Easy gun question for everybody.

[Glockster26]

If heading to Alaska to hunt Caribou, or really anything for that matter would you be hesitant to take a gun with a wood stock.
Has anyone went up there and then had issues with a wooden stock getting wet, warping, or all the other bad things you hear about happening.

 

[hodgeman]

Your wood stock will be fine. It will take more care, but that's true anywhere. I hunted for several years with a walnut stocked Kimber and never had any issue other than beating up a nice looking stock.

 

[manitou1]

For many decades people only hunted with wood stocks and brought home meat... and many still do. As long as you have a good barrel free float, I wouldn't stress it. Take a cleaning kit and maintain your rifle... and kill your caribou.

 

[Sourdough]

It "Rarely" ever rains in Alaska. And it "Never" ever rains during the fall hunting season in Alaska......well maybe just a wee tiny bit. For what people now pay total cost for Alaska hunt, and considering you can purchase a new accurate rifle for $289.00 with a synthetic stock.........seems like a no-brainer. But as other have posted, wood stock will likely work, but why risk a hunt that cost thousands on something so easy to mitigate. Another factor is all stocks can be broken (generally at the pistol grip area) but wood is more fragile. This information is based on over fifty years of living of living, hunting, guiding in remote Alaska. In full disclosure we did use wood stocks for decades, so they can and do work........but there is increased risks.

 

[22lr]

Just went out and got 2 Caribou with my Win 70. It rained for 4 of the 6 days I was in the field, a light daily shower was at least 4hrs long but usually it was longer. I didn't even bother with a cover for the gun and my stock definitely got soaked, but I did connect with a 300yard uphill shot on a nice cow to close out my hunt! During those days, when it wasn't legit rain, it was foggy and/or misty, everything I had was completely soaked.

Now, would I recommend it... meh, maybe not. But my dumb self ordered the wrong replacement stock and so I didn't have time to get it setup before I went. So I just took her in her original form, ya it was wet, but don't let wood scare ya. Have a generous free float, bed the action, you will be good to go. My biggest problem was even though I took Birchwood Casey oil wipes, and wiped the rifle down daily, I still got alot of surface rust.

 

[Sourdough]

One difference is if your only afield a week or two. Or your afield for three months (Aug 1, through Oct. 28'th) increased chance of problem. Fifty years ago we would rout out the forend of the stock and drop in a 10" or 12" nail and then bed the barrel.

 

[Wapiti1]

One difference is if your only afield a week or two. Or your afield for three months (Aug 1, through Oct. 28'th) increased chance of problem. Fifty years ago we would rout out the forend of the stock and drop in a 10" or 12" nail and then bed the barrel.

That is still done today by a couple of the best gunsmiths I know. They bed an aluminum insert in the forearm to guaranty it never warps. One return from a stock made from a $2500 blank and you get cautious.

If I were taking a wood stocked rifle, I would do a couple of things. Take off the buttpad and seal under it with several coats of thinned polyurethane finish at 50/50 thinning. Or epoxy it on. Then seal the barrel channel and action inlet if it isn't bedded with thinned finish. Pull the sling swivel screws and also seal them with thinned finish. Many factory rifles don't have sealed inletting or buttplates. They spray the outside with a UV cure finish and don't do the inletting.

After its dry for a week, wax the whole thing, barreled action and stock with a couple of coats of good car wax. Wax works better than oil, IMO.

Jeremy

 

[mcseal2]

A friend has a 25-06 that he had re-barreled and fitted with a beautiful wood thumbhole stock. After he did that it became a safe queen and he never used it. Now he has a Bell & Carlson synthetic stock for it also. It can be pretty on hunts or shooting sessions where it won’t take damage, and be used hard on others.

Just an idea, I’ve never had a gun myself I worry about getting a few “beauty marks” on. They add character to me. I do like synthetic stocks on my bolt action rifles. It is one accuracy variable I can limit, and these are the guns I shoot the furthest with.

 

[Maki35]

Apply a coat of Renaissance wax on the wood stock and even apply it to the metal to prevent rust.

 

[1100 Remington Man]

Last year we were north of the Brooks Range and It rained like 9 of 11 days and one morning I woke up and was the first one to look out and saw my Brothers rifle sitting out side on a bush a Weatherby Vanguard wood stock and blue steel and It had rained hard all night he wiped it off and it is fine and two days later he made nice shot on a Caribou one shot kill.

 

[PA Hunter]

I had a Stainless Synthetic Remington Sendero in Newfoundland where it rained pretty much every day for a week and on last day last minute of light a bull steps out 50 yds in front of me. I am trying to get the safety off and it is rusted fast. After some grunting by me it releases and I get the bull but learned a valuable lesson even with stainless steel.

 

[Wrench]

If you live in a dry climate and head to a cold wet environment....do be aware of stock pressure possibly affecting POI.

Beyond that, wood has been around for a long time.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

Id just take a stainless synthetic rifle, I dont even own a wood stocked gun anymore. they just get too beat up from getting gbanged around. they will work, wouldnt be my first choice.

 

[SaltySailor]

Yes wood will be fine, but if you like how 'pretty' the wood is, don't take it. Sheep or goat country hiking the shale rock can make your stock look pretty ugly after a few scraps and rubs on the hill side. I have a old Savage over/under I got from my dad that had wood stock, it was beat to hell. I recently made her look pretty again, now I am overly cautious when I have it out in the field, almost annoyingly so.

 

[Dbat]

Agreed SaltySailor