PRS Chassis - Budget Build

[JFrank]

Nope, we are good!

I figure when i'm trying to save up for a specific thing, that things either work out, or they don't. And sometimes things work out, just differently from what you were expecting.
Case in point.
I was saving up for a Savage Target action for my benchrest build.
A good deal came up on a used Sightron SIII 10-50X60 LRTD that i couldn't pass up.
Scope is a HUGE improovementover my other optics & i feel was a good investment!
But i had to go a different route for my action.
Which i did. (Will give details on build after it's done)

But, as Delfuego mentioned, the OP asked about a stock, not a whole new build & "run what you brung".

My Stevens 200 in 7mm-08 at my first F-Open match.

I like the stolen ( sourced) U haul blanket.....

 

[JFrank]

.22-250 because I’ve already got the brass, dies, and silencer for it, and really want to run a can on it, as this will be my coyote rifle and occasional comp. rifle. Sure is easy to spend other people’s money, isn’t it? Haha! I think I’ll be trying out the MDT LSS-XL Gen 2 in a couple months. Thanks everyone!

We had a very good performance from a 22-250 at the 1k nationals last month.

Guy was shooting Hornday bullets.

 

[lazyMlazyK]

The MDT XRS is available for Savage SA RH actions and is an excellent choice and very budget friendly.
I like the XRS so much i replaced an MDT ACC and MPA BA Comp with them.

I've started looking at the XRS - looks like a good compromise between cost, function, and form.

 

[std7mag]

I like the stolen ( sourced) U haul blanket.....

Lol, everybody comments on that.
For the record, it was in the box van that my now wife borrowed from a friend. No, not a U-Haul van.
Guy told her to keep the blanket.
I just repurposed it.

 

[lazyMlazyK]

If you’re planning on shooting matches with it, the 22-250 is not likely to feed well with a full AICS style mag. The cases are too tapered. You could go .22 Creedmoor and still use your 22-250 brass. Should fireform fine, if properly annealed.

John

Found this out last night....can't fully load a 10 round MDT .308 poly/metal mag with 22-250 cases Have heard that a curved mag might help, similar to an AK. Have a Ruger poly mag and a Magpul 7.62 mag coming to try them out.

On the plus side, the 5-6 rounds that DID feed into the .308 mag all chambered fine.

 

[SweaterDood]

Found this out last night....can't fully load a 10 round MDT .308 poly/metal mag with 22-250 cases Have heard that a curved mag might help, similar to an AK. Have a Ruger poly mag and a Magpul 7.62 mag coming to try them out.

On the plus side, the 5-6 rounds that DID feed into the .308 mag all chambered fine.

Are you sure these new magazines will work with your bottom metal? The AICS, Ruger, SR25, etc. are all SA mags, but have completely different interface standards and are not cross compatible. I don’t know what you bought, exactly, just asking the question.

My recommendation is a hybrid of what everyone else has said, but also a progression:
- Run what ya got, now. I assume it is a DBM setup (sorry if I missed that bit) and keep an extra magazine or 2. A mag change is no big deal.
- If there is a 20wk lead time, consider a different caliber after you have shot a couple matches. You will have time to change your order, because you are in line for a chamber job most likely, not a barrel blank.
- If you get hooked on the PRS/NRL comps go for a Nucleus / Origin build to retain the Savage barrel threads, but move to the world of R700 options, availability, and TRIGGERS. You’ll be able to sell your savage action and chassis fairly easily without too much of a loss (or keep it...)

We all know Savages can be fantastic rifles and very accurate. But, next-to-nobody runs them in PRS/NRL for all of the reasons stated by many in this thread. It is a different game than FClass, ELR, SR Benchrest, etc. If you already have the barrel and scope, you can have a killer PRS rig on a Nucleus/Origin action with a top shelf trigger for less than you might think. And some of the mid priced triggers are phenomenal now too (better than advertised).

 

[lazyMlazyK]

I started working off a Savage 12 FV, internal mag. Have an MDT XRS on hand now, and it fed the .22-250 rounds fine from the mag. I've decided to nix on the .22-250 barrel and changed the order to a 6.5CM barrel. Like the .22-250, I've already got components to load for it, I just won't be able to use my can, but that's not a huge deal. On the lookout now for a Gen 3 Fat B*stard brake. Have a Viper PST 5-25x50 scope on a cheap 6.5CM that I'll be deer hunting with this fall/winter that will go on this rifle after the new barrel shows up. Looks like there's some pretty cool bipods out there too these days, but they sure know what they want for them!

 

[Dgd6mm]

If you want an inexpensive good muzzle brake that will give you what a Fat B gives you check out the Ross self timing brakes. I own 3 among a few definitely more expensive ones. The Ross brakes work as good as my others that I've used.

 

[Rob01]

And for a bipod, the Harris BRM-S bipod is a good solid choice and won’t break your bank. If you can’t hit it with a Harris you wouldn’t with something three times the cost.

 

[DiffEQ]

I like the stolen ( sourced) U haul blanket.....

For the record, it was in the box van that my now wife borrowed from a friend. No, not a U-Haul van.

Tread drift....
Having rented from U-Haul dozens of times, there is no such thing as a "stolen" blanket. You pay in advance, and there's a ding on your account if the numbers don't match up.
Now, if it had been towels with HILTON across them, that is another story....

 

[SweaterDood]

I started working off a Savage 12 FV, internal mag. Have an MDT XRS on hand now, and it fed the .22-250 rounds fine from the mag. I've decided to nix on the .22-250 barrel and changed the order to a 6.5CM barrel. Like the .22-250, I've already got components to load for it, I just won't be able to use my can, but that's not a huge deal. On the lookout now for a Gen 3 Fat B*stard brake. Have a Viper PST 5-25x50 scope on a cheap 6.5CM that I'll be deer hunting with this fall/winter that will go on this rifle after the new barrel shows up. Looks like there's some pretty cool bipods out there too these days, but they sure know what they want for them!

Sounds like a solid starting point.

While bipods are ridiculously overpriced, they are a good investment since they can be swapped from rifle to rifle and you keep it when selling a rifle.

Also, unless you currently have a tripod or plan on getting one, the ARCA system is not really necessary and adds cost. A small Pic Rail up front will be more than adequate, and you really only switch between bipod or no bipod. The moving fore and aft thing never happens, contrary to every review of the ARCA system ever. That all said, I am invested in the ARCA platform for my rifles and love it, but it is a notable investment.

 

[Rob01]

Actually the moving for and aft does happen quite a bit. It’s a nice piece of versatility to be able to move the bipod back and forth depending on what you are shooting off of but also to attach a plate or bags. Arca is nice but starting out not totally needed.

 

[SweaterDood]

Actually the moving for and aft does happen quite a bit. It’s a nice piece of versatility to be able to move the bipod back and forth depending on what you are shooting off of but also to attach a plate or bags. Arca is nice but starting out not totally needed.

View attachment 1281524

I personally don’t see many guys using it unless they are very seasoned and are super quick in transition. I’m a mid pack regional shooter and so are 90% of the folks competing. Aside from prone, or positional slung (which I haven’t ever actually had to do yet...) good fundamentals on a solid mid sized bag gets the job pretty well done.

My point is that the ARCA thing is not a very cost effective upgrade. There is merit, and it is a super nice system (that’s why I use it). But it also won’t add many, if any, points to your score until you get to a level where you can actually manipulate it on the clock.

 

[Rob01]

I personally don’t see many guys using it unless they are very seasoned and are super quick in transition. I’m a mid pack regional shooter and so are 90% of the folks competing. Aside from prone, or positional slung (which I haven’t ever actually had to do yet...) good fundamentals on a solid mid sized bag gets the job pretty well done.

My point is that the ARCA thing is not a very cost effective upgrade. There is merit, and it is a super nice system (that’s why I use it). But it also won’t add many, if any, points to your score until you get to a level where you can actually manipulate it on the clock.

You don’t have to use it on the clock. You can set things ahead of time and use them. That’s where being able to look at a stage and manage it come in. Learning how to manage certain props and possible positions.

I agree arca isn’t for everyone and other items are a better upgrade for the money depending on the rifle set up but arca is a good upgrade. I just started using it last year after being pestered by my buddy and find it helpful. I have been shooting the “PRS” sport for 18 years and watched things change over the years. Arca is actually a pretty useful change and even newer shooters can get an advantage with it.

 

[thestoicmarcusaurelius]

If you plan on using tripods for competition or hunting, arca makes a lot of sense

 

[SweaterDood]

I

You don’t have to use it on the clock. You can set things ahead of time and use them. That’s where being able to look at a stage and manage it come in. Learning how to manage certain props and possible positions.

I agree arca isn’t for everyone and other items are a better upgrade for the money depending on the rifle set up but arca is a good upgrade. I just started using it last year after being pestered by my buddy and find it helpful. I have been shooting the “PRS” sport for 18 years and watched things change over the years. Arca is actually a pretty useful change and even newer shooters can get an advantage with it.

I feel like we are beginning to hijack the thread, but I view your first point as a skill that is not easily acquired by a new shooter. And I do agree, if ARCA is in the budget, there are plenty of opportunities to develop and refine your position, and I do wholly recommend making the change if you begin to get serious with the PRS game... after switching to the R700 platform, of course...

 

[lazyMlazyK]

I feel like we are beginning to hijack the thread, but...

That's alright! I haven't really found many folks that can speak about PRS from experience! Hijack away! I'm sure some point down the road there will be ARCA and a R700 clone in my hands.

 

[Dgd6mm]

That's alright! I haven't really found many folks that can speak about PRS from experience! Hijack away! I'm sure some point down the road there will be ARCA and a R700 clone in my hands.

Being that another rifle may be the future, keep this in mind. KRG Bravo chassis, their Arca rail...definitely affordable and good, Origin or Nucleus action.....bada bing bada boom.

 

[ELR LVR]

Just found the MDT LSS-XL Gen 2....does anyone have any opinions on it?

I have a not so good opinion on this chassis after trying one
....without bad mouthing the company at all my experience is that it is way too flexy....Noticeable flexy...like a wet noodle with any kind of heavy barrel. Maybe they work well with thin light barrels but I have read others having the same experience in the past.
Look at pics of the forened and you can see how thin it is....plus it is 6061 Alum
7075 is what this chassis should be made from since it might make it stiff enough for any sort of heavy barreled action being higher strength and more stress resistant.
I notice many other chassis systems are either thicker in the forened or are reinforced somehow to mitigate this. Some fore ends even wrap around over the top of the barrel which stiffens things up.
I went with A.I. instead
Very happy with A.I.

 

[SweaterDood]

Being that another rifle may be the future, keep this in mind. KRG Bravo chassis, their Arca rail...definitely affordable and good, Origin or Nucleus action.....bada bing bada boom.

Benefit of the Zermatt Origin and ARC Nucleus is that they accept Savage barrels. If you make the leap before shooting out your barrel, you can move it over. Then you can install the factory barrel back onto the Savage and have a complete rifle to do as you see fit. There seem to be more Savage barrels in stock (Shilen, Criterion, etc.) than for R700 threading and you still have the option for shouldered prefits (no barrel nut) from a few places. The other entry level customs (Defiance Tenacity, Curtis Axiom, etc.) are the same quality and price point but will not have the Savage action threading. But the industry is so good at supporting the prefits now that it is not a huge issue.

Go to some matches and see if some guys will let work their actions or even take a couple shots afterward. You will get good exposure to different options on actions, stocks/chassis, triggers, scopes, bags, breaks, and cartridges. I’ve found that most guys love the opportunity to let someone new try their gear.