KRG Bravo Opinions

[BjornF16]

@PNWGATOR Just received mine this week…one quick session to verify zero. Will shoot long range this weekend.

Looks like you added adjustable recoil pad. You just shooting off backpack versus bipod in backcountry?

 

[PNWGATOR]

It’s the KRG butt pad. Just pull it off and move it up accordingly.

No bipod. Just off of backpack, trekking poles, bino harness, rolled up puffy, etc.

 

[BjornF16]

It’s the KRG butt pad. Just pull it off and move it up accordingly.

No bipod. Just off of backpack, trekking poles, bino harness, rolled up puffy, etc.

But not .223?

So you just drilled new screw holes in the pad itself?

 

[PNWGATOR]

It’s big country in there.

Pull your recoil pad off and you’ll see the available locations to adjust things. Pretty simple.

 

[alpine_troop]

An interesting comparison exercise to do is actually add up weight for a KRG Bravo and a comparable Manners EH1A or AG Alpine Hunter Adjustable Cheek Rest with AICS bottom metal.

In the end, those carbon stocks only end up saving you roughly half a pound, maybe a slightly more in some configurations, but at a substantial cost. So, is the $600-900 price increase worth it to save what amounts to the weight of 1/4 of the water in your Nalgene? Maybe, maybe not.

I lust after the sexy carbon stocks, but in reality I can’t find much wrong with my Bravos considering the ergonomics, modularity, cost, weight, and availability.

 

[BjornF16]

I get it…but do I really need the adjustable riser? Time and practice will tell. I’m running Sportsman rings on my Tikka and a 36mm objective (currently).

IF I were to go with carbon stock, it would a little lighter than the plastic factory Tikka stock.

I’ve never shot a chassis before, so I’m interested to see what benefits I experience. Hopefully good weather tomorrow…

 

[Lawnboi]

An interesting comparison exercise to do is actually add up weight for a KRG Bravo and a comparable Manners EH1A or AG Alpine Hunter Adjustable Cheek Rest with AICS bottom metal.

In the end, those carbon stocks only end up saving you roughly half a pound, maybe a slightly more in some configurations, but at a substantial cost. So, is the $600-900 price increase worth it to save what amounts to the weight of 1/4 of the water in your Nalgene? Maybe, maybe not.

I lust after the sexy carbon stocks, but in reality I can’t find much wrong with my Bravos considering the ergonomics, modularity, cost, weight, and availability.

Iv had both. Never should have gotten rid of the bravo but also don’t care for aics mags in a hunting rifle. My current eh1 with mini chassis and UL cheek piece is pretty damn close to the bravo as far as ergos and is right at a half pound lighter.

Owning both I certainly would have no issue using a bravo and not looking back. Would have saved me 400 bucks.

 

[Formidilosus]

So you lump that around the mountains?

What are the benefits you see for the extra weight over Tikka stock or lighter carbon fiber stock?

PNW answered, but he does indeed carry that everywhere. A bunch of people use the Bravo for hunting, and most of the rifles with those I hunt with that recoil more than a 223 have the Bravo’s on them-





Benefits-

- Design: Vertical grip, adjustable buttpad negative drop at heel, parallel forend, near parallel underside of buttstock, adj cheek piece

- Stability with chassis, no need to bed. Bedding doesn’t break, crumble, or fail

- Plastic skins, I.E.- no exposed metal in the cold


In a rifle with more than about 10’ish ft-lbs of recoil (say 6.5CM), it makes the rifles significantly more shootable. They recoil less due to weight and track better in recoil due to design, the ergonomics are better than a full pistol grip for general field use, and they can be about a pound heavier than most aftermarket stocks. A T3 lite in the KRG with a 20oz scope ends up being around 9lbs, which for a longer range rifle is a good place to be.

 

[BjornF16]

@PNWGATOR @Formidilosus I don’t see a sling in the pics…and is that a 3-9 SWFA?

 

[Wright406]

+1 for the Bravo option. I have one on a trainer 223 and another on my 6CM fun gun. Was thinking about selling the one on the 6cm for an Xray if you want to save some money

 

[Formidilosus]

I don’t see a sling in the pics…and is that a 3-9 SWFA?

Don’t use slings on hunting rifles anymore generally. And yes, the SWFA 3-9x (or 6x MQ) is by far the most used optic for those I hunt and shoot with. 223’s usually have factory or lightweight stocks as the recoil level is such that things can be less than optimal and still allow for spotting impacts, but anything around 243’ish and above mostly uses the Bravo.

 

[HaydenLane]

+1 for the Bravo option. I have one on a trainer 223 and another on my 6CM fun gun. Was thinking about selling the one on the 6cm for an Xray if you want to save some money

PM sent

 

[Helislacker]

Form, what are your thoughts on shooting tripod use for backcountry hunting? Two vets has the Kit tripod, and with Arca a bino can be swapped for the rifle quite easily if the rifle has an arca rail. Is there a general reason other than weight why you choose to leave the bipod/shooting capable tripod at home?

 

[woods89]

Form, what are your thoughts on shooting tripod use for backcountry hunting? Two vets has the Kit tripod, and with Arca a bino can be swapped for the rifle quite easily if the rifle has an arca rail. Is there a general reason other than weight why you choose to leave the bipod/shooting capable tripod at home?

I'm interested as well. I went through a phase where I was really enthused with getting set up with arca rails on my rifles, but after examining my shot in the last few years I've about decided to just carry my Pint sized Git lite gamechanger and throw it over a lightweight optics tripod if I can't shoot over my pack. Very interested in other opinions, though.

 

[Helislacker]

I'm interested as well. I went through a phase where I was really enthused with getting set up with arca rails on my rifles, but after examining my shot in the last few years I've about decided to just carry my Pint sized Git lite gamechanger and throw it over a lightweight optics tripod if I can't shoot over my pack. Very interested in other opinions, though.

Likewise. The issue I’ve found is that adding Arca bottoms causes two main issues. First is weight, the second is adding a metal rail on top of plastic skins defeats the purpose of the skins in cold weather. You’re still grabbing cold metal. The MDT HNT 26 fixes this issue, but is also very expensive and has a pistol grip, which isn’t ideal for a non AR rifle. That said, I’ve used the HNT 26 in -29 hunting coyotes and because the rail and buttstock is all carbon, it’s really nice to use in the cold. You don’t end up actually holding or touching the metal chassis base at all really due to the balance point of the system. Unlike the XLR and other similar hunting chassis’ it is the only system that solves the Arca weight/cold issues but still has some drawbacks.

Also, there was an occasion this year where I had to drop my pack to make a ridge on time and catch a legal bull on the other side. Killed it at 400 with 3 mins of shooting light left off of a ckye pod after running a mile to get there. Wouldn’t have happened had I just been shooting off of a pack and without carrying a the ckye pod (which attaches to ARCA). Hiking poles may be a remedy for this situation though.

 

[Lawnboi]

I use a small piece of picatinny in place of arca on my hunting rifles for tripods. I could do either but the picatinny is less of a footprint on a hunting rifle.

I carry a tripod, and have only shot one animal off it. It’s a nice tool to have but not the only way. And I don’t care what people say, a tripod is not as stable as prone. Shooting off including setup is a skill. Something that requires a lot of practice to employ quickly. Something not many hunters are willing to do is burn a hundred rounds shooting off a tripod.

I often practice with a pint sized game changer on my tripod head to add a little challenge.

 

[Formidilosus]

Form, what are your thoughts on shooting tripod use for backcountry hunting? Two vets has the Kit tripod, and with Arca a bino can be swapped for the rifle quite easily if the rifle has an arca rail. Is there a general reason other than weight why you choose to leave the bipod/shooting capable tripod at home?

As a general thing I do not use tripods to shoot off of for hunting for several reasons.

1). They are slow to setup. Before people discount this- show me a video of consistently going from wearing your pack, with the tripod in the pack, and rifle in hand to setup and hitting a 2 moa target in less than 30 seconds on broken terrain.

3). With any gun that recoils, especially in broken terrain, the recoil characteristics changes so dramatically that spotting ones own splash/impacts becomes problematic.

4). Weight. So I’m going to add 3-6 lbs for a system that is slow, heavy, and hurts in spotting shots…. For what?

Crossed hiking sticks in front, pack stood up under the buttstock it is quite easy to hold 2 moa in the field in broken terrain consistently. AND, the rifle recoils straight back with no weirdness. AND, it’s very quick to setup.

 

[Jimbee]

As a general thing I do not use tripods to shoot off of for hunting for several reasons.

1). They are slow to setup. Before people discount this- show me a video of consistently going from wearing your pack, with the tripod in the pack, and rifle in hand to setup and hitting a 2 moa target in less than 30 seconds on broken terrain.

3). With any gun that recoils, especially in broken terrain, the recoil characteristics changes so dramatically that spotting ones own splash/impacts becomes problematic.

4). Weight. So I’m going to add 3-6 lbs for a system that is slow, heavy, and hurts in spotting shots…. For what?

Crossed hiking sticks in front, pack stood up under the buttstock it is quite easy to hold 2 moa in the field in broken terrain consistently. AND, the rifle recoils straight back with no weirdness. AND, it’s very quick to setup.

Do you use the hand loops on hiking sticks to hold them together, or...?

 

[HaydenLane]

Do you use the hand loops on hiking sticks to hold them together, or...?

I’ve done exactly that, It works very well and adjusting height is almost instant. Crossed poles with the loops crossing over the handles makes a nice little sling.

But I still have a bipod on every gun.

 

[Formidilosus]

Do you use the hand loops on hiking sticks to hold them together, or...?

Correct.

Positions such as below are very stable, take about 10-15 seconds to establish when practiced, the rifle can cant, swivel, and angle as needed; and it allows the rifle to recoil smoothly straight back.