Practical Precision: A Meat-and-Potatoes Bolt Gun for Over 1,000 Yards [BUILDSHEET]

Getting into precision shooting isn’t cheap, and it seems the farther out your target is, the more money it’ll cost you. What started out as an idea for a “budget” bolt gun to reach past a kilometer turned into a bit of a lesson on the cost of precision. Then again, we’ve reviewed long-range rigs priced well north of $10,000. By comparison, a rifle/glass combo that taps out below $5K is a highly reasonable package for someone who wants to shoot four figures without spending five.

The heart of our franken-gun is Aero’s Solus barreled action. The Solus made a splash several years ago for being an affordable, well-performing solution for production bolt actions. This particular one includes a 20-MOA top rail and their 22-inch Sendero barrel in 6.5mm Creedmoor. 

Parts List

• Aero Solus Barreled Action: $1,120
• MDT ESS Chassis: $1,100
• MDT SRS Folding Stock: $600
• MDT Oryx Bipod: $100
• Timney Remington 700 Impact Trigger: $134
• Vortex Viper PST II 5-25x FFP: $1,500 MSRP ($600 @ MidwayUSA)
• TOTAL: $4,554 MSRP

The Sendero is generally regarded as a medium-weight contour with a lot of versatility, whether you’re hunting, competing, or simply shooting “group therapy” for personal amusement. We chose to leave the included thread protector on the end of the 5/8×24 threaded barrel, but we like having the option to add a muzzle device or suppressor of our choice. With an MSRP below $1,200, this is a fantastic barrel/action combo for a no-nonsense bolt rifle that gets you slinging lead past the thousand-yard line without spending down-payment-on-a-house money from a name-brand custom shop.

The gunsmith shop at Diamondback Tactical in Tucson, Arizona, took our barreled Solus core and wrapped it up in an ESS chassis system by MDT. There are some bells and whistles you won’t get with the ESS, like built-in ARCA or a full-length top rail for clip-on thermal/NV units. But what you do get is a straightforward chassis with a hard focus on ergonomics. There is a built-in thumb rest above the pistol grip, and a flat section of forend forward of the magazine well ideal for resting on a bag or barricade. 

This area is plenty comfortable to hold in the event you care to try an offhand shot — though we’re not sure why you would unless trying to win a bet. We also appreciate the small touches that MDT has built into this chassis, such as an ambidextrous mag release that can be easily actuated by your trigger finger. 

We also like that the frame accepts AR-15 pistol grips. While this may offend some precision purists, those who have spent countless hours perfecting their carbine builds will appreciate the ability to replicate their handhold of choice onto a precision build. A matching set of QD sling swivel pockets on both sides of the forend — and multiple locations on the stock — allow sling configurations that are southpaw friendly. 

The ESS comes with their fixed SRS buttstock standard, but we added in their XTN folding adapter for easier transport. The SRS aligns with what has become industry standard for modern precision rifle stocks — skeletonized with adjustability for both length of pull and comb height. Finally, we added MDT’s Oryx bipod. The Oryx is, again, not the most bougie bipod out there. But, for general use, it’s inexpensive and more than sturdy enough to support this particular configuration. 

When it comes to building long-range rigs, glass choice is just as important as any other part, and can oftentimes run as much — if not more — than other major components. Such was the case with our selection: the Vortex Viper PST II 5-25x. The Viper fills into the upper third of Vortex’s riflescope offerings, striking an excellent balance of budget versus quality. 

This first focal plane scope features Vortex’s own EBR-7C MOA reticle, with corresponding ¼ MOA turrets. While MOA may not be the first choice for die-hard long-range aficionados, the EBR-7C offers a great Christmas tree-style reticle that may be more accessible to those who are already used to measuring in yards. We mounted the Viper PST in a Primary Arms PLX one-piece scope mount that we happened to have laying in the parts bin. 

Since the Solus is a Remington 700 pattern action, we had access to a full range of compatible triggers for that action. We chose the Timney Hit, a model specifically designed for long-range shooting and competition-based 700-pattern builds. 

The Hit can be adjusted from a 2-pound pull all the way down to 8 ounces. While we’d never care to measure a trigger press in ounces, at the 2-pound mark it’s light and crisp with almost no play whatsoever. It’s available with a curved or straight shoe. We chose the latter. 

The end result is a complete long-range rig including optic, bipod, and match grade trigger for less than $5,000. Given how easy it is to spend double that price on a rifle alone, sans scope or accessories, we’re incredibly happy with the result of the smart-shopping endeavor.

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