Do people actually hunt with a rifle or shotgun that has a high grade walnut or other type of wood stock? All of my top dollar rifles have McMillian. To me it would be like taking a fine piece of wood furniture out in the woods? Your thoughts?

A coat of Johnson's paste wax protects from the environment. A modicum of respect handles the rest.
Of course, some folks are just careless, and could screw up a ball bearing.

I've yet to own a rifle/stock that cost more than my truck, and I have zero problems take it out everyday. Hell, I don't own anything more valuable than me and I go out in the [bleep].

Still, I'd rather run a McMillan, not for fear of scratches/dent, but because they are a better mousetrap.

Did you fins a McMillan for that 99 of yours?

No such critter.

I hunt mine. That's what they were made for.

Terry

I have several friends with whole cabinets of guns with beautiful wood..can't knock em for their looks but that's where they stay..not my cup of tea.If I buy em with nice wood they go to the field that way.

Nothing Like Character Marks... Mine Has Several, But Like Most Their On Mcmillans..

All of my rifles wear MPI stocks except for my 17HMR(saving for a MPI thumbhole for that one) Yes, wood is "warmer" then fiberglass and the beauty of a fine walnut stock is unparallelled, but, you just have less to worry about with glass stocks. There have been long and detailed threads written about how to seal and care for a wood stock so that it won't warp or swell under inclamate weather conditions. I just don't see the reason to worry about that for myself. Different strokes for different folks.

Yes. I have.....That's what they were built for. They ain't Chipendale China....

We think nothing of taking a factory hunk of wood on a Ruger,Rem, or Winchester afield.....stocks don't get more fragile just because they are pretty.

And, in fact, most beautiful wood stocks made by good stockmakers will be much tougher than a factory wood stock: better finish, better sealant, and of much higher quality, denser, wood.

The stock is very easily fixed,it's the sleet on the blueing that causes concern.

Absolutely I hunt with my fine wood stocked rifles. As a friend of mine is fond of saying: "life is too short to hunt with an ugly gun". I put a lot of love and effort into my rifle projects - which makes it all the more rewarding to hunt with them. With my custom M70 below has taken an 8 1/2' brown bear, 30" aoudad, and a 185 whitetail - all last year. And it will be getting another hard season this year. My rifles are tools and get used and shot a LOT. I dont treat them any differently than i would a tupperware stocked gun and my rifles have the battle scars to show for it. Last season my M70 spent 2 days in torrential downpour in Alaska and 3 days in MO in solid rain the entire time. After the hunt all that is needed is a thorough wiping and oiling and it is as good as new.

There is a satisfaction and joy of hunting with a rifle that I have put the effort into from selecting the perfect blank to developing loads for the finished project that cant be matched with an off the shelf or tupperware stocked rifle.

I have a classy little full stocked Mauser in 7x57 project int he works and already have plans for it that will likely guarantee battle scars and I am really looking forward to it.

Thats a beauty!

How about all the time spent finding just the right 3 color swirl for a rifle, figuring out right barrel contour and twist and load work up?

Let the masturbatory fantasies fly.

Indeed I do. It adds a lot to the hunting experience for me. I have beautiful stocks by the Biesens and Jim Kobe. I try to be careful, but don't go to pieces if and when one picks up a character mark.

Pretty rifle. Looks brand new.

If I have it and it's functional, I'll hunt with it. That being said, those that perform best for me in the areas I deem most important get hunted the most.

All of these....









I killed with this:





But there are those that I hunt with more...

John

I have better than average wood on ALL of my hunting rifles, most of it custom. Hunt them, and hunt them hard. Attractive wood stocks add to the hunting experience for me. Dings are a good thing if honestly earned and when I need to or want to re-finishing ain't that big of a deal. My Walnut stocked rifles have been in the wet of SE ALaska, the cold of the Alskan pennisula in Oct, and drug through all kinds of thornbrush in Africa as well as atop horses, ATV's, up and down mountains here and I do not see myself changing from that M.0.

I love the look of a nicely done wood stocked rifle with deep rich bluing as much as the next guy. I think what I'm seeing here and probably else where are the photo's of these rifles taken after delivery cause I haven't seen a mark on them. The stock on my Husky (McMillan) looks like crap with all the chips and all and I can just imagine what it would look like if it wore a handsome stick of walnut. Like I said to BobinNH not long ago, a Porsche is meant to be driven hard and can take it as well, but they look like [bleep] with door dents.

Oregon I think you got a point there....in any event,so long as you don't break them in two,with more or less normal use,they can be refinished, gouges filled, and checkering recut,etc....no doubt more expensive than a rattle can of high end Rustoleum.

But what the hell, they cost more to make in the first place..like RD's dented up Porsche

I mainly hunt the Texas hill country. Everything there either abrades, bites, scratches, sticks, stings. Rocks, boulders, juniper thickets, mesquite, briars, thorns, acacia cactus etc. Temps to 115 degrees F in late August. Black dirt mixed with rock particles that stains, clings like a bitch, and turns to emory cloth when wet. Ride atv's to get to our hunting areas cause cars/trucks can't go there. One trip out and back can see a number of character marks on a rifle. But none of mine are safe queens. I bought them to hunt them.
Don't mind stainless or synthetic, but there is something about a blue steel and wood rifle that speaks to me.
GWB



Mauser 98, 35 Whelen






[IMG]http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e129/glenn1221/DSC01149.jpg[/IMG
Remington 700 "C" grade, 270 Win


Some Sakos


Cooper Model 52, Jackson Game, 25-06


Cooper Model 22 Varmint Extreme, 308 Win.

Ya can't steam dents outta 911 Turbo doors..............

For the record - in the photos of my rifle there are several marks and dings on the stock - its just that by the nature of a wood stock and a quality oil finish they blend in very well.

That is the great thing about nice wood - a dent or ding in most cases is not really noticable and and can be easily repaired. And usually the seasons dents, dings, and scratches all but disappear when I rub in a very light coat of Sea Finn Teak Oil at the end of the hunting season each year.

The same dent, ding, or scratch on a painted tupperware stock will chip the paint and be very noticable and require a lot of work and a costly paint job to get it looking good again. I do like the the way a quality stock like a McMillan is impervious to the elements and can take a heck of a beating though.

Damn that's a nice bear. If you don't mind me asking, who did the scope mount base and ring work on that 70 ?

+1

I don't do anything like "exhibition grade" but have some nice wood and figure that is what they're made for!

Thanks for the compliment on the bear. It was made even better by the fact that my nephew was my guide.

The rings are Talley and the custom bases were made by Dean Zollinger. Dean does incredible work to say the least. You may not have heard much about Zollinger but you have probably seen his work on some very high dollar rifles. He does 100% of the metal work for John Bolliger.

http://www.mountainriflery.com/rifles.php#top

If you are looking for any custom work he is the guy to go to. His work is as good as it ggets and his prices are VERY reasonable.

Not as fancy as some here, but it'll have to do...

What's not to like, it's blue steel and wood. Appears to have functioned flawlessly. Also, nice prop.
+1

GWB

Tung oil and beeswax...and don't slip on the ice, and you're good to go!

And there lies the rub. I've done it to a pretty nice shotgun stock. It can be fixed, but it is a little frustrating....

You take your chances. If you are willing to pay the the man to fix it or perhaps start over, I all in for you.

I hunt a lot with nice walnut stocks, and aside from REALLY rough hunting (where the lightness of a synthetic is often appreciated anyway) I don't see what the big deal is.

In recent years I've been hunting with the laminated stocks from the company now called Kilimanjaro. They are fancy wood with a very thin slice taken out of the middle of the blank. This slice is then reversed (turned upside down) and glued in the middle of the outside slices. Most people don't even know they're laminated unless somebody points it out, from a few inches away.

They're pretty darn stable: My first rifle made with one, a 7x57 on a Montana 1999 action, stayed sighted-in for three years after I worked up the initial handload. I hunted with it in several places in North America and in Africa during that period, and the only reason it didn't stay sighted-in longer was that I switched scopes.

Beautiful rifle! Tell us a little about it if you don't mind.

Thanks,
Terry

I hunt with all mine...nothing near as nice as some here, but allmy stocks are wood, except the AR. Most have a couple dings and scratches. When they get too bad, I'll steam, sand and refinish. I like the look and feel of a wood and blue or matte black rifle, so that's what I hunt with. If I ever do end up able to afford one of those "exhibition grade" stocked rifles, I'll dang sure hunt with it.

A rifle with anything but nice wood is nothing more than these...



Of course good looking wood is suitable for hunting...











[img]http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee202/bridgershooters/scan0018.jpg[/img]

[img]http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee202/bridgershooters/scan0009.jpg[/img]

[img]http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee202/bridgershooters/100_0357.jpg[/img]

[img]http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee202/bridgershooters/108_1074.jpg[/img]

Yes. Even the famous and most prestigeous British rifle brands were designed to take into the bush in some of the most harsh lands and climates on earth. They are just tools until we foolishly apply status to them.

John

Terry its a 7x57 built on a 1909 Argentine by Dennis Erhardt
Square bridged
one standing, one folding on quarter rib
English walnut
Neidner style butt
Some discreet engraving you cant see...
Belongs to a freind of mine...he wanted me to take it to Africa.....it would have been rude to say "no"....

Thanks, it's a fine looking rig.

Terry

Shrapnel.... Great point, made as well as could be made. NICE critters AND guns, amigo....really nice. Hope I get to meet you when I head out to MT next June.

Being a trim carpenter at heart I appreciate really nice wood. As such, I cringe at the thought of beating up a really nice wood rifle....but it's a purely personal preference.

I think of rifles as tools and enjoy not worrying about dents and rubs.

I will be here, somewhere, shooting some of those guns, I look forward to your visit...

What beautiful rifles posted on this site. I love to see fine guns actually being used. After all, that's what they were made for.

I've been reading some Jack O'Connor stories and have marveled at the high quality rifles he routinely took hunting. And these were from the finest master craftsmen of the time, like Al Biesen, Alvin Linden, Keith Stegall, Tom Burgess, Lenard Brownell, and others. And there they are, magnificant works of art, pictured with trophies from remote corners of the globe.

Honest wear adds character to a fine gun. Jack's famous #2 by Al Biesen wouldn't be the same if it was a pristine safe queen.

IMHO,

DF

When I first read the subject line, I thought he was going to tell about hunting something beautiful when he was at Woodstock!!!

Yep, hunt'm that is what they are for...

ditto....always thought stuff tasted better anyway when you killed it with nice lookin guns.

I won't own a gun that I'm afraid to take hunting, that mentality simply baffles me.

So I hunt with what I've got, and that includes factory stocks. I did take a chip out of a stock from being bounced in a zodiak. The steel looked much worse from the salt spray. I sold the gun because it was too heavy, but would have no problem using a properly wood stocked gun in the nastiest of conditions.

I love beautiful wood stocks, once they have been used and have scratches and dents.

I'm not a big fan of pinball glossy woodstocks that look like they have never been in the woods.

Can't believe I missed a thread where I had a chance to post a pic of my favorite rifle



Alan

One of my favorites

Spoilsport.....grin

The wood on your rifle is about as perfect as it gets. I would love to hear more about your rifle.

shcit happens....

nothing wrong with hunting with a beautiful rifle. makes for great memories and pics.
non woods stocks have their place, but make for ho hum pics.

Whoa there. A chip, dent or scratch on a painted tupperware stock will take alot more work and cost alot to fix and make look good again ? Whereas the same on a fancy wood stock wouldn't ?
A fancy wood stock is far, far more expensive to buy, fit and finish than the very best of the synthetics. Perhaps you aren't aware of the color built right into the gel coat option on the McMillians but I am. I have two that have had lots of rough treatment. Neither needed to be repaired as the damage is almost invisible. The same damage would take a real work or a replacement stock on any wood stock.
I'm also objecting to the idea that "with a little consideration and care," a wood stock holds up just as well as a synthetic. I can't help but wonder how many times the people making such comments have ever had to jetson their rifles to deal with a lose of footing.
Don't get me wrong, I'm a big fan of a beautifull, well done wood stock. They have their places on less than really hard used rifles and upland bird guns. But there are hunting situations where a top quality synthetic works and holds up alot better. E

M1Tanker,





Couple of years back my mom's passing left me with her inheritance. An only child, I got it all I went shopping Blew about $20k that year on guns and guns stuff. I'd always wanted a classic, something along Jack O'Conner's lines having grown up reading his stuff. Decided to have one built and found a gent on Gunbroker who was selling actions. We got talking and next thing you know he asks what I was planning on doing with the actions. I gave him a few details and he said he might be able to help. Turns out the 4 yr wait he went through to get the 257 Rob got longer since a miscommunication (neither he nor the 'smith can be blamed) resulted in a LOP which was too short for his 6'4" frame. We made a deal and in about 2-3 weeks, it was mine. Played havoc trying to get it to shoot 100 gr E-tips, about 400, before I gave up and sent it to Charley Santoni. Charley was in awe of not only it's workmanship but it's balance too. He looked it over and deemed EVERYTHING about the rifle worthy. He asked if he could shoot it; "yes" I said. After a few weeks we talked. That thing is a "tempermental whore when it comes to monometal bullets" he announced. But it loves Nosler 115 BT's and 4831. The pics you see above were taken by Charley in his shop. Once back in my possession, I verified it liked the 115 BT's along with the 120 Partitions and either H or IMR, 4831. It's been spike elk hunting two years running around the Fish Lake, Utah area. Came darn close to getting bloodied this year too. Two years running, we've had less than pleasant weather and I've been unable to get to my favorite spot where the elk always cross the ridge on opening day I babied it in a full length Cabelas rifle sock which was then in my Eberlestock Gunslinger II or J107 Firefly pack scabbard with full hood.

The rifle was built by Glen Morovitz, of Newell, SD. He's done work for Dakota Arms, Imperial Arms and Searcy Doubles for quite some time.



It spins thusly.

-1953 Pre 64 action
-Calif Engish, 2-3 levels above a Dakota Special Selection blank
-24" Krieger CM barrel, 2.75" cone, .605" muzzle
-Krieger marks on bottom of barrel
-Krieger blue printed action
-All metal rust blued though I did replace the medium S&K rings with lows and they don't match, at the moment. Their going back to Glen to be rust blued.
-Glen did go over the action and really slicked it up.
-Sunnyhill BM
-action completely glass bedded, no pillars and ungodly tight wood to metal fit.
-About 20 LPI checkering

Weight 9 lb 1.4 oz. It carries like a dream. On my elk hunt earlier in Oct I brought another rifle I had build last year which weighed 8 lb 10 oz and it actually feels heavier than the 257. That's with a 2.5-8 VX3 which "JUST" barely fits in between the rings by about .020"



My best friend, who got his grizzly 3 yrs back, has me convinced I need to go back up either in 2012 or 2013 and try again. I'll have to sell this rifle to pay for a large hunk of the trip. It will at least get bloodied on that cow hunt this January out on the Ute Indian tribal lands. Supposed to be a "sure" thing

All my rifles have had Fajen wood stocks because I love wood, but my sons are B&Cs. My Citori rabbit/grouse shot gun which is in the brush all the time and my rifles have a hand rubbed mixx of bees wax, boiled linseed oil and true turpintine mix rubbed into them by me, I do not baby them but they have not been on a goat or sheep hunt either, or toss them in the back of a pick up truck and go huntin, non have a scratch on them and if they did a light sanding and a rerub would take care of it. The Weatherby Glossys if they get a scratch it would lift some of the finish, be yellow under neith it and need to be redone by a pro.

What good is a hunting rifle you don't use?

I'm with RDFINN on this, most of these rifles look fairly new and have possibly been on a FEW hunts. (most)

Wood rifles that have been on multiple hunts over a lengthy time period show it. I know mine do.

How many of these rifles have been in scabbards,snow, rain, dropped when you tripped on a rock in the dark( I dont want to talk about this, but it lead to my first Mcmillan)brought up and down from a tree stand on a rope? etc.....

And lets be honest, you do spend extra time/effort protecting that beautiful wood instead of just simply hunting...

i just got mine finished and away it went.
i didn't carry it any differently than any other rifle.
cold, wind howling, snowing, and it was slung under my shoulder (euro carry)
I wanted a beautiful rifle to hunt with, and look at.
I got it.

If I get scratches, dings, dents, etc., that just gives me memories every time i look at it.
got this scratch on this hunt, got this ding, on this hunt.....

But,

i do have beater rifles that wear mickey's. those are the rifles that i take less care of because, well, there just plastic's we'll say, and no beauty in them.
they are for the hard hunts.

Looks pretty similar to that Kimber Montana picture floating around the net...

Except it ain't from a Kimber

While I carry a fine stocked rifle now and then on a 'farm' for pests or easy deer blasting I don't take them for trips where snow, rain and rough handling might happen.

Now we have plastic stocked rifles with SS for metal.

When I started out all we had was walnut stocks on M70's or 99's etc. Some of them got marked up some.

Yep, I know. The Kimber was a Montana with glass stock that snapped in half at the rear guard screw.

Guess bad luck can happen no matter what the stock is made of.

I'll hedge my bets with a McMillan.

Highly unlikely a McMillan would have snapped like the Kimber, that is for sure.

Except when i carry a vintage rifle for fun, i never carry a wood stock in the woods anymore. Since all my vintage rifles are beaters, i dont mind if they get scratched or gouged.

I'm sorry, I hunt with my woodstocked rifles.
Butch

They were made to hunt with. I used my Biesen 257 Roberts on several hunts. Every mark on the gun tells a story. In fact, a couple years ago I let my 85 year old Gramps take a shot a prairie dog with it. As I was spotting he leaned on the top of the fence post and put a scratch in the bottom of the stock...I smile everytime I see the scratch.


ddj

I should have added the reason I don't hunt with wood stocked rifles is because none of my hunting rifles are wood stocked.

A few scratches on this one after the hunt, but I don't mind. I like the feel and karma of wood.

DeskJockey, I love that pic!!!

I love this thread and the "Fence Post" thread, lots of pictures of some great rifles.

+1

Yeah! And you've got a beautiful custom in 6.5x47 too

Alan

Alan,
I've only shot a couple hogs with it. I also have a 6.5X47 in a Brown Precision stock.
Butch

Phil - you have a mighty big FOOT ...PRINT there! Lol.

Sasquatch? I can see why the pucker factor...and 458s....

Excellent photo -- fantastic composition AND technical quality!

John

Thanks on the photo. A little luck with the quality since I'm no photographer.