I'm stuck in a rut. Every long gun I own, 11, is blue and walnut.

Time to do something radical.......synthetic, stainless, semi-auto.....do I need therapy?

If it ain't broke, don't fix it!

Seriously. I am a big fan of Stainless/Synthetic combinations. For engineering reasons: Corrosion resistance, durability, etc. But they don't look very good. My Puma 92 Stainless/Dark Wood (it's something Brazilian), looks good, and works fairly well.

But the guns I have that shoot the best are blue steel: A CZ572 Varmint Laminate, in 223 with a laminated stock; And a factory Encore 30-06, with a blued muzzle brake on it. I also have a very nice walnut stock on the Encore. Both of these will shoot rings around the stainless guns I have, even the factory Encore 308 SS.

I don't know what it is, but the blue steel just seems to shoot better. And the walnut always looks better. So I don't see your problem :)

You be careful flashhole
next thing you know you will be looking for a red convertable and a young blond.

What is that called? a midwife chrises? Anyway I've only got a few stainless guns, one of them Remington 54 black powder rifles and some pistols. I kinda got back to the wood and blue steel the last few years. Like many of us I know the stainless/plastic may be more resistant to a lot of stuff but that nice wood and blue steel just draws me.

One certian way to get out of that rut is to head down to the local gun store. I've always held that you can never own enough guns.

Good luck in your quest.

Got some of each -

Ones I figure will be banged around a lot (rocks, saddle scabbards, etc) are the synthetic stocked ones. Others that will mostly be carried on the shoulder or hand are the wooden stocked variety.

Love'um all. Got to say, the fondle factor goes to the wood/blue combo more than the others.

Before subjecting yourself to such thrill seeking as stainless and synthetic, you may want to check out something even more traditional than bolt guns. How about a nice Farquharson styled singleshot or a Sharps? Actually any of the falling block singleshots are a pleasure. Maybe you could delve into complete madness and get a nice double rifle!!!

Or, like Kdub said, buy one of each!

Sort of like instead of buying a shiney new Corvette, you buy an old classic Jaguar or 50's T-Bird.

There are a lot of advantages in owning a synthetic/stainless:

1. Bad weather conditions effect the accuracy of wood stocked guns.

2. Thick brush hunting, a synthetic/stainless doesn't show the wear & tear as much.

3. Most synthetics are lighter to carry.

4. Easier to maintain and keep clean.

I use my synthetic Ruger 77 in 30-06 whenever the weather conditions dictate the use, and it has always done well for me!

Well, you can always do what I did and drop one out of a treestand. The only stock I could afford was a Bell & Carlson synthetic. It's now my favorite stock!

Well, you can always do what I did and drop one out of a treestand. The only stock I could afford was a Bell & Carlson synthetic. It's now my favorite stock!

That sounds too painful. I'd rather find out in other ways:)

I recently went the single shot route with a Ruger #1V in 25-06, beautiful gun.

I had aspirations of getting a centerfire rifle in every available action. I have lever, bolt, and Ruger's #1 (whatever it's patterned after), my pocketbook won't stand the strain of a nice double, and I can't say I warmed up to the idea of dropping them out of a tree. :D

I came home and told the wife I wanted a station wagon.....she looked at me kinda funny and I dropped the hint a few more times then she caught on to the idea I want the Dodge Magnum......yeah, the Hemi with 400 horsepower! That comes with the blonde right?

...

I came home and told the wife I wanted a station wagon.....she looked at me kinda funny and I dropped the hint a few more times then she caught on to the idea I want the Dodge Magnum......yeah, the Hemi with 400 horsepower! That comes with the blonde right?

A hemi with 400hp sounds great, but if it came with a blonde I'd be in real trouble ;) my wife is a VERY territorial brunette, and I'm quite happy with her, thank you.

But back on topic, I still like the stainless/synthetic combo in rough conditions. A "work of art" that doesn't fire when you need it to is worthless. And 4" groups at 200yds will do the job on anything bigger than a dog, provided the shooter does his part, concerning all of the variables.

Incidentally, my previously mentioned best shooting guns are shooting groups well under 1" at 200yds, and all of the stainless rifles are under 3" at the same range, so the difference under "field conditions" just isn't that much.

I am partial to the single shots myself. Still have a plastic/stainless .300 Sako laying around. The single shots are in .220 swift and .225 Win, wood and blue. Just sold the #1 .338 Win. My next might just Bee the .218 Bee to go with my wood and blue Mod 65 lever gun. Gotta have choices right? The .338-06AI and 25-06 are sealed/bedded pretty well by a pro, so not too worried about them. It can be a real problem here in Ak though. Some years, if it ain't snowing it's raining!

I'm stuck in a rut. Every long gun I own, 11, is blue and walnut.

Time to do something radical.......synthetic, stainless, semi-auto.....do I need therapy?
**** no. Scratching that itch is a lot chaper than a red converatle and a blond.
Check out the 84M Kimber Montana. Stainless, McMillen stock, controled-round feeding, 22" barrel, trigger a pure delight. In 7/08, mine weighs just 6.5 lbs trailside. A "custom" rifle for under $900.

**** no. Scratching that itch is a lot chaper than a red converatle and a blond.
Check out the 84M Kimber Montana. Stainless, McMillen stock, controled-round feeding, 22" barrel, trigger a pure delight. In 7/08, mine weighs just 6.5 lbs trailside. A "custom" rifle for under $900.


The Stainless Laminated from Tikka is reeeaaallly nice. Didn't think I'd like it until I saw/felt it. Their website does a decent job for viewing (www.tikka.fi). My father bought the same .270, but had the stainless swapped out for blue. It looks great! But their matte stainless on the gray/black laminate is very sharp looking. Not too heavy at all. That and the report that most laminated stocks are made here in VT makes it all the sweeter.

Check 'em out.

cheers

jonas

Try a synthetic stock from HS-Precision. These are my favorite stocks in the world, rain or shine. I hate to say it, but these stocks feel better to me than wood. Plus, they come with full aluminum bedding that will free-float your barrel. They are very pricey (around $375 or so) but I have come to prefer them to wood for both look and feel. --Mykal

flash - I've got just one of those stainless/synthetic rifles. The stainless is OK I guess, but that stock makes all kinds of queer noises when brush sweeps over it. I'll stay with wood from now on.

I like those single shots too. I just never scratched the itch til a couple of years ago. Got a 1979 Ruger 1B. It belonged to one of Speers execs. He got one every year from Ruger and this one had exceptional wood. When he died his wife sold the whole collection to a friend of mine. I got this one in a 243 and use it for varmits and coyotes. Shoots an inch or less from the rest and has the highest fondle factor of any of the guns I own.

I'm guess I'm in the minority here, but I prefer the look of stainless steel to blue. Blued steel reminds me of the extra care needed to avoid rust and pitting and discoloration. Stainless smiles and takes whatever you dish out. My favorite rifle is a Marlin 1894SS, stainless with some really gorgeous wood. One of my "pending projects" is to sand down the checkering on the forestock and thin it out, more like the old-style Marlins.

What I also find interesting is that when women are around, they will ignore whatever rifle I might have lying around, but if that stainless/wood model is visible, they all want to fondle and admire it. I think I may need another one! ;)

Papajohn

What I also find interesting is that when women are around, they will ignore whatever rifle I might have lying around, but if that stainless/wood model is visible, they all want to fondle and admire it. I think I may need another one! ;)

Papajohn

That's the reason I bought a stainles steel shirt..............still didn't work.

Flash ,what you need might be a full suit of armor. :D I think I,ll keep my blue&walnut guns. As a thought, you might restock with laminate stocks.Q

I thought about resurrecting this thread when I read the other "Stuck in a rut" thread, this one is over two years old. I broke the blue/walnut string with my Remington 700 LVSF 221 Fireball (stainless and synthetic).

I'm really liking this little cartridge. Seems like just about everything I put down the barrel shoots really well. Both the 40 grain Nosler Ballistic Tips and 40 grain Sierra BlitzKing (plastic tip like Nosler) shoot great with RE#7, Lil'Gun, and IMR 4198. The RE#7 was a pleasant surprise for the Fireball since I bought it for my 45-70 and didn't have much success with it. It has been sitting on the shelf since 1998 and I finally found a use for it. Now I need to buy more. RE#7 does a little better in the accuracy department than Lil'Gun and is tied with IMR 4198 (I can't tell a difference) but RE#7 has finer granules and is easier to use.

The stock on the 700 has to go, it's flimsy, not stiff, and I had to put a shim under the front of the forearm to keep it from randomly contacting the barrel. I'll post a pic when I get the new laminate stock. My birthday is next month and I've already dropped the hint to my wife what a wonderful gift it would make.

You really think a full suit of armor will work?

You be careful flashhole
next thing you know you will be looking for a red convertable and a young blond.

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Oh My! Buy a full auto, then get the Convertable and the Blond.

I split the difference, chrome molly barrel and a synthetic stock and that works best for me.