If you laminate wood cross grain, you gain overall strength - in some ways- but you lose some of the properties of stiffness. Cross lapped laminates (plywood) is much more flexible than parallel lapped. And parallel laminated woods are stronger than the same solid woods. It's because the wood grain doesn't run through the wood but is variable in spite of the fact that the grain generally follows the same direction. And by alternating the ring pattern in alternating layers you also even out the way the wood wants to move which makes the glued up piece very stabile. A properly made laminated stock can be a very practical, and arguably pleasing way to stock a rifle.
