Boyds Deadset: Chassis System or Traditional Rifle Stock? How About Both?

Chassis systems have largely supplanted traditional stocks in the precision rifle world and are making inroads into the hunting community also. And for good reason. Offering better resistance to environmental factors, better adjustability, and more consistent accuracy, they’re a better mousetrap for most users.

That said, there’s no denying the aesthetic appeal of blued steel and walnut, so long as you’re willing to put up with the downsides. Boyds seeks to split the difference with its Deadset stock, which gives users an easily adjustable length of pull and, in some models, an adjustable comb as well. It combines these features with either a laminated or solid stock, teamed with an aluminum chassis carved from a single block of raw material, which accepts either a classic floorplate or detachable magazine.

Aluminum bedding blocks or pillars are nothing new, but this one differs from its predecessors by virtue of its size. It occupies the vital zone in any stock responsible for repeatability — the part that interfaces with the action. By completely isolating this from the rest of the stock, seasonal humidity changes have no effect on point of impact, and there’s no chance of the stock deforming or splitting at the recoil lug or rear action screw — a common failure point when using hardwoods.

As you’d expect, there’s a model available for Remington 700 actions, as well as Weatherby Vanguard/Howa 1500 and the Ruger American

For standard Remington 700 actions, installation is easy. Just take your barreled action with trigger installed into the Deadset, making sure it’s pushed rearward so that the recoil lug is snug against the rear of the pocket, then add bottom metal. Tighten the two action screws to the recommended torque and you’re done.

If your R700 pattern action has a side-mounted bolt release, then you may have to relieve some aluminum from the left side of the chassis insert — our Faxon FX7 needed this in order to seat properly. You may also need to do some tweaking to the magazine box, depending on your choice of bottom metal and its relationship to the action’s feed lips.

Once buttoned up, you’ll have most of the benefits of chassis system with the looks and feel of a rifle your granddad would admire.

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