Aluminum verses Laminate

[Jordan F.]

I am looking to get a target air gun and match .22 and have preatty well decided on feinwerkbau but am having a tough decision deciding on weather I should get the aluminum or laminate stock. What are the advantages/disadvantages of each of these (besides personal preference). Will there be any difference in accuracy between the two?

Any help would be appreciated.
Jordan

[peepsight]

Hi Jordan

Good question, In simple terms the alu stock will give you a vastly superior range of adjustments so it can be fitted to your physique. They can also be made lighter or heavier which includes balance.

The wood laminate rifles can be fairly well balanced but you are unable in most ways to make them lighter.

There are fans of both at the very top level and it really is how it feels at your shoulder. Some say wood has a better damping property than alu which apparently feels nicer on shot release than alu,

If you intend getting an air rifle and a .22 match rifle, it would make sense to get the same make so the stocks are the same. FWB do both in wood and alu. Plus many parts will be interchangeable between air and .22.

My choice would be alu only because you can adjust and balance them so much more than wood.

Peepsight

[GaryN]

The other factor that I have been told is temperature.
Wood is more comfortable to handle in extreme temperatures where metal would be COLD or HOT. Luckily the primary contact points of an AL stock are wood.
Will this be a factor? Only if you shoot where it is COLD or HOT.

BTW I shot one day where it was so hot that we had to stop shooting, because the frame of the guns got too hot to hold comfortably.

[peepsight]

I guess it can be a problem having a stock that had been heated up by the sun so that it is too hot to handle. The wooden cheek piece and grip found on most alu stock rifles should make life more comfortable.

The rules do say that each shooter is allowed a sun shade or the firing point is under cover which should be large enough to cast a shadow over the rifle and shooter.

As for too cold, not sure what remedy there is other than shoot indoors only during the winter. Your air rifle will be indoors only so hot and cold may not be such an issue.

Peepsight

[Jose Rossy]

I would be concerned with point of impact issues due to expansion of aluminum in some of the very hot locations here in the US, particularly if you live in the desert southwest or the Great Plains.

[Jordan F.]

Thank you for the replies. I am going to try to shoot both (have shot the laminate 700 and the 700 alu but only for a couple shots) and see which one I like best...

I am located in South West Canada where there really isn't a big difference in temperature change between seasons/days so I don't imagine POI shift will be a hug problem.

Thanks again, and any more help would be appreciated.

[hank2222]

i have tried alum stocks i do not like them i like the laminated wood stocks better they fell better to me i getting a walther kk300 22.lr for set up for rimfire brenchrest

[Jordan]

Thanks for the replies :)

I have decided that I would like to get the 700/2700 in alu.

Jordan