Woodworking pros listen please

[Jambo]

I'm a fan of real tung oil myself - not that fake "tung oil polish", but real tung oil. Of course, that's on Garand stocks.

 

[Freshly Minted Georgian!]

Birch can be difficult to stain and tends towards a blotchy appearance that is typically worse the darker the stain that is used. It helps to use a pre stain conditioner, that'll help seal the pores to provide a more consistent appearance when stained.