The author prefers scope mounts where the rings attach directly to the receiver, as on the Ruger. However, he'd like the front dovetail to be tapered and with no recoil slot so that the ring could be slid back and forth to accommodate varying scope-body lengths. Only the position of the rear ring would be fixed.

As to which of the two alternatives I prefer, I'm afraid I've got to cop out here because I like and use both about equally. I much prefer the appearance, warmth and feel of a laminate because, after all, it's real wood. It's just that it's 34 pieces of real wood. As for synthetics, they have almost no aesthetically redeeming qualities, but their strength and stability exceed those of laminates, and they're lighter. When I say "synthetics," I mean the laid-up kind of Kevlar- or graphite-reinforced fiberglass, not the injection-molded jobs, most of which are not nearly as stable, strong or stiff. I've no doubt that someday they will be able to match the light weight, strength and rigidity of laid-up stocks with injection molding, but that day is not yet here.

Locks
Now we come to the heart of the rifle, the action. This one's really tough because there are features I like that are incompatible with other features I like equally well. Take controlled-round feeding, for example. I like Mauser-type actions, but controlled-round feeding is incompatible with a recessed bolt face. However, I like a recessed face, like that of the Remington 700, for gas containment in the event of a case rupture. I also like the shorter 60-degree handle lift and added clearance between the hand and a scope's ocular bell that a three-lug action like the Browning A-Bolt, Sako 75 or Weatherby Mark V provides, but then it's easier to cock an action with a 90-degree bolt rotation than one with a 60-degree handle lift--an important consideration when operating the action with the rifle shouldered.

I prefer inertia or Mauser-type ejection, where it's up to me as to whether I want to pluck the spent case out of the loading port manually or send it flying, depending on how I work the bolt. But then Mauser-type ejection requires that the ejector blade contact the spent-cartridge rim through a slot on the side of the bolt head, so you can't have an uninterrupted rim encircling the cartridge head like on the Remington 700.

On the Mausers, this required a slot in the bolt head that bisects the left locking lug--not the ideal solution. To my mind the Model 70 Winchester, the Howa and the CZ 550 have a better solution. By moving the ejector to the 7:30 position beneath the left locking lug, it negates the need to bisect it. You just couldn't envision a simpler, more reliable bolt stop/release, and simple is what I ultimately gravitate to.

The author says he appreciates fine walnut as much as anyone, but it doesn't make as good a hunting-rifle gunstock as a wood laminate or laid-up synthetic.

As for the receiver, it can be a forging or an investment casting--no matter--but I want a flat bedding surface and a large, integral recoil lug. This, of course, eliminates tubular receivers that employ separate, washer-type recoil lugs sandwiched between the barrel shank and the receiver ring. I mean, there's nothing wrong with doing it that way--after all, the Remington 700, Savage 10/100 series, Kimber, H-S Precision, Lazzeroni and Ed Brown are just a few riflemakers using tubular receivers. But we're talking personal preference here, and to me that means a flat-bottomed receiver with an integral recoil lug. One of the best examples can be found in the Howa/Weatherby Vanguard action. It's got a flat bedding surface and a huge integral recoil lug. So, too, do the Model 70 and CZ-550.