# Wood Stock Blank Poll



## sawsman (Sep 13, 2007)

Okay wood lovers&#8230; I'm building a new custom rifle and would like your thoughts on these three wooden stock blanks that I'm considering.

In your opinion, which blank is the most sexiest and which one has the best figure to your liking? Please vote for the one you would choose.

Thanks!



















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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

I went "right". I think it's the only American Walnut out of the three.

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## Jedidiah (Oct 10, 2014)

Well, Goob surely has better knowledge of all the properties of potential gunstock wood, but surely the one on the left has the best looking pattern in the grain.


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## Loke (Sep 7, 2007)

What kind of rifle are you going to stock? A really hard kicker that will be used would get the blank with the straightest grain (left), while a safe queen would get the one on the right. The middle one would get a low recoil shooter.


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## Bax* (Dec 14, 2008)

Although I agree with Loke's grain assessment, I am taking a liking to the left blank. The dark grain looks like it'll really pop once it is finished.


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## Springville Shooter (Oct 15, 2010)

I went left......it's how I roll.-----SS


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

Jedidiah said:


> Well, Goob surely has better knowledge of all the properties of potential gunstock wood, but surely the one on the left has the best looking pattern in the grain.


Thanks. I have a lot of guns with cracked stocks and most of those are straight grained. There are a number of things that make a rifle stock crack. I would have to say the fit has the greatest bearing on cracking. Over-tightening screws and bolts would be a close second. Some of the prettiest grained American Black Walnut stocks are on light weight, and hard kicking, 12 gauge double-barrel shotguns. You seldom, if ever see a cracked feather crotch stock on a Model 21 Winchester.

I can think of a number of rifle models that were poorly designed and their wooden stocks always cracked and always in the same places. I guess I own a few of them. :smile:

Screws and bolts on a stock that are too tight will crack the wood. When you buy a new rifle and take it home to a dry place like Southwest Wyoming you will soon have to tighten up all the screws on the stock. The woods dries out and shrinks a little That's OK, but be careful if you move to or spend any time in a place with a lot of humidity after you've yarded on all the hardware on your fancy-dancy rifle. You could crack the wood around the screws when you first shoot it. Don't ask me how I know that.

A lot of cracks come from poor sealing and finishing on the stock's blind side. It takes more sealer and protective finish on wood that is cut across the grain like the end of the butt and around the tang. blah, blah, blah

I always thought Circassian Walnut and Turkish Walnut were more durable, more crack resistant, than American Black Walnut. American Black Walnut likes to crack. But man, I just love American Black Walnut....and burl maple.

My father built furniture and gun stocks from American Black Walnut. Some of the wood came off trees on our farm. Grandpa, dad and my uncle cut the walnut logs up, made boards and dried them in a shed for years. Most of his stock blanks were Bishops, from Missouri.


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## KineKilla (Jan 28, 2011)

I think the one on the right would make a better conversation piece and unique eye candy. I like them all though.


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## Packout (Nov 20, 2007)

I'd go with the middle. I think it will have the best grain and color once it is done. Lots of wave in the grain.


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## sawsman (Sep 13, 2007)

This is a hard choice!

All three are said to be Turkish walnut.

My eye is always drawn back to the left one. Love the dark mineral lines.

The middle would make a very nice stock. Like Packout said, more wave/feathering/fiddleback.

The right one almost looks like it has some burl in it towards the bottom. It has some nice wavy lines in it.

Choices.


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## sawsman (Sep 13, 2007)

This was a hard choice and I decided to go against the majority. I'm going with the stock on the right. I think it is the most unique of the three. The lines are a bit more "swirly" and the color is a bit more different than others I've seen.

Will be fun to see how it actually turns out once it is carved. The harder choice was choosing the caliber. I decided to go with the .243 only because I'm giving my other one to my son-in-law and because I like the caliber.

Thanks for all the votes.


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## .45 (Sep 21, 2007)

sawsman said:


> This was a hard choice and I decided to go against the majority. I'm going with the stock on the right. I think it is the most unique of the three. The lines are a bit more "swirly" and the color is a bit more different than others I've seen.
> 
> Will be fun to see how it actually turns out once it is carved. The harder choice was choosing the caliber. I decided to go with the .243 only because I'm giving my other one to my son-in-law and because I like the caliber.
> 
> Thanks for all the votes.


Interesting choice sawsman. The more I look at the one you chose the more I like. It appears to me to be almost a stone, almost a fossilized look? It'll be nice to see when you get it or will it ever leave your safe? ;-)


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## sawsman (Sep 13, 2007)

Rifle project complete.


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## CPAjeff (Dec 20, 2014)

Hot dang - that stock looks incredible!


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## middlefork (Nov 2, 2008)

Absolutely beautiful! I love wood stocks with character.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

Wowsa!

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## 2full (Apr 8, 2010)

Gorgeous ! !!


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## Critter (Mar 20, 2010)

I'd almost be scared to take it out into the oak brush, but then I did say almost. 

Very nice looking.


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## Kevin D (Sep 15, 2007)

Wait, what?? You can make rifle stocks out of wood??? I thought everything had to be plastic!

Seriously though, it turned out gorgeous 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## sawsman (Sep 13, 2007)

Thanks guys. Looks even better in person. Really pleased with the choice and how the final piece turned out.

I'll be glad once I get the first small ding and scratch on it, then I wont have to worry about it anymore!

Now.... a scope.


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## USMARINEhuntinfool (Sep 15, 2007)

That is a beautiful rifle my friend. Excellent choice.


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## bowgy (Oct 10, 2007)

Looks great!


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## KineKilla (Jan 28, 2011)

Dare I ask....Who carved it and fitted it to the action? That is an absolutely beautiful rifle. It makes my eyes weep tears of joy just looking at it.


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## sawsman (Sep 13, 2007)

KineKilla said:


> Dare I ask....Who carved it and fitted it to the action? That is an absolutely beautiful rifle. It makes my eyes weep tears of joy just looking at it.


Cooper Firearms of Montana.

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## AF CYN (Mar 19, 2009)

That looks incredible! Apparently, you made the right choice!


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