Stainless over wood - insights?

[8x57 Mauser]

I have a friend buying her very first hunting rifle. She's looking at the Ruger 77 in 30-06.

My friend has a strong preference for:
1) a new rifle, not a used one
2) a stainless steel rifle
3) a wood stock (not laminate - she likes the feel of wood).

Ruger doesn't offer new rifles in stainless over wood, and a very quick perusal of other manufacturers in the price range doesn't find one either.

So the questions are:
1) What's the most cost-effective way to get a new stainless 30-06 over a wood stock?
2) What's that likely to cost?

We'd appreciate any help you folks can offer.

[AlleninAlaska]

What is her price range?

She can always buy a stainless/synthetic rifle and then replace the synthetic with wood.

I'm a wood/blued kind of person myself.

[Paul H]

The most cost effective way is to buy a blued/wood gun and a stainless/synthetic or laminate gun. Swap the stocks, and sell the blued/syn or blued/laminate leftover. Assuming you get both rifles for a decent price, you ought to only be out about $50 for the wood stock.

Then again this is also the sneaky bastid way of getting a second rifle

[8x57 Mauser]

What is her price range?

She can always buy a stainless/synthetic rifle and then replace the synthetic with wood.

Allen,

She's got a local shop offering her the 77 with a passable 3-9 scope for just under $850. I think that tops her out, though.

What's a wood stock cost, and can you just drop in the rifle and go, or do they generally need modification?

[8x57 Mauser]

...buy a blued/wood gun and a stainless/synthetic or laminate gun. Swap the stocks, and sell the blued/syn or blued/laminate leftover.
...

Then again this is also the sneaky bastid way of getting a second rifle

Paul,

Sneaky as I am, I thought about that. Unfortunately, she can't tie up the $$ in the second rifle 'till it sells. And as much as I would love to take the second one off her hands, there's no way my budget has room in it for another rifle. I've tried six ways from Sunday to justify it: "I'd be helping out a friend," and "My daughters will need something to shoot when they get bigger," and "I really could use an (insert caliber here) to round things out."

But the cash isn't there. Any other brilliant inspirations?

[AlleninAlaska]

Well for starters she should run away from that $850 price for a stainless Ruger 77 with only a passable scope. Those Rugers are only about $460 at dealer cost and to have it marked up 100% is crazy. No Trascho scope on the market will add any value to the firearm.


Go to either www.gunbroker.com or www.auctionarms.com and look for a transferring dealer in your area. You could also go too the main page of this web site and look for dealers in your area that will do transfers. Then have her go to one of the auction sites, register and bid on a rifle. The auction sites will also have stocks and what not for auction. Really hate to see a person get ripped off by a greedy dealer.

[Paul H]

I'll echo what Allan says, the M77's are $500 rifles, so unless they topped it with a good leopold scope, they are asking way too much.

I believe you can buy factory stocks from Ruger, I don't have any pricing but would expect them to be somewhere between $100-150.

Since she's on a budget, I would most highly recomend she put that extra $100-150 into the scope and practice ammo instead of the stock.

[dwhunter]

I have to agree with Allen on this one, I know you can find a ss/syn on gunbroker with average starting bid around 499.00. I would then find a wood stock to surround it with if she still feels so inclined.

They are good guns, I ordered a ss/syn in 30-06 last friday and I hope it shows up soon so I can play with it.


Doug

[Kurt S]

I would go to Great Northern Guns and talk to them. Not too long ago, a lot of people were buying new guns with wood stocks and changing them out for synthetics. I went looking for a wood stock to replace my cracked one on an old Ruger, and found they had a bunch of them in the back room from those swaps. You may be able to get the wood one swapped out.

Kurt

[GreginAlaska]

It might be out of her price range, but Browning is showing a stainless rifle with a walnut stock.

http://www.browning.com/products/cat...35&type_id=049

[JWB]

Try the internet @ Remington.com - they have a model 700 Mountain LSS
in various calibers. The laminated wood stock would provide the "feel" along with durability to weather, warpage, etc. With the stainless barrel and action, actually looks like quite attractive package. Get your local pricing then shop around.
JWB


JWB

[GreginAlaska]

It's out of her budgeted amount, but have you guys seen the Sako 85 Grey Wolf? What a great looking weapon!

[BigTex]

Winchester

Cabelias had a Winchester modle 70 with a walnut stock and stainless barrel. Very prety rifle! That is the only one I have ever seen like it. You might be able to still find one somewhere but I bet it wont be easy.

[Mike Echo]

Might have her consider

the weight diff after a day of carrying it before saying it has to be wood or laminate.
Mike

[AKRoadkill]

Winchester made the 70 Featherweight in walnut/Stainless...see if you can find one of them.