Is Myrtle worth messing with as a rifle stock? Now, I'm not talking about a safari stock, but a viable and useable deer rifle stock and conversation piece for deer camp. Some of it looks interesting, but I don't know about its stability and other features. Anyone have any good experiences with this wood? And we all like pictures. Thanks.

Way back, I made a few myrtle stocks..It has been written that this is an unstable wood, but that was not my experience...cut well, checkered better than most..and had kind of a nice lemony smell when working on it.

First rifle I built 30+ years ago was Myrtle. Refinished it several times as my tastes changed. Sure wish I had it back.

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and had kind of a nice lemony smell when working on it.

Funny stuff.

Isn't it myrtle they use on those custom muzzle loaders?

Terry

One of the prettiest stocks I have ever had was Myrtle. Priced some blanks once in Oregon but could not afford them. I think it is a very beautiful wood that finishes better than most walnuts I've used.

Here is a photo of my Hyper Single in 257 Roberts. The Myrtle wood is 60yrs. old and came from Oregon. It is being restocked at this time in English.


The wood itself looks very nice, but not my first choice. I may have it reshaped one of these days and have it checkered.
Butch

Latin Name: Umbellularia californica

Family: Lauraceae (Laurel)

Oregon Myrtlewood is a broadleaf evergreen native to Southwestern Oregon and Northwestern California. The Umpqua River watershed appears to be the northern boundary of its native habitat.

Although different, Oregon Myrtlewood has a lot of similarities to the Myrtlewood growing in the Holy Land.


Green Dry
Weight 54 39 lbs/cu.ft.
Specific Gravity 0.51 0.55


Supplies of the highly figured Myrtle burls are reported to be very limited. They are reported to be the highest priced of all American woods when available.



The grain is reported to be generally straight, but is often irregular or wavy. It is described as close, tight, and smooth. California laurel is reported to be highly prized for its excellent and swirling stumpwood, clusters, and burls. Material from Oregon is reported to exhibit attractive mottled figures which range from fine, delicate dark stripes to heavy splotches, occasionally marked with gold and silver streaks.



Staining
The timber is reported to be seldom stained, but if color changes are desired, thin coats of dyes and transparent stains are recommended over pigmented products.


Polishing
Polishing properties are reported to be very good without grain filling.

Turning and Boring
The wood is reported to have excellent turning and boring properties and is prized by wood turners.

On par with Walnut as far as weight and stiffness lacks bending strength compared too walnut .

Yet burl highly figured wood should be right on target with walnut in regards to most every thing

other than color of course . Logs that have been submerged in water for years tend to darken

and high lite mineral streaking ,when once properly dried show no ill effects in terms of wood

degrading . General information on Myrtle Wood .

The gift shops that run up the coast of N. Cal and Oregon are full of things made/turned out of California Laurel. And it is referred to as Myrtlewood.

I bought one rough turned myrtle wood stock great fiddle wavy grain. stock SPLIT apart when I tightened the action screws. it was very light and apparently the one who sold it to me knew more about the issues than I did.

gorgeous, but fickle wood.

I will not condemn all myrtle cause of this....

Jameister

i had an old remmy 722 that was restocked in a beautiful piece of myrtle. it became my sons favorite rifle. sadly it was stolen and never recovered. It was the only piece i've ever owned in myrtle, but it was beautiful and stable

Does anybody have a source for a quality blanks? I see some here and there and they are extremely plain.

Myrtle wood stocks. . .?

Matched FN Weatherbys in Myrtle wood stocks
Circa 1956 a 300Wby and a 257Wby.

Beautiful stocks.
Magnificent figure in that bottom stock.

This is a 2 pc. blank I got, never had anything done in this type of wood. So I can't say yea or nea, but I really liked this blank, and had to have it. Will go on something someday or ?

I have three myrtlewood stocks, a Winslow .257 WBY made in 1967, second on my "ugly" 9.3x62mm safari camp rifle, and a third really ugly one on a .30-30 WCF M1912 Steyr actioned Mauser. The uglies are that way because they are both seconds grade stocks I picked up for "projects", and both have proven to be quite serviceable and no noticeable warpage, although both are glass bedded. I like myrtle for it figure and style. The 9.3x62mm will be going back to Africa next year.
LLS

Here's a blank I picked up a few years back. It's quite lite.

OK, I took a chance and bought a stock, which looks pretty good to me from the pictures. After I get to look at it in person, I'll know more. It's for a mini-mauser. Anyway, thanks for the feed back.

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OK, I took a chance and bought a stock, which looks pretty good to me from the pictures. After I get to look at it in person, I'll know more. It's for a mini-mauser. Anyway, thanks for the feed back.

Do post pictures on the finished rifle.

Enjoy!