Introduction

A good rifle chassis can help you increase your point of impact and make your shooting more accurate. Chassis for long or short action, hunting, or target shooting come in a variety of styles and have a lot of cool features.

First, some chassis have metal-to-metal contact in a "v" groove and have a recoil lug contact area to pass on the recoil impact to the butt stock. This helps reduce movement/deflection between the action and the chassis, as well as changes in materials that affect accuracy, such as changing temperatures.

Related Article: Enhancing Accuracy with a MDT Chassis

Understanding the Point of Impact

A good rifle chassis will help your rifle improve its accuracy potential. This is especially true if you shoot a long action magnum for long-distance targets, with better accuracy for hunting, or improving your competitive target shooting.

As a rule, you should try to maintain the same point of impact (POI) on your rifle every time. This is because the barrel and action undergo stress with each shot which affects their accuracy. A heated barrel will have different harmonics which can affect your POI. Additionally, loose or improperly torqued action screws, scope rail, scope rings or unreliable optics can also affect your POA/POI. The Chassis is one component of several that can affect the POI.

Another important factor to consider is the way your rifle is positioned on your rest. If you change the way your rifle is positioned from one session to the next or even from one day to the next, this can lead to a major shift in the point of impact on your rifle.

It is also important to note that your ammunition will have an effect on the point of impact of your rifle as well. If you use a heavier bullet weight than your current load, this can result in a different point of impact on your rifle.

To get the best results from your chassis, you should try to use the same ammunition with each rifle. This means finding an ammo that has the same brand and the same bullet weight as your existing ammo.

You should also use the same magnification/parallax on your reticle on your scope, so that you don’t have to adjust it on each shot. This way your POA is not varying between shots.

When you are measuring your groupings, always measure from the center of the bullet hole to the center of the bullet hole. This allows you to see the entire grouping and how it varies from one shot to the next.

Another thing that will affect your point of impact is the condition of the bedding in your barrel. A bad bedding job can lead to a grouping that doubles or strings laterally. Similarly, if your barrel has pressure points that are not completely sealed up by the bedding these can also affect your point of impact.

Stabilization of your rifle

When it comes to accurate shooting, a good rifle chassis is a great addition. They were originally developed for competition shooters, but they also work really well in hunting, military and law enforcement applications.

One of the biggest benefits of a chassis is that they allow for more versatility in the way you use your rifle. They are usually adjustable in several areas, including cheek comb, length of pull and more. That allows you to truly fit your rifle to your body, and makes it easier than ever to get a stable shooting platform for any situation.

Another big advantage of a chassis is that they often include features like an integral dovetail cut, Picatinny rails, Arca Rails, which allows you to clamp your rifle directly to a tripod, bipod for a very solid rest. This is an innovation first introduced by MPA, but now companies like MDT have started integrating an Arca rail into their chassis as well.

Other features you may want to consider include a bag rider, which helps when you stuff a bag under your rifle, and a barricade stop, which can help prevent pressure on the magazine while loading it into a barricade. Some of these features are standard on most chassis, while others require a little bit of extra work to add.

A good chassis should also provide adequate screw torque settings for the action and stock to ensure proper torsional rigidity. This is important because it ensures the action stays in contact with the stock, preventing tang dive and improving bolt-breech engagement for a more consistent bolt-breech seal.

Stabilization isn't always the primary issue for accurate shooting, but it can make a big difference when you are working with small, heavy targets. It can also help you in conditions where you need to be able to get a good sight picture, which can be difficult in tight spaces and thick brush.

There are some specific ballistics parameters that can predict a bullet's stability, such as the gyroscopic stability Sg and dynamic stability Sd. The Sg value is good for short distances, while the Sd value - which is more complex to evaluate - is important for long-range shooting and to the transonic region.

Chassis Weights

When you put a good rifle chassis on your rifle, it will make it more accurate. Chassis systems come with many adjustable features, from built-in sling adapters and bipod mounts to barricade stops and picatinny rails.

Most chassis systems are designed to be compatible with a variety of actions, and some will allow you to add weights to improve recoil control in heavier calibers. This can reduce the chance of flexing and vibration which can cause poor shooting accuracy.

The chassis interfaces with the action through either an integral bedding surface or a drop-in block. The aluminum bedding area is machined into a shallow V or gentle radius that cradles the barreled action. This is an excellent interface and is very simple to install, requiring only a few screws and a torque wrench.

Adding weights to your chassis can make it more accurate, but it is important to place the weights in the correct locations. One way to do this is to use a small sandbag that is placed right at or near the forward action bolt. The sandbag prevents rest-exerted pressure from bending the forend and causing unintentional contact with the barrel, which can destroy accuracy.

Another way to increase the stabilization of your rifle is to get a wide stance bipod. This can help to keep the rifle from bouncing as it bounces off hard surfaces such as concrete or turf.

A wide stance bipod can also be a good way to ensure that the rifle stays level when changing positions between standing and sitting. This can be especially useful when using a bench rest to shoot on. Some come with a fine front elevation adjustment, making it easier to manage the front height when it comes to bench rest shooting, or prone.

To help with the stabilization of your rifle, consider placing a sand bag underneath the rifle butt as well. This can help to absorb any impact that may be thrown by a projectile, and also keep the rifle from bouncing as the recoil pushes backward. A monopod can be used in that area, for those that are comfortable with its use.

A good chassis can make your hunting rifle, target shooting, or long-range shooting will give greater accuracy and give you a better platform to work with, so don't be afraid to invest in a high-quality chassis for your next gun. You will be glad you did!

Rifle Bipods

Rifle chassis are easy to install; simply tighten the action screws and your rifle is ready. In addition, some chassis have custom inlets that allow you to change barrels without having to remove the receiver.

The best bipods have wide stance legs that work with the chassis for increased stabilization. Some also feature adjustable leg heights for different terrain, allowing for cant adjustment, a feature that is not common on low-priced bipods.

A good bipod should have the ability to lock in a zero position, and to rotate at 45 degrees, 90 degrees, and 135 degrees. This allows you to shoot in a variety of angles and positions, which will improve your accuracy.

Another important feature is the ability to pan your bipod. You will need this feature for a number of purposes, including scanning an area and tracking a target.

Many bipods have a quick-pull feature that lets you adjust the height of each leg quickly. This helps you get the right height for your needs and can even help you remedy awkward terrain.

If you’re planning on shooting a lot, you’ll want to invest in a quality bipod. While you might save a few dollars on a cheaper knockoff, you’ll likely regret it when it doesn’t hold up over time.

Some of the most popular bipods among top rifle shooters include Atlas and Harris. Both of these brands are strong for their price point and offer innovative design features that make them a great choice.