Thread: Wood Stock Sealant

BLO doesn't block moisture, but does repel water droplets. What I have always been lead to believe with timber stocks is that you do actually want the stock to be able to 'breathe' or pass a bit of moisture in and out of the timber - if it doesn't breathe as such and you leave it in an area of unevenly applied heat (like sunlight) the timber gets hotter on one side and drags some of the trapped moisture into the warmer timber.

I had a cheaper .22 rimfire that was secured into the stock by a single screw, and fully bedded into the wood. It was seriously bad for going to the pack when it was left in the sun, wandering zero and groups going to the pack - really bad to the point of being useless over 50m. That was the explanation I was given when we found the stock was putting pressure on one side of the barrel, then turn it over in the sun and you could damn near see the wood twist. Ended up bedding it with Devcon steel and floating half of the barrel (and a good 5mm plus of devcon, not just a skim). That sorted it out, but very frustrating and it stuck with me how bad it was.

At the end of that, if the rest of the stock is finished in BLO I'd run with that - it'll play.