Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Custom Rifles & Wildcats Best place for rifle stock wood?

Has anyone here bought from Dressels? https://dressels.com/

I have a buddy who has bought several from them and was very pleased with the pieces he got...

I've been to Cecil's he has/had some weird beautiful Mytlewood too.

As much as quality stock blanks cost these days I'd stay away from unknown internet sellers, proper layout and drying are unknown properties with most. Wood from the sources mentioned in this thread can be counted upon to have had proper processing. They'll stand behind their product and replace any blanks that are problematic. I used to have a contact that was a former employee of Bishop and Fajen, he would go through their warehouses to select a blank or blanks for my approval. Though long gone I purchased some very nice stock blanks from Herter's.

Yes. I got a beautiful English blank that the stock maker turned around and ruined. Luckily he came up with the money to replace it. Dressels will treat you right.

I just bought this QR Grade Light blank from Roger Vardy, Blank was $450 Oz dollars and shipping via air to Big Island HI was
$115 Oz which came out top $360 total to my door. Paid for it yesterday, Oct 30, 23.
It is inbound at the moment, it will go to LAX, then to Ohau Honolulu, then put on plane here to Big Island HI.

Last week paid $180 for shipping a Mini 30 from Illinois to Big Island, so about $73 (US $) from Oz was pretty good price.
The Mini 30 is being build as custom rifle in a cartridge I came up for it 30-220 Russian and this blank is going to be the stock for it.

Trying to figure out how to reduce the pictures in size so can post couple pictures of the blank. It's QR 019 Light rifle blank on Rogers website. I'll keep trying how to reduce thr size ot the two pics so can post them.

The blank was cut in 1986! :-) So should be fairly well seasoned by now. ;-)

Cheers, Allen

Often there are nice blanks for sale on eBay at a reasonable price.

I bought this mannlicher blank from Roger Vardy in August. It's a Q grade, one down from exhibition. The shipping to Alaska was $75 or so. This is the third stick of wood I've purchased from him. He's great to deal with.

Edit to add: Vardy also sells matched pair blanks if that's the sort of thing the OP was referring to.

I'd take suggestions from the stock maker you plan on getting to do this work.

This is a AA Quilt Big Leaf Maple from Richards Micro Fit. I use them when I get behind or have a breakdown in my shop. Otherwise I cut my blanks on my duplicator. Been using them on and off for near 40 years now. They are pretty accurate on their grading, do an 96-98% inlet with an 1/2" normal barrel channel, you finish, and their shipping is a flat $30.

My shipping from Roger Vardy a couple months ago was $70. His wood is as hard as a woodpeckers lips and makes it great for fine checkering.