Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Hunting with a chassis rifle?

Anybody use a chassis mounted rifle to hunt with? Never messed with one, but seems if you could make one reasonably light it might be a nice, compact, platform for hunting.


Thinking a chassis mounted 700 action utilizing a barrel nut might be fun.

I've coyote hunted with a chassis rifle and killed an elk last year with same, and a deer before that. It ain't exactly 'reasonably light', tho. It's more fun to run suppressed....

I have had some in the past. If your a fan of the ergonomics on a AR15 then it’s probably something you might like. I prefer the traditional stocked rifles though. So I got rid of most of mine.

You’re post is what got me thinking about it, Jbuck.

I do like AR ergos, but seems it ain’t easy to make a lightweight on a chassis. Was thinking an all up 6.5-7 pounder would be fun, and with a switch barrel/Remage type set up, you could gun whatever you wanted in a chunk profile and bipod as long as it fit the action length and bolt face.

Christensen makes a pretty light one.

https://christensenarms.com/modern-precision-rifle/

Ruger RPR is a little heavy but a friend hauls one.

In that case the CA Is suppose to sell the chassis that comes with the MPR separate later. That would probably be one id try if I was looking for light hunting. I’ve had a couple AI’s and some aluminum frames that took AR grips and stocks. I also want to try set up a MDT LSS for my kids to shoot as well.

What advantage do those stocks offer over a traditional style stock?

Ergo's and adjustability.
Anything that ugly has to have a darn b old reason to exist.



Mooner,

The first time I saw one I was like you.
Then I saw the weight. No way.
I have your Uncle Ed's Sako heavy barrel 22-250, and a heavier Savage.
Ain't no way I's a wantin' to tote that real far.

I had a MAK tubegun when they first came out.

Advantage
- straightline recoil of the MAK setup did help keeping on target.

Disadvantage
- aluminium is never lighter than a good composite stock.
- angular design is common and is painful when carried slung.
- aluminium is REALLY cold when the temperatures are cold.
- aluminium with the M16 type grip is NOT ergonomic with a bolt action. Your master hand has to move further to operate the action and is poorly positioned to make the move - it takes longer to cycle the action than with a normal stock designed for a bolt action.

The closest I go these days is a AICS for a dedicated long range rifle.

I picked up a decent youth setup from a forum member a few weeks back. MDT LSS, SA 700, with a 17" sporter contour barrel in 6x45. After sighting it in I can say I MUCH prefer a regular stocked rifle...which I knew already.... The big pro with this is the ability to change LOP so easily between 3 kids that are spread across the board on size. I haven't had time to let them shoot yet but they've practiced lining up and dry firing from a rest and seem to like it.

No.

Just...No.

I think they are heavy and uncomfortable to carry in your hands or over you shoulder,so I have no interest in hunting with anything that ugly.

The Fix rifle by Q is another pretty light chassis rifle if you can wait for one.

Lol. True enough, they are pretty ugly.

I might look for a LSS to see what is what. Not real interested in dropping 3 grand on a bolt action AR though!

I think an AI AW counts as a chassis rifle and I used one of mine on a hunting trip a few years ago because it was the best option at the time. It's definitely not a light set up but I managed to get a nice mule deer using Federal's Trophy Copper 150gr load (.308 Win) and the bullet did its job at 345 yards since he only went about 10 feet before dropping dead. I remember having to crawl through snow to get in position and I had an awkward shooting position facing downhill. It was bloody cold at the top of the coulee, and a lot colder at the bottom.

You are not going to get a chassis gun to that weight. The lightest you will get with a scope is going to 8 pounds, and more like 8.5lbs. Only the Q Fix will meet that weight. The CA MPR is 9+ pounds ounce scoped.

But to answer the OP’s question- yes, I’ve hunted with chassis rifles a lot. As a general hunting rifle, the Q Fix is probably the best of the lot, with the CA MOR next if you get one that shoots.

I'll have to double check, but I believe the one I picked up is ~7lbs scoped (sans loaded mag). MDT LSS, SA 700, 17" sporter contour barrel, DNZ Huntmaster mounts, 4x Conquest.....not a "normal" chassis setup. I'll check weights tonight to verify.

I've hunted with a couple chassis based rifles. One, 223AI in an XLR chassis. Great gun in the PD towns of SD. The other was a 65.CM in a MDT LSS - not great on stand or ina blind on a cold November morning deer hunting. Cold metal does not make for warm hands - gloved or not. As a side, if outfitted with a collapsable stock on an AR buffer tube, the tube too gets cold and transmits that cold thru to the cheek. JMHO. YMMV.

I'm off on the weights. It's ~7lbs 14oz scoped.....so pretty close to Form's listed light weight. Changing to a mt contour barrel rather than sporter could lighten it a little and scopes a few oz's lighter than the Conquest are out there but I'd guess at most it would get you to 7.25-7.5 lbs.