For some time I have wanted to transition from semi-autos to bolt guns as I look for greater accuracy but, I have been unable to get comfortable behind most bolt guns from the prone position. Perhaps that is opposite for some/most people but all of my long rifle shooting has been with .223/6.5/.308 AR-style semi-autos.

I purchased a Remington 700 in a Magpul Hunter stock which was better than a normal stock but still not comfortable. It created other issues too like having to take the cheek riser off to insert the chamber guide and cleaning rod.

As I live in Atlanta, I had a chance to look at several chassis systems at the NRA show this year. I actually purchased an AB Arms MOD-X chassis and put the 700 in it. It did represent an upgrade from the Magpul stock but the folding mechanism had some slop in it and with a heavy forward load on the bipod, the hand guard would flex a little possibly affecting the scope mount that it is bolted too.

That is when I decided to try again with the TAC21. It is a much more refined design that is absolutely rock solid once assembled. One does have to remove the trigger pack to install it but I wanted to change to a two-stage trigger anyway, another holdover from AR-stye rifles, I guess.

The removable buttstock adapter accepts any AR buffer tube just like the MOD-X and any buttstock of your choosing including the Magpul PRS. The barreled action sits much lower in the TAC21 chassis, and, as such, recoil is straight back. The buttstock adapter is released with a throw lever that makes removal for cleaning and transport quick and easy. There is no flex or wiggle when locked in place.

In addition to the TAC21 kit, you need a buttstock, buffer tube and AR pistol grip of your choice. The chassis can be ordered to work with Savage, Tikka and Remington long and short actions. It comes with a sling swivel mount up front which I briefly used to attached a bipod but I did replace it with a picatinny rail pice to use a different bipod with a qd lever. The hand guard is neither M-LOC or KeyMod though it does look like it would take M-LOC accessories. I ended up ordering a rail pice from MDT. Unlike the MOD-X, There is already 20 MOA built into the top rail which may or may not be good depending on what you already have.

The chassis is ready to accept the AICS type magazines but does not come with any.

I realize that there are a lot of much more expensive chassis systems available and maybe they are worth the price but at this early stage of shooting bolt guns, I have found a comfortable, adjustable, solid and nicely finished chassis that has significantly enhanced my enjoyment of bolt guns and my ability to shoot them more accurately than before.

This chassis opens a lot of possibilities to purchase less expensive bolt guns and get them in a chassis to achieve a more adjustable and more comfortable position that should lead to better shooting.

Hope this helps someone.

Henryrifle

So many great options today for chassis that adjust to YOU. No doubt once you have set up how you want it, you'll shoot more consistently.

Which two stage triggers are you considering?

I also have one - love it!
As stated that thing is rock solid once you get it all together.


They also make a more lightweight version called the LSS:

I made the switch a few weeks back to a chassis system. I considered the MDT but ended up with a Masterpiece Arms Competition chassis. I'm still getting used to it, but so far I'm liking it.

offgrid, I put a Timney curved 533 in mine. I have adjusted the second stage pull weight lighter by a few turns. It feels good but I am still struggling to find the magic load for the rifle. At this stage in the barrel's life it is like a two-stroke dirt bike in that it is very binary. One load shows some promise but one grain of powder to either side is not good.

creslin, mine looks identical to your top picture. Thanks for sharing them.

swage, the MPA chassis looks like it has some well thought-out features though it is expensive.

A friend and I each purchased some relatively inexpensive Remington 700s to see what we could get them to do.

We bought these rifles, the Remington 700 Magpul in .308, as an experiment. The street cost was a little under $875 and Remington is still offering a $150 mail-in rebate. They have 22” threaded 5R barrels (carbon steel not stainless steal). The challenge was to develop a load that would "reliably" impact a 1.2 MOA steel plate at 1000 yards. I put mine in an MDT TAC21 chassis, installed a Timney trigger and recently moved a Burris XTR II scope in 5-25 to it. The challenge was to develop a load that would "reasonably" impact a 1.2 MOA steel plate at 1000 yards. My best load so far shoots a .78 MOA at 100 yards. In little or no wind I can hit the target about 50% of the time. When there is wind that percentage falls off dramatically. Wind and distances greater than 500 yards are still new to me.

The chassis has helped tremendously in my getting comfortable behind the rifle from prone. There seems to be a lot of innovation occurring in the industry at this time and just around ARs eitehr!

Henryrifle

There's nothing wrong with building on a budget.
I have a Burris XTR II as well. So far it has performed flawlessly. I purchased it to throw on my trainer but it's lived on my Defiance Deviant custom build 6.5 CM all summer. I would recommend it over a Vortex PST for a scope in it's price range/class.
Wind and distance are a challenge for us all.

If anyone needs a killer trigger, we just put a triggertech adjutable in my buddies 700, it is amazing. We ended up putting them in a few AR's too