring 98 Mauser and a fancy American walnut for a small ring 98 Mauser. After about 3 months and several phone calls I received two Claro walnut stocks, both for large ring 98 Mausers.

Each time I called to complain about orders they were passive resistant, very nice and polite but not willing to do anything to solve the problem.

Also their duplicator must be a little loose as their machining of the wood both inletting and out side was pretty rough. On one stock they got the trigger guard and tang inletting over size.

They do have some pretty nice wood for the money but I don't think it's worth it.

I know a few people who like Richards Stocks but my experience has not been good with them.

I have used 3 or 4 laminated old classic blanks from Richards and told him to leave extra wood in the grip and cheek piece so that I could cut an extreme English/African pattern from it....Thats what I got and they turned out fine.....I opened the grips and cut a egg cheek piece..shortened the forend to 8.5"'s....

I wouldn't use a simi-finished blank on a custom rifle..or a laminated one either..These were just nice inexpensive using rifles, for alaskans.

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Ray Atkinson

ray@atkinsonhunting.com
atkinsonhunting.com