Nice wood for a Stevens 200 build?

I am looking at rebuilding my Stevens 200 (currently in 25-06). I want to build a "legacy" rifle to hand down the generations, so I am thinking some really nice wood! I want some nice wood they will want to hold on to, but I can’t drop many thousands for custom, hand fitted stock! I want to do a hand rubbed finish, but I need the inlet to be very close! I know Boyds has some nice XX Maple that would be my first choice, (as of right now)! (I have used Boyd’s before and I have always thought they do good work!) I would have to open the barrel channel to allow room for a light varmint/heavy field weight barrel. Is there a stock manufacturer that I should look at, other than Boyd's for really nice wood?

Any pics of your builds on Maple would be helpful as well. I'm still working out the chambering, etc. I have to start somewhere, so I am choosing to look at the stock. The chambering will with the same bolt head, but I'll tackle that down the road.


Thanks for the help, in advance!

I would start here: http://www.rifle-stocks.com/target_style's.htm

You can order a top quality exhibition grade walnut stock and do your own finish work.

Check out this link. http://www.savageshooters.com/showth...-06-Savage-111

I ordered a laminated thumbhole target style due to arrive in November. I also ordered a block of the selected laminate to try some different finishing methods, just see how the laminate "glue" reacts with various types of finishes.

What will be the main use for this Legacy rifle? What is your favorite thing to do with a rifle hunting, varmint shooting, or target shooting? To me a Legacy rifle isn't the nicest rifle in my safe it's the one that my Dad always reached for when he wanted/needed to go shooting. For me my legacy rifle is a well patinaed (aka rusty if I don't keep after it), beat up wooden stocked Winchester model 72 and model 1906 .22 rimfires as my Dad was never much of a gun guy. However, those were the rifles that he learned to shoot with and the ones that he taught me with, and the ones he still uses in his 70's when he needs top dispatch a coyote or other vermin on the ranch.

If you build a beautiful rifle with fancy wood but never seriously use all the time for fear of beating it up, then it won't have any meaning to the people you want to pass it down to. So I'd build the rifle as one you're going to grab every time you open that safe to use, clean, or just show off. I'd also build it as one that is mild enough in recoil and weight that you can teach your children to shoot it as well (so .25-06 might be a good choice). However, it doesn't have to be fancy at all it just has to be your favorite rifle of all time.

I agree! Even with nice wood I would use this rifle! (For me, a great rifle with pretty wood, that has seen use, [been beat up a bit], is "nicer" then, a pristine condition stock, that has a perfect glossy sheen! The 25-06 isn't bad, and I taught my wife and daughter to hunt with a 25-06 loaded down to soften it up even more. They can handle full house loads, but not for a "fun day" at the range. A 90 grain Sierra GK on top of a mild load of H4895 makes a nice light recoiling, deer round, in our opinion! Just don't shoot for bone, and keep your range in check! I just want to hand down a rifle that looks nicer then the plastic! I want to build a nice looking rifle, that shoots like a dream. Maybe Boyd's is the way to go. Nice, but not too nice! I'll look at something else for a "club shoot" gun, with some drool factor built in!! This should be a hunting rifle build! Well said taylorce1 :)

Texas10 Wow you did a great job on that! Nice work! That is in the vein of what I am thinking! Thanks for the links!

You're very welcome. They do have a lot of choices but nothing is "in stock". You have to order and wait, and wait, and…..
Sorry but the nice pics were not my posting, but what a piece of wood he ended up with!
I'll post some pics after my laminated stock arrives. Already learned a bunch about finishes on the scrap piece I purchased, so maybe I'll get lucky and get it right the first time…..:smug:

Incidentally, although it's apparently not very popular so say on this forum, I find that E. Arthur Brown sells finished stock similar to Boyds, but include very well made pillars already installed, so you don't have to go through all the hassle of making and installing your own pillars from lamp rod stock.

Just a thought.

Here's the link. http://www.eabco.net/Savage-Thumbhol...n_p_14233.html

If your 200 is a long action, Brownell's has walnut made by Wood Plus finished & unfinished for less than $100.