SMK's are more favorable on paper,than they are Critters. The bullet ain't the weakest link in the chain.
Glass,mounts,barrel and stock are...though in no particular order...............
So you're actually talking bow not arrow, I figured. So I'll ask my questions in your order.
Glass, I didn't particularly care for but I didn't hate either. Had a wide plex reticle which was the biggest downfall to me. I would have preferred MOA/MOA or MIL/MIL reticle and adjustments but that's why it went down the road. It did track well and always returned to zero at the yardages I played at. So what's your biggest problem with the Vortex? I'll be trying your super chicken next rifle but I'm more interested in the 3-9 and 3-15 scopes.
Mounts were EGW rail and Warne rings, I know you like Warne so what's wrong with EGW?
McGowen barrel, they had it in stock just had to wait two weeks for them to contour. They throated it for the DTAC bullets just like I asked at 2.80 COAL and it fed great from the magazine even with Berger 115 grain bullets. What's your beef with McGowen and how many have you tried?
Stock was HS Precision PST114 that I picked up used, other than being heavy it was well made and ergos were good from bench and bi-pod for me. So what's the weak link in the stock design that you see?
Keep in mind I never was trying to keep this rifle a light weight, I just used it to bang steel mostly out to 600 yards. I did take it to a prairie dog town for one trip where I shot a coyote and half a dozen pasture poodles with it. Coyote was just north of 650 yards.
