For years my favorite heavy rifle stock was the Manners T5-A. This summer I finally gave a chassis a try, a MPA Comp. The new vertical grip was what finally convinced me to give it a whirl. Turns out my suspicion was right, that grip puts my hand in a better position more often than the T5-A grip did. I consider it pretty much perfect for me. I also love the versatility and modularity. My setup has changed somewhat since the image above was taken in July. Now I run an Arca Swiss style clamp on my bipod to be able to quickly position it anywhere on the forend and to eliminate rail sections that can get hung up, and a spigot mount can increase the stability or let me attach my Magnetospeed bayonet without affecting barrel behavior.
My number one complaint vs the Manners has been the lack of an offsetable cheekpiece, but Friday's mail should take care of that.
I avoid rifles that kick at all, by conventional standards. My hunting rifle is the big recoiler, a 9.5lb 6.5x47L. My comp rifles are 15lb 6 Dasher's with muzzle brakes, so they don't move too much when you set them off - grin.
For my hunting rifle so far I've stuck with my Manners (an EH1), primarily due to weight and feel in the cold. It's at least a pound lighter than even the "Lite" MPA, and I'm not sure I'm ready to hold onto aluminium for days in the fall! Also, many of the features that I appreciate in competition just aren't that useful in a hunting rifle. Could still switch someday, or could sell it and go with a much cheaper T3x with a vertical grip and call it good...