Which one and why? Ive always been fond of the traditional stock but I find myself liking and wanting a chassis system more and more lately. So lets hear some thoughts.
- Thread starter RCS1278
- Start date
Here is my take, I am sure I missed a few pros and cons for both, but should sum it up.
Chassis pros
- drop in fit
- generally don't require bedding
- don't require bottom metal
- solid platform
- generally less cost over fiberglass (bottom metal, inletting, bedding)
- many designs to choose from
Chassis cons
- heavier than fiberglass
- cold in cold weather, hot in hot weather
- not as "traditional" of a feel
- not as snag free as a solid fiberglass stock
fiberglass pros
- light weight
- solid platform
- not as temp sensitive to the shooter as aluminum
- can be modified for different action/bottom metal at a later date
- often offer better texture in the grip and forend area
- great for positional shooting
fiberglass cons
- requires smith fit (inletting, bedding, etc)
- requires bottom metal
- generally costs more than chassis
- more potential for manufacturing errors
With the above list of pros and cons for each as I see it, when choosing a chassis I always opt for a folder. I feel its one of the biggest benefit to a chassis, you gain weigh but have a more compact rifle for packing. I go between fiberglass an chassis systems and own and use them both, I like the traditional feel of fiberglass as well as the more basic design, especially for positional shooting, but the chassis is a very stable platform and offers a lot of bolt on adaptability (rails, etc) that most fiberglass stocks do not.
Chassis pros
- drop in fit
- generally don't require bedding
- don't require bottom metal
- solid platform
- generally less cost over fiberglass (bottom metal, inletting, bedding)
- many designs to choose from
Chassis cons
- heavier than fiberglass
- cold in cold weather, hot in hot weather
- not as "traditional" of a feel
- not as snag free as a solid fiberglass stock
fiberglass pros
- light weight
- solid platform
- not as temp sensitive to the shooter as aluminum
- can be modified for different action/bottom metal at a later date
- often offer better texture in the grip and forend area
- great for positional shooting
fiberglass cons
- requires smith fit (inletting, bedding, etc)
- requires bottom metal
- generally costs more than chassis
- more potential for manufacturing errors
With the above list of pros and cons for each as I see it, when choosing a chassis I always opt for a folder. I feel its one of the biggest benefit to a chassis, you gain weigh but have a more compact rifle for packing. I go between fiberglass an chassis systems and own and use them both, I like the traditional feel of fiberglass as well as the more basic design, especially for positional shooting, but the chassis is a very stable platform and offers a lot of bolt on adaptability (rails, etc) that most fiberglass stocks do not.
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one thing is if you get to shoot one of the chassis that you are looking at then compare the feeling to a traditional. Like I shot an ashbury forrst mod 1 chassis on one of their rifles and it was amazing! It was like a glove it fit so well and it was so comfortable too but the only downside is they don't like wallets (their $2,550 for the chassis alone)
When I switched to an AICS from an A5, my rifle felt a lot more solid. But it might just be me hahaha
When I set out to design my chassis I tried to address all the short comings of the chassis systems.
The things I focused on the most were:
Lightweight (3lbs) I refuse to carry any extra bullshit that is not needed. Your scope is the weakest link on your rifle so why do you need a bomb proof 7 lb chassis? I designed my chassis to be stronger than wood and composite and also since its modular parts can be replaced easily.
Modular... so buttstock and handguard can be used on multiple rifles and can be changed quickly. I have a 243 and a 7mm Dakota; one buttstock, and one atlas tripod/handguard that its attached to. In a couple minutes I can switch these components to the other rifle. Saves money.
Snag free design so it goes in and out of a pack easily.
Scope mounted as close to barrel as possible to reduce overall height and weight of the rifle.
Breaks down to reduce overall length of rifle.
Wanted to easily mount the rifle to a monfrotto tripod while hunting since a lot of the times its difficult to get a prone shot while out in the field.
The ability to use an AR-15 buttstock. Haven't found one on the market that is worth putting on a precision rifle though compared to what I designed.
If I can help you out let me know. For a Rem 700 short action its $1100 and that comes with a magazine and everything that you need to attach the buttstock to the side of the rifle.
The things I focused on the most were:
Lightweight (3lbs) I refuse to carry any extra bullshit that is not needed. Your scope is the weakest link on your rifle so why do you need a bomb proof 7 lb chassis? I designed my chassis to be stronger than wood and composite and also since its modular parts can be replaced easily.
Modular... so buttstock and handguard can be used on multiple rifles and can be changed quickly. I have a 243 and a 7mm Dakota; one buttstock, and one atlas tripod/handguard that its attached to. In a couple minutes I can switch these components to the other rifle. Saves money.
Snag free design so it goes in and out of a pack easily.
Scope mounted as close to barrel as possible to reduce overall height and weight of the rifle.
Breaks down to reduce overall length of rifle.
Wanted to easily mount the rifle to a monfrotto tripod while hunting since a lot of the times its difficult to get a prone shot while out in the field.
The ability to use an AR-15 buttstock. Haven't found one on the market that is worth putting on a precision rifle though compared to what I designed.
If I can help you out let me know. For a Rem 700 short action its $1100 and that comes with a magazine and everything that you need to attach the buttstock to the side of the rifle.
I like the chassis but only thing I want on it is a adjustable grip and a monopod and this baby would be on my rifle
hey also do you vent the forend to make it vent better or do you keep it like that? it also would take a little weight off but not much
The biggest selling point of a chassis for me was buying off the shelf. Every stock maker had a huge lead time, while there were more than a few chassis ready to ship.
Thanks for the feedback. You can put any AR-15 grip that you like on this chassis. As far as a monopod goes I designed the buttstock to have enough room if you wanted to use one? I have shot from a monopod and didn't like it. I prefer a ramped buttstock and a rear bag since I've always been able to get on target faster, make fine adjustments easier, and I feel the rear bag is more stable. I would be curious to hear from others though? Any fans out there for a monopod?
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