Synthetic vs wood stocks

[GRIZ]

I was invovled in a discussion with a gun nut the other day. We got talking about stocks and it was his opinion that wood stocks deliver better accuracy. Well I have a 22mag with a synthetic stock, so figured I'd test a bit. Sure enough the wood did do better but can't really say it was a fair test. The one with the wood stock also had a scope which the synthetic just had open sights which could allow a bit more for human error. Ain't nothing wrong with my eyes either, had to add that in as I could see it coming.

Anyone else have an opinion on the matter?

[Benny]

A synthitic stock is less likely to expand or contract in cold or hot weather, so given this a synthitic stock is going to be more accurate just because of that.

Now accuracy in any given stock wether it be wood or synthitic can be better or worst due to several factors.
Number one is fit, if the barrel or reciever is being forced into a stock then the accuracy will deminish greatly.

Number two would be how well the maker took care to ensure a quality product. a stock with tons of inperfections wont be accurate either.

Then you get into the weather, extreame cold or heat can effect accuracy for a stock as well.

So either one could be more accurate than the other, but a synthitic stock is more likely to hold accuracy once it is sighted in.

Benny

[jigglestick]

first of all, GRIZ, comparing wood to synthetic using scope to open sights is like comparing apples to oranges.
secondly i just dont understand this wood vs. synthetic comparison at all. the sights are on the barrel, and as long as the sights are lined up on the target, what does the stock have to do with it?
i could buy the "stock shrunk in the cold weather causing the barrel to pull or bend, ever so slightly theory", but that is going to be a limmited argurement. what about then applying the same theory to a wood stock in dry vs humid conditions.
is it going to affect the barrel then too?
i see the stock as just a method of holding the barrel because without it , it would be quite uncomfortable.

somebody enlighten me here.

[Benny]

Well lets look at this, if your barrel is touching the stock and you shoot ten rounds or even 4 rounds through it the barrel heats up and expands.
This will cause the zero point to move as the barrel pushes against the stock.

A wood stock will flex more than the syn so in turn it moves even more yet.

Now if you have a free floating barrel that does not touch the stock then your going to have the very best accuracy that barrel can give you.

Now if the wood stocks are more suseptable to the elemints, then don't they very more than the stock that is unaffected by the elements?

Meaning a wood stock will shrink or expand more than the syn stock would, causing the barrel if touching the stock to move more.

Synthitic stocks just do not expand or contract in heat,cold,humid,or dry weather as does a wood stock.

Now this expantion or contraction may well be so slight no one would ever realy notice it, so it would then boil down to some ones personal preferance to one or the other.

Some people say a syn stock is cold to handle while a wood stock will heat up to the touch faster.
Are you more confused than before Jiggle?

The syn vs wood stock could be compared to the Ford vs Chevy discussions as well.

Benny

[jigglestick]

not really benny, that is pretty much the scenario i laid out in my previous post.
i dont realy understand the principal of a free floating barrel though either. i mean what the hell hiolds it to the stock?

[Benny]

Do you have any rifles like a Remington model 700?
I should clarify that I am talking about bolt action rifles here, others will differ some what per their design.

Take a dollar bill or a piece of paper, wrap it around the bottom of the barrel then slid it up past the beginning of the stock all the way till it stops.
Did it go to the first stock bolt, all the way to the receiver, or did it stop at the first contact of the stock?

A free floating barrel is one that either does not have contact withthe stock at all right up to the receiver or has one pillar type mounting bolt about half way down the barrel.
There would be no contact with the stock at all accept for the one bolt .

Most bolt rifles have a solid one piece stock, the receiver and barrel sit in a channel cut out of the stock.
There usually is one pad or pillar as they are called that the barrel rest on and are bolted through this pad.

If you have a barrel sitting on a stock with out any clearance around it your more than likely not going to get that rifle to shoot more than 3 rounds in the same spot.

Most high end rifles with the free floating barrel will not have any thing but the receiver touching the stock.
The forend area of these stocks are only for you to hold onto and cosmetic.

Now a synthetic stock is made out of high density polymer material that is not effected by the elements , unless you take a torch to them.
These stocks are very hard and can with stand hard blows.

A wood stock is made out of soft organic materials that can shrink,expand,warp, and crack just from extreme weather.
They also can not with stand hard blows with out dents or cracking.

So they tend to move your barrel around if it is resting on them and not floating away from the wood.

The pads or pillars on the wood stocks are usually covered with fiberglass or even aluminum inserts to get the barrel metal away from the softer wood.

Now with your semi autos,? lever guns, pump action and such that have clamp on stocks have the stocks moving with the barrel.
This is why they don't throw accuracy off as bad as a solid one piece stock would.

In this case the barrel to stock contact isn't really a factor as the whole works now can move around.

Either style still holds the receiver and barrel in the wood, and your able to hold on to them as well.

Well my Carpal tunnel is acting up so I am done with this discussion for the night.

Hope I made it more clear the deferences between a syn stock and a wood stock, as far as accuracy would be concerned in the weather.

[jigglestick]

thank you Benny, be sure to see my post on undersized mussels.

[Spinach]

Unbelievable, the things I've learned from this board in the last couple of weeks.

Stuff I thought I knew or never would of thought of?

Keep up the great work in this board Dave O and Benny.

[DaveO]

there is a few things about a synthetic stock that I don't relay like..

first thing is. It make it more challenging to get the stock to fit you the way you may want or need it.

One more thing is on some guns ( I ) think they are just to light weight.

They also have some benefits for one they are a tougher stock, easier to keep clean and looking good and they can also dissipate the heat better..


Bottom line is what you expect out of your gun..


They both have advantages and disadvantages

[Benny]

I don't care for the synthetic stocls either,I prefer the wood stocks with caractor.

IMO a wood stock adds that personal touch to a rifle.

Benny

[HUNTER2]

I have a couple guns that I have taken the wood out from under the barrel and the lug. I then glass bedded them. The glass bedding is what holds them in the same place shot after shot and is not affected by the weather. If you want a tack driver, this is what you have to do. I also shoot mostly Remington's and the ones I get, genrely have the adjustable triggers. I then reload my own ammo to see what shoots best in that gun. Every gun seems to shoot better with different grains of powder or different grain bullets, you have to play around a little. I like the looks of wood better, but for ruggedness and no weather affecting them I like the synthetic. I love my Remington 22-250 synthetic with the stainless bull barrel that is fluted. Just my 2 cents worth.

[GRIZ]

This I didn't make real clear but it got some good information out of anyway. The guy I was talking to was into long distance match shooting and didn't have to worry about the weather like hunters do.

[holdemtwice]

I LOVE THIS POST. I COLLECT A BOLTS IN THE SYNTHETIC STAINLESS COMBO. HOWEVER I ALSO ENJOY MY KIMBERS. THEY HAVE FULL FURNATURE . THE KIMBERS HAVE THE FULL FLOATING BARREL  BUT I AM NOT SURE OF THE A BOLTS. I HAVE NEVER  THOUGHT ABOUT THIS TOPIC. VERY INFORMATIVE . THANKS TO ALL THAT POSTED.

[JohnWester]

i just re-read this post since it was brought back up here...  i have a dumb question. actually two:

#1 benny you wrote:

So they tend to move your barrel around if it is resting on them and not floating away from the wood.

so you are telling me that the wood in a stock is going to expand or contract enough to bend a rifle barrel?  I find that hard to believe.

and second, isn't the scope mounted on the barrel?  so what difference does the material the stock is made out of have to do with the acuracy?  if it's sited in, it's matched to the barrel...   

[tripnchip]

big-fish, I may be able to help out on your ?. A rifle barrel viberatres every time you shoot it. To be accurate it must vibrate the same way every time you shoot. Now if you have a wood stock and enough moisture gets in it to cause swelling it can change the pressure points on the barrel. This will cause the barrel to viberate differently making your point of impact change. The stock may even start to twist in time much like a board or 2x4 that is left lay around. I have a twisted stock off my bro's rifle in the basement. It was a very nice piece of walnut so when the twisting first started I free floated the barrel and kept opening up the barely Chanel every time he would lose accuracy. It worked for a few years but he finely had to replace the stock.  The problem of warpage or swelling from moisture was much more prevalent in the old days of hand rubbed oil finshes on stocks because the stocks did not get sealed completely. With todays finishes you can get every thing sealed pretty good so it is not as much of a problem. Also a laminated stock will with stand moisture better then a normal wood stock. The trade off there is weight. I am fare from being any kind of expert on this but hope I was able to help answer your ?.

[DaveO]

I will say this about this topic,,,,and I am not talking about everyone here..


But the times I have been to the range most people don't have to worry about what there gun is made out of..

The stock will not make a difference in MOST cases between a good shot and a bad shot.... you can alter you gun as much as you want to,,,but the truth is,,,,if your a bad shot,,,,,you are just that a bad shot..

practice become a better shot,,,,then worry about fine tuning your gun..

Money can only buy you so much,,,the rest is up to skill

[JohnWester]

makes sense.  thanks.

[Benny]

That's about right, and as far as the scope to the barrel.

Yes they are a solid mount, but any thing touching a barrel at the time of the shot can cause the vibrations to change and interfear with the impact point.

You don't want to rest your barrel on the sand bag either, for the same reason as the wood touching the barrel.

So it wouldn't matter where the scope is sighted in at , if you rest the barrel on a sand bag or the wood is touching the barrel your shot can vary from one to the next.

I am not talking two or three inches here, but more like a quarter to a half inch differance.

For those who shoot long ranges this can deffinatly cause a miss or a bad hit.

Changing bullet wieghts,types of bullets, and manufactures can do the same even more dramtic in the differance between shots.

Dave, quit talking about your self like that.
Just cause you can't hit the broadside of the barn while in it, doesn't mean your a bad shot!!

Benny

[DaveO]

yea,,,,I think we know how bad of a shot I am,,,,,,,, Some day I will be abel to shoot as good as you do,,,  :o