This gets hashed over and over every month or so. When the discussion turns to "other stock woods". Basically it appears to just stem from the desire to be different. But, essentially, good stock woods are limited to the well known stock woods. Maple, walnut, cherry, birch, beech and ash. Even among these, not all pieces of wood are suitable. Walnut and cherry particularly will vary WIDELY in quality. SOME cherry is as hard as sugar maple, most is not, often it is soft as butter, and unsuitable for anything. But given good pieces, each of these types of wood are strong, hard, durable and stable enough to be gun stocks. Other types of wood may be strong and hard, but so unstable, like Oak, that they are no good for stocks. PERHAPS other woods like mulberry or hornbeam or hophornbeam or dogwood might make decent stock woods.... and if you can find a piece big enough, by all means, give it a shot!!! Hickory has been used...well, maybe once! It is almost TOO hard, and it is known as being unstable. It can be quite beautiful wood, though.
Mostly, "other woods" are not used because they simply are not good for stocks. Not hard enough, not strong enough, not stable enough, etc. (people often ask about woods like sycamore, or poplar, or even yellow pine and cedar! :shocked2: ) Or, of course, not available in large enough pieces or large enough quantity. Sometimes, even technically suitable woods aren't used just because they're so darn plain or ugly! :haha: