Thread: Chassis for hunting, why are they not more common in nz?

I like my dpt hunter and excel lite chassis but they need to be light to be interesting to me so that’s as far as iv got in to chassis

They are great for weird angles to get a shot away with the vertical grip which works well on my howa mini

I still prefer a normal stock for snap shooting but that’s only due to muscle memory from duck shooting

Chassis are cool but they are near the cost of the rifle Again in most situations, so you really have to want them


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i can see the benefit of a chassis for varminting or static goat smashing. otherwise it seems like more money for less ergonomics

I was thinking of getting a Boyd's stock bedded to my t3 action, ended up with the chassis instead.... No need to worry about bedding issues now

Originally Posted by Sasquatch

I hunted with a T3 MDT LSS combo and liked it. Got it sitting in around 4kg loaded with optic & suppressor. Nothing has even come close to hunting with a lightweight AR though...

It basically boils down to two avenues: Advancements in firearms technology and people who enjoy modern ergo's. And nostalgic firearms. People like to associate with one or the other, or both.

This... We don't like to stick out, even in the bush.

I find pistol grips give better control on most rifles. Many of the sporter stocks practically have pistol grips anyway some more than others just not detached.
Hunted in the scrub heaps with an AR, short compact and better ergonomics than a lever or large bolt action. The rubber rail covers I installed provide a warm grip. I have a Howa Mini with a chassis but haven't hunted with it yet. Saying that it is a metal MDT chassis where a synthetic one would be lighter. My 10/22 has a PMACA chassis and I hunt with that but admittedly not bush.
If the pistol grip digs into your back, attach the sling swivel to the side, simple.

I think I'm gonna go for the MDT HNT26 chassis for my next hunting rig, light enough to make up for the thermal weight

Originally Posted by Hurricane

Hunting styles in US and NZ are generally very different in US most deer are shot from hides or seats ((I lived and hunted there for 3 years) with little foot hunting. Alpine hunting is the exception to this, but far less common.

NZ hunters typically cover more ground and operate in thick cover or on very harsh and steep open tops. Chassis type rifles are just too heavy and catch too much scrub for these types of hunting.

Like above, having lived and hunted in the US it's much different than NZ conditions. Lots of treestand/blind hunting and short walks or quad bikes to the location without much walking. Lots of hunters also envision themselves needing to shoot an animal 1000m away on the next ridge so justify the heavy rifle (again after getting there by quad bike). Alpine hunting is pretty specialized (and expensive with tags and guides) and that attracts hunters more likely to take a lighter/simpler rifle favored by a lot of NZ hunters.

I used chassis rifles in long range comps in the states and even carried them once or twice just because. But, the novelty quickly wears off for reasons already stated: Heavy, overly complicated, snags on bush, freezing cold to hold in hand, etc.

ive got a t3 in a mdt lss chassis and its done some miles, a little awkward to sling with the short forend but you can't shoot anything with it on your shoulder anyway. Find it very easy to shoot and far better than a traditional shaped stock imo. Cold in the hand, can be noisy if you aren't careful but I don't think I'd ever sell it. I don't mind bashing it around as much as the new prc

I think for long range the chassis rifles are awesome, yes heavy and clumsy when being carried, not to bad to carry when thrown in elberstock gun slinger.
Not everyone's cup of tea but personally I've always shot better with them, such a stable platform compared to a normal stock particularly with bigger guns like this 375 and 416.

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I like them for the little bit of added weight and extra rigidity over the plastic stocks. They end up really well planted and let you get away with more when it comes to hold and trigger control. They rarely need any kind of bedding doing to them.

I broke a wrist playing football in my youth. It didn't heal 100% and I've always found pistol grips much more natural to hold whereas a swept grip will cause some aching after an hour or two.



Rifle pictured here was in an MDT HS3 but I'm not a particular fan of the tactical looks and it's gone into a DPT Hunter. Long heavy barrel and short light chassis isn't exactly well balanced. But it works. Even shot it in a competition recently and did quite well.



Most of my rifles have a short bit of pic rail under the forend for bipods. It's a far better mechanical method of attaching things. My 223 also lives in a chassis. An MDT LSS-XL. The ergonomics on this are the nicest on anything I own. And for spotlighting having the torch under the forend elimates glare off of the barrel, suppressor. It sure isn't light. But I've carried both of these rifles a long way.



I don't find the carrying them in the cold to be much of an issue. Hold onto the same bit and it warms up. If it's really that cold, wear gloves.