I plan on refinishing an older Savage maple (I think) stock. What stain should I use? This is my first refinishing job so all suggestions are welcome!
It's probably beech, not maple. Stain gets a little blotchy on birch and beech sometimes, so use one that has the color and the hard coat all in one, like Minwax. Pick the color you want and follow the directions, simple. buy some 600g wet-sand paper for between coats.
If you use that stuff (and personally i hate it), be sure to stir it constantly- like every time you dip the brush. Otherwise it'll separate out and you'll get a blotchy finish anyway. No need to go 600x between coats. 320x is plenty fine and provides more "tooth" for the successive coat.
Probably a better idea is to use Minwax wood conditioner on the bare wood first. It'll help even out the finish on that birchwood stock no matter what finish you use. The best thing though is not to mess with it if you haven't started it yet. Birch is the crappiest stuff to work with and almost guaranteed to frustrate the amateur.
I like laurel Mountain Forge stains
last birch stock I did, I used wood conditioner and a green tinted water based stain, multiple coats, followed by beeswax finish.
For my daughter's mini mauser.
Turned out good. Blends in with the cedar tree she sets in.
Can't help with the color issue, but the Minwax matte spar poly I used on my almost finish-less pre64, has held up very well for 10 years, at least. I thinned the first few coats (although some here have said that doesn't do anything) to help it penetrate and so as not to gunk up the checkering. Looks good and fixed the annoying POI changes I had to deal with annually.
I'm using the Minwax spar poly for more and more stuff. I prefer the gloss rather than matte- better UV protection. You can rub out the final coat of gloss and achieve a dull finish, then wax it to bring up a pleasing luster. I don't thin it until the last coat or two. Thinning the final coats allows it lay flatter, the previous 8 or 9 coats provide the build necessary for a finish with "depth".