[Dohhunter]

Your reference to 'nice rifles' is relative, though I do know you are referring mainly to wood finish. There are plenty of fine firearms with fully composite stocks and robust finishes on barrel/action.

My primary hunting piece is a bare bones Win Model 70 (originally plain jane synthetic with a stainless barrel) bedded in an HS Precision stock. Accuracy is a moot point as it's a magnum with no break, but even without the little bit of extra work it has always functioned exactly as it is supposed too...dropping anything I come across.

If you are worried about wood finishes, spend the six hundred bucks and get something that you can abuse (whether that be a scout model or a similarly weighted/priced dedicated hunting bolt action).....you won't be sorry.