Accuracy and harmonics with a wood stock?

[Bowhunter57]

I have a friend that's a long time shooter and he swears that wood stocks "quiet" the barrel's harmonics and allow it to be more accurate, by absorbing the vibrations.

Is there an increase in accuracy, due to this theory?
Has anyone noticed an accuracy difference from synthetic to wood?

Thank you, Bowhunter57

[davemuzz]

I think that wood finished right, is very nice to look at. However, when properly bedded or when a barreled action is placed into a properly aluminum frame bedded stock, or a properly bedded wood stock, will make no difference in barrel harmonics.

Dave

[stomp442]

Agreed. As long as the bedding is good in both stocks and the barrel is free floated I don't see how they would have any difference.

[82boy]

I think there may be a small amount of truth to this, but the amount is ever so slight that the mass majority of shooters would not have the ability to even slightly notice this. I have heard of Benchrest shooters who have shot fiberglass stock, and changed to high end carbon fiber and wood combinations having the exact same action and barrel restocked, have found that the gun will shoot slightly better. They attribute this to the wood. Even with that said, in a production gun with the average shooter, there will not be a noticeable amount of difference.

[jpdown]

I would tend to belive if you worked up an accurate load for a barreled action in a unbedded Savage tupperware stock and then switched it out to a similar style unbedded Savage factory wood stock the accuracy potential would increase. That is because there is less flex in the grip and forend with a wood stock vs. tupperware stock and you have a slight increase in overall weight with a wood stock. I agree with 82boy, it would be unlikely most shooters, including me would be able to confirm any real differenc. However, I have seen an improvement in accuracy when an unbedded stock was properly bedded using the same action and barrel. Or, I could of just been having a better day at the range. That might explain why I don't get the same size groups with the same rifle and load every time I go to the range.

[tinkerer]

Vibration is a function of mass and stiffness. The lower the mass, with the same stiffness, the higher the frequency. The idea being to assure the first harmonic of the barreled action is NOT in tune with the stocks harmonic so the stock acts as a damper. This is why the wood stock with the weight in the butt is a good idea, but in general, the barreled action first harmonic is so high, the stock rings afterwards. The shooter plays a part by the cheek/hand interface damping the stock, but the bullet left long ago.

Barrel tuners work to make sure the barrel is NOT throwing the bullet by damping the harmonic below the bullet dwell time, assuring consistent bullet placement, IF ALL ELSE is the same.

Heavier/stiffer the barrel, higher the natural frequency as well. But heavy barrels have a play in heat transfer, etc, etc. And last but not least, the barrel is a tuning fork that is statistically indeterminant as to direction of deflection.

As you can see, it can get pretty complicated.

Larry
Tinkerer

[davemuzz]

I would tend to belive if you worked up an accurate load for a barreled action in a unbedded Savage tupperware stock and then switched it out to a similar style unbedded Savage factory wood stock the accuracy potential would increase.

This is nothing more than pure speculation and in a real practical application if the group would actually get tighter it would be a fluke.

Dave

[sharpshooter]

+1...What he said...

[wbm]

The most accurate stock on my Weather Warrior 7MM Magnum is the "Tupperware" stock.

[FW Conch]

Most accurate of what other choices ?