What does one do with a bunch of spare parts cluttering their bench? What does one build with said parts? You build something different than what you already have.
My mission
This year I set out to build a long range moose rig, chambered in .300WSM for some extreme knocking power in a relatively small package. At the same time, I wanted to explore this “Fiberglass Stock” thingy all you GunNutz have been raving about. Being a chassis type of shooter, I’ve never really looked at the fiberglass type stocks due to the pros of going straight to a chassis.
For a new shooter, this is probably going to be the most daunting decision along side your action choice. “What should I get? A chassis or a stock?”, I’m here to give my opinion on the age old question.
Straight off guys, I'm not comparing accuracy on the two, as the rifles are completely different. We’re dealing with different calibers, actions, triggers, you name it. Nevertheless, these rifles are both ragged hole punchers, easily capable of 0.25-0.5 MOA on a great day. Most of the time, yours truly maintains between 0.5-0.75 MOA in a typical field shooting scenario. I'm also not comparing prices as prices vary with features, manufacturers, colors, you name it.
And before I create a chassis vs stock fanboy argument here, think of the children. Both systems are awesome. I'm not bashing either the chassis or stock systems. I'd like new shooters to keep an "open mind" between the both.
You'll kick yourself if you don't
If I can offer one tid bit of advice before I get started, get the folder. Just don't ask, listen and get the folder. Fitting your rifle in a bag or case with the buttstock folded will save you space and money due to smaller cases/bags having smaller price tags.
Rifle specs (Nobody has time for that
)
If anyone has specific questions on the rifles/parts, I'll do my best to answer them in the comments. In short, the Savage is chambered in .260 Remington (By Casey Brouwer from Tactical Ordnance) and wearing an XLR Element Chassis and the Tikka is chambered in .300WSM (By Steve Emblin from EM Precision Rifles) and sporting a McMillan A3-5 Fiberglass Stock.
Your Budget
The first thing I would consider telling a new shooter building a rifle is “What's your budget”. If you have to think hard on this question, keep what you have and spend the money on ammunition. Learning how to shoot before dropping a wad of cash on something that might not “Fix your flyer”, might be more beneficial.
Now, if you have already told yourself, or your wife, that money is no option; then you have truly opened up the floodgates to more internet searching than you bargained for. Your options are endless…. Seriously. The amount of chassis/stock options available in 2017 is ridiculous. Your configurations, chassis/stock styles, and color possibilities are endless.
Do it yourself option
Now if the word “gunsmith” turns you off, buy the chassis. Period. The way manufacturers build these chassis now offer the shooter a “do it at home” installation. Drop your barreled action into the chassis. Torque everything down to the specified weight. Start the car and go shoot. That's pretty much it. If you don't want to send your rifle away, get the chassis.
The barrel contour roadblock
Now if you don't mind the waiting game, consider a fiberglass stock. These have to be ordered because of a few things. The main reasons are barrel contour and Bottom Metal. Almost all chassis will accept a straight taper in the barrel contour department while fiberglass stocks need to be ordered specifically for the barrel contour.
Magazine Systems
Bottom metal is a big factor. Chassis’s all come with an integral magazine system, usually making use of the AICS magazine platform. Fiberglass stocks, on the other hand, give you the choice on what to run. Bottom metal needs to be purchased separately, then fitted to the stock. Now fitting bottom metal to a stock, if done properly, can be done at home, but you should get a gunsmith to complete this task. We’ve all seen some nightmare fitting jobs out there on the internet by hotheads with their Dremel's.
Now, from what the smiths told me, fiberglass stocks “should” be bedded, while chassis’s don't. If you want to go the extra mile and glass bed a chassis, then, by all means, go for it. Again, this can be done at home but is always nicer when professionally done.
Now that we got the fitting/installation procedures down, we should explore what type of shooter each option is designed for.
Shooting Applications
If you want a good, field shooting rifle (Standing, Kneeling, and Prone) I suggest leaning towards the fiberglass stock. In my experience, they’re more comfortable to shoot in. Now I know everyone will argue this one but it's clearly opinion based. That's what I think, others might prefer the chassis.
In a hunting application, touching fiberglass vs aluminum is much more pleasant. We live in Canada, or I think we all do. Our hunting seasons get cold moving into November. A chassis in 0 Celcius is not nice on the hands or even some lighter mittens. With moisture, you also don't need to worry about ice building up on your rifle as much as aluminum.
Weight vs features
If you want a rock solid boat anchor that can house longer sections of picatinny rail than your driveway, then go for the chassis. Since shooting with a fiberglass stock, I find going back to a chassis very bulky and heavy. The adjustability is great and all, but one can get all those features in a fiberglass stock now.
Being heavy is also not a bad thing, if your objective is just to shoot groups from a fixed firing line, the chassis might be up your alley. A heavier rifle is usually a more accurate rifle, and a heavier rifle is usually a more stable rifle. If you’re into PRS, the heavier chassis might provide a more stable shooting platform for newer shooters, especially when dealing with barricades.
I almost forgot the most important thing. Chassis look more tacticool than fiberglass stocks. (which is the obvious decision maker nowadays).
At the end of the day guys, you're comparing apples to oranges. Find whats best for you and stick with it. Either option will do the trick.
I hope this little guide can help someone out with this decision. I know when I pulled the trigger on a chassis, I never thought of a fiberglass stock as another option. I find that the industry is so cluttered with chassis’s that people don't always see the benefits to the other side. I have both, so I don't really need to choose one over the other now.
I'd also like to know what everyone else is running? Stock or chassis? What are your preferences?
Cheers, Matt
My mission
This year I set out to build a long range moose rig, chambered in .300WSM for some extreme knocking power in a relatively small package. At the same time, I wanted to explore this “Fiberglass Stock” thingy all you GunNutz have been raving about. Being a chassis type of shooter, I’ve never really looked at the fiberglass type stocks due to the pros of going straight to a chassis.
For a new shooter, this is probably going to be the most daunting decision along side your action choice. “What should I get? A chassis or a stock?”, I’m here to give my opinion on the age old question.
Straight off guys, I'm not comparing accuracy on the two, as the rifles are completely different. We’re dealing with different calibers, actions, triggers, you name it. Nevertheless, these rifles are both ragged hole punchers, easily capable of 0.25-0.5 MOA on a great day. Most of the time, yours truly maintains between 0.5-0.75 MOA in a typical field shooting scenario. I'm also not comparing prices as prices vary with features, manufacturers, colors, you name it.
And before I create a chassis vs stock fanboy argument here, think of the children. Both systems are awesome. I'm not bashing either the chassis or stock systems. I'd like new shooters to keep an "open mind" between the both.
You'll kick yourself if you don't
If I can offer one tid bit of advice before I get started, get the folder. Just don't ask, listen and get the folder. Fitting your rifle in a bag or case with the buttstock folded will save you space and money due to smaller cases/bags having smaller price tags.

Rifle specs (Nobody has time for that
If anyone has specific questions on the rifles/parts, I'll do my best to answer them in the comments. In short, the Savage is chambered in .260 Remington (By Casey Brouwer from Tactical Ordnance) and wearing an XLR Element Chassis and the Tikka is chambered in .300WSM (By Steve Emblin from EM Precision Rifles) and sporting a McMillan A3-5 Fiberglass Stock.


Your Budget
The first thing I would consider telling a new shooter building a rifle is “What's your budget”. If you have to think hard on this question, keep what you have and spend the money on ammunition. Learning how to shoot before dropping a wad of cash on something that might not “Fix your flyer”, might be more beneficial.
Now, if you have already told yourself, or your wife, that money is no option; then you have truly opened up the floodgates to more internet searching than you bargained for. Your options are endless…. Seriously. The amount of chassis/stock options available in 2017 is ridiculous. Your configurations, chassis/stock styles, and color possibilities are endless.
Do it yourself option
Now if the word “gunsmith” turns you off, buy the chassis. Period. The way manufacturers build these chassis now offer the shooter a “do it at home” installation. Drop your barreled action into the chassis. Torque everything down to the specified weight. Start the car and go shoot. That's pretty much it. If you don't want to send your rifle away, get the chassis.
The barrel contour roadblock
Now if you don't mind the waiting game, consider a fiberglass stock. These have to be ordered because of a few things. The main reasons are barrel contour and Bottom Metal. Almost all chassis will accept a straight taper in the barrel contour department while fiberglass stocks need to be ordered specifically for the barrel contour.


Magazine Systems
Bottom metal is a big factor. Chassis’s all come with an integral magazine system, usually making use of the AICS magazine platform. Fiberglass stocks, on the other hand, give you the choice on what to run. Bottom metal needs to be purchased separately, then fitted to the stock. Now fitting bottom metal to a stock, if done properly, can be done at home, but you should get a gunsmith to complete this task. We’ve all seen some nightmare fitting jobs out there on the internet by hotheads with their Dremel's.


Now, from what the smiths told me, fiberglass stocks “should” be bedded, while chassis’s don't. If you want to go the extra mile and glass bed a chassis, then, by all means, go for it. Again, this can be done at home but is always nicer when professionally done.
Now that we got the fitting/installation procedures down, we should explore what type of shooter each option is designed for.
Shooting Applications
If you want a good, field shooting rifle (Standing, Kneeling, and Prone) I suggest leaning towards the fiberglass stock. In my experience, they’re more comfortable to shoot in. Now I know everyone will argue this one but it's clearly opinion based. That's what I think, others might prefer the chassis.
In a hunting application, touching fiberglass vs aluminum is much more pleasant. We live in Canada, or I think we all do. Our hunting seasons get cold moving into November. A chassis in 0 Celcius is not nice on the hands or even some lighter mittens. With moisture, you also don't need to worry about ice building up on your rifle as much as aluminum.
Weight vs features
If you want a rock solid boat anchor that can house longer sections of picatinny rail than your driveway, then go for the chassis. Since shooting with a fiberglass stock, I find going back to a chassis very bulky and heavy. The adjustability is great and all, but one can get all those features in a fiberglass stock now.
Being heavy is also not a bad thing, if your objective is just to shoot groups from a fixed firing line, the chassis might be up your alley. A heavier rifle is usually a more accurate rifle, and a heavier rifle is usually a more stable rifle. If you’re into PRS, the heavier chassis might provide a more stable shooting platform for newer shooters, especially when dealing with barricades.


I almost forgot the most important thing. Chassis look more tacticool than fiberglass stocks. (which is the obvious decision maker nowadays).
At the end of the day guys, you're comparing apples to oranges. Find whats best for you and stick with it. Either option will do the trick.
I hope this little guide can help someone out with this decision. I know when I pulled the trigger on a chassis, I never thought of a fiberglass stock as another option. I find that the industry is so cluttered with chassis’s that people don't always see the benefits to the other side. I have both, so I don't really need to choose one over the other now.
I'd also like to know what everyone else is running? Stock or chassis? What are your preferences?
Cheers, Matt
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