"One thing I've noticed from this thread that I can't understand, is how many "older" gentlemen refuse to take an $800 dollar woodstocked rifle into the woods. They don't want to scratch it up, but rifles were meant to be hunted with. $800-$1200 for a woodstocked rifle is really not an astronomical amount, but many of you here refuse to take something like that to the woods out of fear of hurting it, even though there are millions of other guns just like yours."
True, but many of us "older" gentlemen came up either poor or at least not having a lot. We learned to take care of our stuff because we figured out very quickly that if you tore something up, it would probably be awhile before you got another one unless you went and earned the money yourself to buy it. We understand the value of a buck and learned to work for what we have. I fit in that category. Although I have the money to buy an expensive (at least to me) wood stock rifle, take it out and possibly scratch it up, I would prefer not to. I would rather take a less expensive synthetic stock out that I spent way less for, performs just as well and I don't have to worry about nearly as much if caught in inclement weather. I still have and will shoot my older, wood rifles but am very particular about where and when I do. As I said earlier, to each his own and I certainly don't throw darts at those whose values and choices are different than mine. It's all good.
I get that, and I absolutely don't mean to take shots at people who do that. I also didnt grow up with a whole lot, but my parents always gave me what I needed. Father was in the military, and then I was in the Army for a stint. And I don't bring home very much money now either, but for some reason I'm perfectly content taking my wood stocked kimber or winchester out in the rain and woods to hunt. When I get home I wipe it down and put a light film of oil on the metal and it's good to go. The stock might have a couple of dents, but is by no means beat up. I just think if more people were alright with buying a nice classic looking rifle, and hunting hard with it, we would see more of them for sale than other styles.
