I personally really love laminates and there are some really great ones out there for cheap...especially the boyd's and stocky's house brands. Weight is one consideration though as I have a one laminate stock that weighs a ton and two others that are just as light as synthetics. It you wanted a sported style and 2lb 9 oz is not two heavy you can find some great deals on gray remington laminates that were used on the LSS (not mountain) series. Mine is super comfortable with the monte carlo check piece and flat base fore end, but it is heavy by my standards. Also, if it is a field rifle go for the satin finish, the gloss version is mirror-like reflective.