Hey everyone,
I have decided next year to get back into hunting after taking a break for probably 10 years. I have found a Bergara in 7 PRC that I will be purchasing this weekend and mounting a Revic PMR428 on. I was looking for a stock or chassis that would be good replacement to shed some weight. Would a chassis system be a better choice? Also, what would be a good muzzle brake?
Welcome to the forum. Chassis .vs. stock is subjective. Some folks prefer a classic profile stock, some prefer an adjustable stock with a vertical grip, some only have chassis. Your choice should be made by setting your criteria and then finding what meets that criteria.
Are you hunting out of a lawn chair with a corncob on your muzzle like a midwestern or southerner? Half- joking boys, calm yourselves.
Are you sitting in a blind or a deer stand?
Are you backpack hunting?
Are you hunting the PNW where you're camping nearby and hiking up and down steep draws, canyons or super dense brush?
There are so many considerations to be made.
Is the rifle a hunting only rig or are you shooting it for fun and practice the rest of the year?
Does the rifle need to meet overall weight requirements? For instance, say a Bergara stock weights 50 oz. and you want the lightest rifle possible. Well, you're pretty much stuck with a stock, as there are a few 20 oz. stocks on the market and few Chassis weighing less than 30 oz. The MDT HNT26 weights in at 26 oz. ,however, that is for the bare bones fixed buttstock and no spacers. With a folding stock you pay a 4oz penalty.
With a 20 oz. stock you will pay a penalty in ergonomics as most are just basic moulded carbon fiber with a foam core. You won't be able to fit the stock to you. However, If all of your shots are taken under say 150yds seated off a rest of some sort, or seated off-hand...that doesn't matter as much as shooting it several hundred to over a thousand yds from the prone or a makeshift position. A whole lot of considerations to be made, and the biggest is budget. If you want to drastically reduce weight....get ready to pony up the big bucks. Shaving ounces is probably the most expensive endeavor one could take on when building out or having a rifle built.
Why don't you tell us the use case and wants, needs, budget etc... and maybe the fine folks here can put you on the right track.
Honestly, if you're hunting from a blind