[redpete]

I'm in the market for a .30-06 bolt action rifle. The main use for this rifle will be deer hunting in Northern Minnesota - most shooting will be less than 200 yards. I think I will either get a Weatherby Vanguard or a Remington 700.

I am having a hard time deciding what stock to get. I like the durability of synthetic, but some synthetic stocks feel really cheap. I love the look and feel of wood, but a hunting gun gets banged around some.

What makes one synthetic stock better than another?

How are the synthetic stocks on their lower priced models(Weatherby Vanguard Synthetic or Remington 700 SPS)?

Am I better off getting a wood stock (Weatherby Vanguard Sporter or Remington 700 BDL)?

Or should I get one of the higher end models with a synthetic stock?

Thanks.

[stalkingbear]

The cheaper synthetic stocks are injection molded plastic. The better synthetic stocks are made of hand laid fiberglass/carbon fiber layers. The factory supplied synthetic stocks are of injection molded variety. Another option you might consider is a laminated wood stock. It has the look & feel of a wood stock but is impervious to the weather and is tougher than regular wood stocks.

[cpttango30]

How it's made.

The factory remington stocks are not synthetic. they are cheap injection molded plastic.

Many of your high end synthetic stocks are made with high tech products like kevlar carbonfiber ect.... Some will have an aluminum bedding system in them so there is not as much need to glass bed the action to the stock.

If you want a durable synthetic stock on a remington don't even look at an SPS model. Maybe the 700 SPS tactical it has a Hogue stock on it.

If you wanted the best stock I would get a used 700 or vanguard and trade out the stock with a Bell & Carlson or Brown Precision stock.