Wood or aluminum

patrickoma · Post by **patrickoma** » Wed Aug 15, 2012 6:07 pm

I would appreciate any comments on the benefits of wood or aluminum in different parts of an air rifles stock and body. Reduced weight is an obvious benefit of aluminum. Some manufacturers, Walther for example, are promoting a wodden stock. Feinwerbau is promoting Aluminum. Is there a place for both or a place that suits one better?

#1texan · Post by **#1texan** » Wed Aug 15, 2012 9:42 pm

Wood and aluminum stocks are about the same weight don't fool yourself in thinking that an aluminum stock is lighter

Best Nathan

EJ · Post by EJ » Wed Aug 15, 2012 10:50 pm

The deal breaker for me when it comes to wood is that it takes up too much space. Aluminum is normally slimmer in design and are easier to mold to the shooter (add weight were needed for example). This is not a truth though, lots of people don't have this problem and like the feel of wood and therefore go with it.
A wouldn't say Walther is promoting their stock exactly, but they have taken the wooden stock more seriously than the other makers and it shows in design.
What I like in material is to have the main stock in aluminum and all parts where rifle meets body in wood (except for buttplate...) or at least a higher grip material than painted metal. Cheek piece has to be in wood though.

jhmartin · Post by **jhmartin** » Wed Aug 15, 2012 11:09 pm

I think you'll find, especially in the 1907 actions, that the wood stocks are lighter. (1912-1914)

There are plenty of women using the alum stocks though.
For the junior women I coach, I do prefer the 1912 if you can find it, but the new 1914 is just a touch heavier, but still a really sweet stock.

Jordan1s · Post by **Jordan1s** » Thu Aug 16, 2012 5:49 am

It's really up to you to decide what's best. For air rifle, I've been using wood stock rifles since I was 13, and personally, I can't find a good enough reason to spend another thousand or so dollars to switch over to an aluminum stock.

patrickoma · Post by **patrickoma** » Thu Aug 16, 2012 1:27 pm

I really appreciate the opinions. I am in Ireland and it is literally impossible to test new air rifles, unless you know someone who owns one. I am considering the LG 400. Again thanks for the response.

TerryKuz · Post by **TerryKuz** » Thu Aug 16, 2012 2:00 pm

I have a LG 400 and I can honestly recommend it. Good luck.

fast shooter · Post by **fast shooter** » Thu Aug 16, 2012 3:33 pm

wood is dynamic, in other words it moves. wood reacts with temperature and humidity. wood moving against a rifle barrel can change point of impact slightly when swollen. this is why most serious hunters use kelar or some type of plastic stocks. laminated wood stocks have less movement, but they will still move.

fast shooter · Post by **fast shooter** » Thu Aug 16, 2012 3:34 pm

wood is dynamic, in other words it moves. wood reacts with temperature and humidity. wood moving against a rifle barrel can change point of impact slightly when swollen. this is why most serious hunters use kevlar or some type of plastic stocks. laminated wood stocks have less movement, but they will still move.

Colin · Post by **Colin** » Fri Aug 17, 2012 3:44 am

fast shooter wrote:wood is dynamic, in other words it moves. wood reacts with temperature and humidity. wood moving against a rifle barrel can change point of impact slightly when swollen. this is why most serious hunters use kevlar or some type of plastic stocks. laminated wood stocks have less movement, but they will still move.

Well a wooden stock didn't seem to move that much when Martynov got gold at the Olympics and set a new Olympic record, though in Smallbore not Air rifle

RobinC · Post by **RobinC** » Fri Aug 17, 2012 4:29 am

With air, and probaly also .22, Walther are more biased to alloy and certainly with the LG 400 which is an excelent rifle (yes I'm biased I have one!). The LG400 stock is very light, this allows you to add or move weight around to get the best ballance for you, particularly added to Walthers use of the carbon barrel sleeve it makes getting a rearward centre of ballance easier.
That said, a lot of wood/alloy is personal preferance, and some just plain prefer the feel of wood or in Martynovs case sticking with an old friend they've known and become comfortable with for years.
My wife uses a Walther KK300 in alloy for smallbore but we have just built her a new air rifle, a Walther LG400 expert action in an LG300 wooden junior stock, why? because she has used one for years and got used to the feel and ballance.
Good Shooting
Robin

JW · Post by JW » Sat Aug 18, 2012 8:33 am

There's a competition in UCD tomorrow and there will be both ALU and wood stocks there, so that might be an option if you're close to Dublin.

I wouldn't say there'll be any LG400 Anatomic Experts (none in Ireland at the moment as far as know). Various FWB, Anschutz, LG300 Walther and Steyr rilfes would normally make up the mix.

xnoncents · Post by **xnoncents** » Sat Sep 08, 2012 2:28 pm

I switched from wood to aluminum on my Annie and the aluminum is significantly heavier.That being said, the aluminum stock is much more consistent than the wood was on my rig. However that well may have been because the original wood stock was not bedded. It is unlikely that any Olympic class wood stocks are not bedded. The wood stock was more "soft" and comfortable. I sacrificed some comfort and weight for consitency. The wood stock was also more tolerable in the cold. The cheek piece and grip on my aluminum stock are still wood and I would not change that.

1813benny · Post by **1813benny** » Sat Sep 08, 2012 4:19 pm

xnoncents wrote:I switched from wood to aluminum on my Annie and the aluminum is significantly heavier.That being said, the aluminum stock is much more consistent than the wood was on my rig. However that well may have been because the original wood stock was not bedded. It is unlikely that any Olympic class wood stocks are not bedded. The wood stock was more "soft" and comfortable. I sacrificed some comfort and weight for consitency. The wood stock was also more tolerable in the cold. The cheek piece and grip on my aluminum stock are still wood and I would not change that.

Why didn't you just bed the wood stock?

M3taal · Post by **M3taal** » Fri Sep 14, 2012 7:21 am

Being the son of an old-school carpenter my heart lies with wood. I like to believe that wood handles the knockback/vibrations better but I have no evidence to support that.

sandy22 · Post by **sandy22** » Fri Sep 14, 2012 3:38 pm

M3taal wrote: I like to believe that wood handles the knockback/vibrations better

If you're correct then wooden stocks will be illegal for ISSF shooting from Jan 1st 2013

xnoncents · Post by **xnoncents** » Mon Sep 24, 2012 1:30 pm

1913benny I was going to pm you so I didn't hijack the op but then realized that the answer was relevant enough. Bedding would probably have improved consistency problems but not solved others, notably that my original stock was a completely unadjustable 1407. I have funny ergo dimensions (who doesn't ) and had a lot of difficulty getting comfortable in prone (I know prone and comfortable = oxymoron ).
At the same time M. Werks came out with their stock and I thought "why not?".
So, aluminum stock (machined not cast, this being pre-precise release) every ergo adjustment, reasonably priced (no euro conversion) tuner built in, no bedding possible or necessary and made in good old USA to boot. So now it fits much better and shoots much better but had I started with a wood supermatch 1918 i probably would have just bedded and been happy and maybe even more comfortable. I have been considering swapping in a supermatch wood stock just to see. This is my only hobby and part of the fun is the elusive . As an asside ( with the possible exception of the Walter Anatomic ) I know of no non-aluminum stock that can adjust grip rotation, cant, and grip to trigger distance if that were important to a shooter.