Show us your Guns!

[Landman]

Beautiful rifle, Renault!

 

[Oldsarge]

Under most circumstances I agree with the preference for walnut stocks. However, when the hunting is to be done in the cold and wet of the Arctic, polymer rules. As a woodworker I cheerfully admit that there is no way in Hell you can fully seal wood, hard as you may try. And when the moisture craftily sidles its way into your stock your point of impact will change. It may be a little, it may be a lot. But even if, as Terry Wieland so wisely suggests, being in grizzly country you are carrying a grizzly rifle, if it won't hit where you are aiming you have a serious, nay potentially terminal problem. When in the Arctic, carry polymer.

 

[Atticus Finch]

Under most circumstances I agree with the preference for walnut stocks. However, when the hunting is to be done in the cold and wet of the Arctic, polymer rules. As a woodworker I cheerfully admit that there is no way in Hell you can fully seal wood, hard as you may try. And when the moisture craftily sidles its way into your stock your point of impact will change. It may be a little, it may be a lot. But even if, as Terry Wieland so wisely suggests, being in grizzly country you are carrying a grizzly rifle, if it won't hit where you are aiming you have a serious, nay potentially terminal problem. When in the Arctic, carry polymer.

This sounds like very good advice. I'm kind of in the market for a mid-grade varmint rifle. Although I love wood...and every gun I currently own has a wooden stock...I think whatever varmint rifle I buy will have a polymer stock.

AF

 

[DeaconKC]

Atticus, have you considered a laminate stock? They weigh more, but are resistant to warping and some are rather sporty looking [to my eyes anyway].

 

[Atticus Finch]

Atticus, have you considered a laminate stock? They weigh more, but are resistant to warping and some are rather sporty looking [to my eyes anyway].

I would be very happy with laminate. I've actually been looking at a Savage 25 in .223 and I think that rifle has been produced with poly and laminate stocks at different times in its history. Not sure if both are available nowadays.

I'm not a dedicated varmint hunter so I don’t need the very best rifle money can buy. I just need something to help deal with our local coyote population. We didn’t have the wretched things when I was a kid. Evidently coyotes were introduced to Eastern North Carolina in the ‘eighties by fox hunters who used them to train dogs. Now coyotes everywhere. They eat small game, pets and even some crops. I’ve been hearing and seeing them on my property in increasing numbers and I’m about ready to declare Jihad on them.

AF

 

[MikePotts]

Some Laminated stocks can be quite attractive:

Ruger GSR .308Win.

 

[Kirk H.]

Some Laminated stocks can be quite attractive:

Ruger GSR .308Win.

That is sweet!!!!

 

[Atticus Finch]

I think these three versions of the M-25 are still available. Even though the two laminate stock variants are clearly more attractive, I'm thinking the poly stock and matt barrel would be most practical for humid Eastern North Carolina.

AF

 

[plain old dave]

Under most circumstances I agree with the preference for walnut stocks. However, when the hunting is to be done in the cold and wet of the Arctic, polymer rules. As a woodworker I cheerfully admit that there is no way in Hell you can fully seal wood, hard as you may try. And when the moisture craftily sidles its way into your stock your point of impact will change. It may be a little, it may be a lot. But even if, as Terry Wieland so wisely suggests, being in grizzly country you are carrying a grizzly rifle, if it won't hit where you are aiming you have a serious, nay potentially terminal problem. When in the Arctic, carry polymer.

I don't know about that. The Finns killed trainloads of Russians in the Winter and Continuation Wars with Mosin-Nagants stocked in Finnish Birch or American Walnut. In 1932, they started making them out of 2 pieces to reduce warpage, so you occasionally see one with a front half of birch and a back half of walnut.

 

[Stearmen]

Wood Laminate has been used on airplane propellers for over 100 years, and they stand up to the harshest conditions. From Siberia to the Sub Saharan.

 

[Oldsarge]

Laminated wood is good, stable stuff but not, to my eye, any more attractive than black polymer. It's more expensive, too.

 

[runningbare]

If you don't mind me asking,where did you get those grips? I have a 642. It needs some nice grips.

 

[DesertDan]

Esmeralda makes some beautiful grips.
http://www.esmeralda.cc/smith_and_wesson_j_frame.htm

 

[MikePotts]

Indeed she has.

 

[Renault]

Under most circumstances I agree with the preference for walnut stocks. However, when the hunting is to be done in the cold and wet of the Arctic, polymer rules. As a woodworker I cheerfully admit that there is no way in Hell you can fully seal wood, hard as you may try. And when the moisture craftily sidles its way into your stock your point of impact will change. It may be a little, it may be a lot. But even if, as Terry Wieland so wisely suggests, being in grizzly country you are carrying a grizzly rifle, if it won't hit where you are aiming you have a serious, nay potentially terminal problem. When in the Arctic, carry polymer.

LOL, Walter think I'm safe! Think it was W. O. Finley and John Means killed the last grizz in Texas in 1900! And my chances of fulfilling my dream of following Sam Magee to the bleak bald headed north will never happen.

Bob

 

[Oldsarge]

Pity, that. The tundra is a magical place. When you stand on a rise and look over the rolling landscape you might be inclined to say, "Meh!" But when you get down on your knees and look close you see the northern forest in miniature. Blueberry bushes six inches high, cloud berries raising their pink and white fruit above the rest of the foliage. In August it's autumn and the entire place turns the color of New England in October. The cries of the loon and the trumpet swan, the flight of bald eagles overhead . . . I love it--until the first snowfall!

 

[Atticus Finch]

BTW...and I should have asked this several posts ago...does anyone here have any experience with the Savage Model 25? I've never shot one and I'm not wed to buying one...but its seems to be a decent value for the money.

AF

 

[MikePotts]

The Savage triggers are great, I trust that the centerfire magazines are better than the .22lr's though.

 

[Atticus Finch]

The Savage triggers are great, I trust that the centerfire magazines are better than the .22lr's though.

Evidently, they're made form some sort of hard plastic...and I've read some mild grumping about them.

AF

 

[DeaconKC]

Running Bear, they came with the gun. I believe they are made by Altamont. Ajax and Eagle make beautiful grips as well and if you can find some old Herretts, you will not be disappointed.