I've done loads of beech stocks and found that if you sand smooth then wet with water it will go rough as the grain in the wood swells... Repeat this process about 5 or 6 times until the stock becomes smooth when wet, then brush clean and apply tru oil... The stock will transform before your eyes... The bonus of an oiled stock is if you get a ding in it you can raise the ding with steam from an iron and sand it back flat!