Synthetic or Wood Stock for 7mm-08

[Cane_man]

what are your thoughts on a synthetic or wood stock for a new 7mm-08?

i am kinda old school and like the wood stock, like the way it feels, the way it looks, and i think the extra weight helps to stabilize the rifle, however.... this old dog can see som advantages to the synthetic: lighter weight which would be nice when hiking while hunting, weather/ding proof stock... i think the synthetic is not very attractive, but i have always been a function over looks kind of person so i could get over it...

which would you buy for a new Tikka 7mm-08?

[Mk42gunner]

Depends what you want to do with it.

If you want to look at the rifle and have pride in owning it, a good piece of wood.

If you just want to shoot it, and don't really care what it looks like, a good synthetic.

If you want to loan it to your cousin's brother-in-law so he can drop it every ten minutes, buy one of the Savage Axis rifles and be done with it.

Not all synthetics are lighter than wood.

Robert

[Lloyd Smale]

ive got many of each and like them all in certain circumstances. IMO plastic only looks good and makes sense with stainless guns though.

[Cane_man]

didn't know some plastic is denser than wood, i just assumed the opposite...

this gun will be a deer gun only, and i am considering the ss barrel if i go plastic



what about a plastic stock for a 30-06, wont it make the recoil worse?



.

[300savage]

actually plastic stocks can absorb a lot of recoil, not all of course butas a rule plastic or composite stocks have a good bit of flex or compression in them that can take a lot of the sting out of the recoil.
now as to your original question,, well anytime i am doing a rifle build i first determine that particular rifles job description and work backwards from their.
so in reading between the lines here, considering your caliber choice and stainless , it sounds like a working rifle. i would forget about looks and go with fuction, which means composite.

[357maximum]

Are you going to take it to a blind and sit?, or are you going to be climbing mountains?

[fatnhappy]

I have both and they each have advantages. To my mind it has more to do with my particular means of hunting for the day. If I'm on foot or plan to be I always choose wood. If I'm sitting in a stand or sitting on a milk crate all day I usually pick a synthetic. The reason why: noise. Every synthetic stock with which I have experience makes an inordinate amount of noise if touched or scratched by brush. Not necessarily a bad thing if you're a driver, but I rarely do that anymore.

I don't know how, where or by what means you hunt so as always, YMMV

[lup]

My 7-08 has a synthetic stock for the weight savings. I wouldn't want a heavier caliber or a lighter stock for any good I wanted to shoot a lot.

[fouronesix]

This subject is surely subjective

There is synthetic and then there is synthetic. Same with wood. Most laminated wood stocks are similar in density, stiffness and durability and are pretty good in all comparisons except they tend to be a bit heavy if that is not what is wanted.

I have no idea what is available for the Tikka. For all weather beater, hunter and shooter- probably a good synthetic. Some synthetics are junk and even a plain jane dense wood that fits right and is bedded right would be better. Some synthetics are superior in every way as a stock material with the one exception of the aesthetic eye appeal of superior wood.

[Norbrat]

I have no idea what is available for the Tikka.

A couple of friends have Tikkas with the synthetic stocks and they are a good quality stock, as you would expect from a Sako product.

[TCLouis]

I love wood stocks,

Wood stocks can be pieces of art,

I love the feel of wood in the hands,

BUT

I am going to all synthetics where possible.

[GabbyM]

Wood.
I've some metal and plastic stocks on AR's. That's plenty of that.