Well, I sand to 400, wisker 3 or 4 times and take off the whiskers with a scotch bright pad or 000 steel wool, my stocks are almost shiney when I get them ready for stain.
I haven't uses any stain but aquafortis, it soaks up just fine in my stock wood.
On metal I am going to brown I don't go past 220 and get a better brown that way.