Thanks guys. I am gaining a much better appreciation for walnut blanks. It's absolutely amazing what goes into a proper blank for a large bore. Again from Mr. Wieland's book:
“Age is critical. A tree of 300 years or more will begin to exhibit very dense wood with complex grain and figure. By the time a tree is 500 years old or more, it is perfect for heavy-caliber gunstocks. That alone is still not enough, though. The tree must have good genetics — that is, not a hybrid — and have grown slowly in harsh conditions.”
And then, after this 500 year old tree is cut the blank dries for about a decade or two! It's such an amazing industry. When you pick up your big bore rifle the wood your hand is on is centuries old.
