What about white and or brown ash. Up here in northern Wis. there are a lot of these trees. They have a ton of character, with gorgeous grain and even color. It's not as heavy as Oak, but is very dense. I have used it for paneling and wainscoating and baseboard and trim. It is not as expensive as Oak and Maple but imo much prettier. Anybody know why or why not it isn't used for rifle stocks?