Don,
I prefer laminate stocks for a VARIETY of reasons, stiffness, beauty, and durability being chief among them.
To my understanding, the NEF Ultra is the only model that comes with a factory laminate stock. If you found a caliber in this model you could be happy with, that would be the simplest, easiest answer ... f you are right-handed. The stock is monte carlo for righties, of course. I'm a lefty, so I'm SOL on that score.
Assuming you're right handed, if the Ultra doesn't work for you, just get the gun you want and ADD the factory laminate stock to it. Brownells sells the stock for $75. I don't know if they also sell the forend.
Maybe you're not a fan of monte carlo stocks. Me neither. Again, my preference is for thumbhole stocks for a variety of reasons, grip orientation and one-handed ease of weilding being chief among them. In this case, you could just go to Gunstocks Inc. and get a nice unfinished thumbhole stock and do the rest yourself. Ed at Gunstocks is selling his for about $100, and it appears to be a HIGH quality stock. Again, this is good only if you're righty. If not, Ed makes the bland-looking factory straight-comb stock. It will do the job and look decent in a laminate, but the factory dimensions are not going to win any stock design awards. (FYI, I just talked to Ed this morning. Likely in the next coulpe of months, he will be producing an laminate ambidextrous thumbhole stock for NEF rifles much like the "Smart Stock" for the Ruger 10/22". Wow -- I'm interested!!! :grin: )
If you've got a LOT of money to blow, just check out Wenig's. They make a laminated thumbhole buttstock for NEF handi-rifles for righties of lefties. Takes about 2 or 3 months. Cost is around $900. :eek: Kinda distressing when the gun itself costs $200, but an interesting option for some, I imagine.
Appears Gunstocks Inc. is the way to go, unless anyone else has a better idea. Get the barrel/finish you want, sell the factory stock on Ebay, and get the stock you want. On any two-piece stock/forend setups, the set is a crucial factor in precision, etc. In a Handi-Rifle, this is PARTICULARLY the case.