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

Got a matched pair of 30-06's in synthetic stock, thinking about adding some very nice wood stocks that match as well.

Thanks

I was at a gun show a couple weeks ago and a vendor had some gorgeous figured blanks for very reasonable prices. But there are some good vendors on line that sell wood and have good pictures of their wood to choose from. Also, I've bought several nice pieces the last couple years on ebay that are very nice.

I purchased a really nice piece of English from Dressel’s only to have the stock maker destroy it. Luckily he covered the cost and I picked up this piece of Turkish from Tsavo Custom, but I’m not sure Ebbie sells just wood blanks though. If you’re looking for a stock maker, I can’t say enough about the price and quality of Tsavo Custom.

That is a beautiful stock!

I have used Calico and Dressels a number of times each and both are very good people to deal with.

Cecil Fredi has a large selection of high end wood blanks. He’s in Vegas.

Roget Vardy also a good source

Had bad luck with ebay. Got $$ back but shipping was a bear. Issue was usually cracks. Stick with well referenced dealers.

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This guy sold me some beautiful Claro and Bastogne blanks a couple years ago but it looks like he is short of long-gun blanks at the moment.


https://woodnut.com/

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I've bought several from Roger Vardy. The money exchange rate from Oz is much in our favor and shipping ain't bad.
http://rogervardystockwood.com/

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Anyone buy a stock blank from Vardy in Australia lately?
Vardy lost his normal shipping options last(2022) year when I was trying to buy a blank , he quoted his normal $60.00-$70.00 shipping had gone to over $250.00 per blank . I haven’t had a shipping quote from him since then.
NWT

I bought a blank from Roger Vardy in March of 2022. IIRC shipping was about $75.00. That may have been about the time all shipping costs went nuts!

I have abt 13K (OZ) in walnut from him over 3 decades. A good investment!

Claro and Bastogne blanks that were selling for $200 in the mid-90s are now going for $1000 and even more---and beautiful $200 Claro blanks were plentiful back then. I wish I had laid in a supply. A better investment than gold or silver?? Maybe!

This. I have bought many blanks from Cecil, only had one bad one (it had a worm hole in it ) and he replaced it no problem. Watts Walnut is also a good source

There are a few places online to buy stock blanks. Just depends on finishing costs really. I also saw a few really nice rough cut sticks on eBay some time ago. Just need sanding and checkering and would make a great rifle addition.

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.