Stock vs Chassis for Field Shooting

[D R T]

Great thread with super info. Found this looking around, but I’m sure you’ve all seen it. I’m relatively new here and still stumbling through A LOT of information.

https://mdttac.com/mdt-field-stock-chassis-system/

“Comfortable to carry long distances in the woods with a traditional stock design. The lightweight polymer is warm to the touch on cold days.” Their words, not mine.

Negative comb. I like the rounded edges and corners. Nice looking grip. Little heavy but not unpackable. Tikka ready!

 

[bojangles808]

Great thread with super info. Found this looking around, but I’m sure you’ve all seen it. I’m relatively new here and still stumbling through A LOT of information.

https://mdttac.com/mdt-field-stock-chassis-system/

“Comfortable to carry long distances in the woods with a traditional stock design. The lightweight polymer is warm to the touch on cold days.” Their words, not mine.

Negative comb. I like the rounded edges and corners. Nice looking grip. Little heavy but not unpackable. Tikka ready!

Reports are the forends are flimsy. They don't aluminum backing them for rigidity like the krg bravo does

 

[Formidilosus]

Great thread with super info. Found this looking around, but I’m sure you’ve all seen it. I’m relatively new here and still stumbling through A LOT of information.

https://mdttac.com/mdt-field-stock-chassis-system/

“Comfortable to carry long distances in the woods with a traditional stock design. The lightweight polymer is warm to the touch on cold days.” Their words, not mine.

Negative comb. I like the rounded edges and corners. Nice looking grip. Little heavy but not unpackable. Tikka ready!

They are a poor stock. Forend is a noodle, grip is contoured poorly, comb is thin and sharp, toe is thin and hard to hold onto- overall probably the poorest shooting “modern stock” on the market.

 

[Article 4]

We just spent a week with 10x Roksliders shooting in the mountains, despite what was initially though and brought, I do not believe any of them want metal chassis, 5lb shooting tripods, rails all over the forend, etc. after doing it for a week.

This is field shooting that I am speaking about and are all shots we’ve had to take in the last couple years of hunting-

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And using it on animals.

Just killed an elk, no time to use a tripod-
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Just killed an elk. No time for a tripod, and snow is too deep for a bipod unless you had a triple pull-
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Just killed a bear, standing off the top of a hiking stick, couldn’t go lower than standing, and no time for a tripod-
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Just killed an elk, bipod sucked on this frozen ground- didn’t want to load due to slipping-
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I am aware that some people purposely set up where their only shot will be prone off a bipod, or sitting off a tripod, etc., and they set up their rifles/equipment specifically for that. Thats fine. However that is hardly normal for most hunters, nor is it the most effective way to setup rifles for killing animals at will under any condition. Just as with PRS setups it is contrived, not born out of necessity due to field conditions.

To me, aligned with much of this, I think both platforms have their place. I currently use a few rifles with chassis and a few with high quality carbon stocks. My preference and opinion:

Chassis belongs in comps
Carbon stocks are made to hunt - the two hybrid features that I like from the chassis world are an adjustable cheek piece and a mini chassis in a carbon based stock.

Something to consider. Every metal based chassis is going to get really cold in November and December hunting. Not that is always a bad thing but damn, grabbing a rifle that is sitting in 0 degree temps for any length of time sucks. Much less putting my cheek on it.

 

[JohnJohnson]

I think my updated plan for when I rebuild a hunting rifle again will be a Manners LRH stock and a full length R-Lock rail on it from Sawtooth. I love that Foundation and Manners use KMW Loggerhead hardware for their cheekpieces.

 

[Ferrulewax]

I've been going back and forth between soley using a rokstock or adding a rifle in an XLR I haven't built out yet (may sell it), bumping this again for some more opinions.

 

[Cactus kid]

I read through this very informative good thread and felt i had to chime in my experience with the XLR chassis.

I dont hunt or shoot near as much as @Formidilosus , but i get a few days in the field and pop a few primers getting ready.

The metal chassis in the cold has not been as big of an issue as i thought it would be. The coldest hunt I have taken it on reached a low of -5 at night, with temps in the low 20's. Gloves kept the chill off when handling the rifle. That said, the rifle spends most its life strapped to the side of the pack. I also don't hunt much in truly cold weather. I don't make a habit carrying a rifle in my hands and i don't take off hand shots. I do practice engaging the rifle from the pack.

One selling point for a metal chassis is how stiff the system is. I was dissapointed in the forend flex i found in other conventional stocks, even high quality stocks like mcmillan.

Compared to the conventional stocks I have used, the XLR chassis has much better ergonomics than anything I have used prior.

A folding stock is a huge luxury. Highly reccomend.

The rifle system has not lost zero and has passed every drop test I have performed. Very confidence inspiring to see the first bullet pass through the bullseye after traveling halfway around the world.

As others have said, no stock or chassis is perfect. This works for me and i dont see me changing anytime soon. I have killed game with much worse.

 

[Ferrulewax]

I read through this very informative good thread and felt i had to chime in my experience with the XLR chassis.

I dont hunt or shoot near as much as @Formidilosus , but i get a few days in the field and pop a few primers getting ready.

The metal chassis in the cold has not been as big of an issue as i thought it would be. The coldest hunt I have taken it on reached a low of -5 at night, with temps in the low 20's. Gloves kept the chill off when handling the rifle. That said, the rifle spends most its life strapped to the side of the pack. I also don't hunt much in truly cold weather. I don't make a habit carrying a rifle in my hands and i don't take off hand shots. I do practice engaging the rifle from the pack.

One selling point for a metal chassis is how stiff the system is. I was dissapointed in the forend flex i found in other conventional stocks, even high quality stocks like mcmillan.

Compared to the conventional stocks I have used, the XLR chassis has much better ergonomics than anything I have used prior.

A folding stock is a huge luxury. Highly reccomend.

The rifle system has not lost zero and has passed every drop test I have performed. Very confidence inspiring to see the first bullet pass through the bullseye after traveling halfway around the world.

As others have said, no stock or chassis is perfect. This works for me and i dont see me changing anytime soon. I have killed game with much worse.

are you using a 700 style action or something else? My XLR is for a SA 700 but i've been considering going tikka instead- but the tikka seems much less seamless (heavier, magazine compatibility)

 

[Cactus kid]

are you using a 700 style action or something else? My XLR is for a SA 700 but i've been considering going tikka instead- but the tikka seems much less seamless (heavier, magazine compatibility)

Im using a tikka. I ordered the LA version and have no complaints so far.

MDT 3.56" magazine works great.

 

[Article 4]

Great thread with super info. Found this looking around, but I’m sure you’ve all seen it. I’m relatively new here and still stumbling through A LOT of information.

https://mdttac.com/mdt-field-stock-chassis-system/

“Comfortable to carry long distances in the woods with a traditional stock design. The lightweight polymer is warm to the touch on cold days.” Their words, not mine.

Negative comb. I like the rounded edges and corners. Nice looking grip. Little heavy but not unpackable. Tikka ready!

So I built myself with one in 25 CM - did a Bart 7.25 twist heavy contour steel barrel with this one, the goal is to make it strictly a target/practice rifle. I had an old Howa action hanging around living as a 22-250 ai that I decided to upgrade.
Howa Action - Trued
MDT XRS - which is kinda hybrid between field and full chassis system
Bart 26" Heavy Palma
Timney Trigger
Kahles K624i scope
Atlas Bipod
Punched with a 291 reamer with 117 freebore to optimize the 135 hybrid

Went through a full ladder test and the steps in load development and arrived at

42.4 grains of H4350
BR4 primers
Alpha brass
.024 jump

<.24 groupings with this load and 2.6 SD. Yup, best SD I have ever had with any rifle

 

[ID_Matt]

So I built myself with one in 25 CM - did a Bart 7.25 twist heavy contour steel barrel with this one, the goal is to make it strictly a target/practice rifle. I had an old Howa action hanging around living as a 22-250 ai that I decided to upgrade.
Howa Action - Trued
MDT Field Chassis System
Bart 26" Heavy Palma
Timney Trigger
Kahles K624i scope
Atlas Bipod
Punched with a 291 reamer with 117 freebore to optimize the 135 hybrid

Went through a full ladder test and the steps in load development and arrived at

42.4 grains of H4350
BR4 primers
Alpha brass
.024 jump

<.24 groupings with this load and 2.6 SD. Yup, best SD I have ever had with any rifle

That’s not the field chassis…

 

[wind gypsy]

<.24 groupings with this load and 2.6 SD. Yup, best SD I have ever had with any rifle

That's a 3 shot SD?

 

[Article 4]

That’s not the field chassis…

Ok so?

 

[Article 4]

That’s not the field chassis…

Ok so

 

[Article 4]

That's a 3 shot SD?

Yup

 

[wind gypsy]

Ok so?

You quoted a post that was about the MDT field stock and said you did a build with one, but shared a picture of an XRS. So, someone clarified that what you put in your post that seemed to be largely about the MDT field stock was not actually a MDT field stock.

 

[MT_Wyatt]

Outing today with the XLR made me think of this thread. Rolled my pack over to put a layer away and........grip, trigger, folder all packed with snow. Using the SG action cover, most of the snow stayed out of the trigger. Seems like the folder works just fine wiping it away, but if it went to ice, that could be an issue.

Snow really just messes stuff up quick. Done this to a rifle in a stock before as well of course, but the grip and folder really caught my attention, this was a first.