Thread: Chassis for hunting, why are they not more common in nz?

Hunting styles in US and NZ are generally very different in US most deer are shot from hides or seats ((I lived and hunted there for 3 years) with little foot hunting. Alpine hunting is the exception to this, but far less common.

NZ hunters typically cover more ground and operate in thick cover or on very harsh and steep open tops. Chassis type rifles are just too heavy and catch too much scrub for these types of hunting.

Then there’s the look of the things, which to me are incredibly ugly. I think most of us have too much taste to carry a chassis and would prefer an attractive wooden stock or a light (and cool) carbon jobby.

I would hunt in a rainbow bodysuit before I carried a chassis rifle

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

because wood and steel is just plain old sexy....... why would you want a blow up rubber doll when you could have the real deal instead,soft curvy ,warm to touch.....

You old deviant!

Originally Posted by Longrun

I would hunt in a rainbow bodysuit before I carried a chassis rifle

Lets hope it never comes to that.

Originally Posted by Finnwolf

You old deviant!

hey...Im not the one mentioning rainbow body suits!!!!!

Originally Posted by Hurricane

Hunting styles in US and NZ are generally very different in US most deer are shot from hides or seats ((I lived and hunted there for 3 years) with little foot hunting. Alpine hunting is the exception to this, but far less common.

NZ hunters typically cover more ground and operate in thick cover or on very harsh and steep open tops. Chassis type rifles are just too heavy and catch too much scrub for these types of hunting.

Then there’s the look of the things, which to me are incredibly ugly. I think most of us have too much taste to carry a chassis and would prefer an attractive wooden stock or a light (and cool) carbon jobby.

I spoke to an American about this once, and he agreed that after 17 years hunting in America and 12 in NZ, American's are shooters, Kiwis are hunters

Originally Posted by Longrun

I would hunt in a rainbow bodysuit before I carried a chassis rifle

if it ever happens you should post pictures

Originally Posted by Ben Waimata

if it ever happens you should post pictures

with the appropriate warning for young users of the site ...................their eyes would be damaged beyond repair

I’ve shot a great many deer with my chassis rifle. It’s not heavy. Wouldn’t change it for the world.

Originally Posted by Flyblown

I’ve shot a great many deer with my chassis rifle. It’s not heavy. Wouldn’t change it for the world.

Attachment 203675

now I look at that and think it SHOULD be really lightweight....still not my cuppa tea but definately has minimalist appeal.

I hunted with a T3 MDT LSS combo and liked it. Got it sitting in around 4kg loaded with optic & suppressor. Nothing has even come close to hunting with a lightweight AR though...

It basically boils down to two avenues: Advancements in firearms technology and people who enjoy modern ergo's. And nostalgic firearms. People like to associate with one or the other, or both.

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

now I look at that and think it SHOULD be really lightweight....still not my cuppa tea but definately has minimalist appeal.

The @DPT Hunter @Friwi and Darren design is excellent and underrated and I wish it had been more viable because if it was available for the Howa I would have one of those as well.

I use mine with a grunty .308 165gr load, yet the felt recoil is a fraction of what I got with the Tikka factory stock. I use it in some seriously muddy wet conditions and every night I remove the barrelled action and give everything a wipe down. The zero has never shifted, and from time to time I put my .223 SuperVarmint in it as well. Same deal.

I cannot say the same for the KRG Bravo for the Howa. It had a Mickey Mouse front action screw arrangement and I had problems with the zero shifting every time the barrelled action went in and out, irrespective of me using a torque wrench to the correct, consistent setting. I had to replace the original clamping plate with a new one and whilst that helped it still didn’t totally solve the problem.

The DPT design is the ducks nuts.

Greetings All,
Just not practical for hunting as above. I have never seen one in the bush. There are plenty on the range being shot of bipods but few being used in any other position. A lot of people bought them with their buy back money as they looked like their old rifle.
GPM.

Originally Posted by grandpamac

Greetings All,
Just not practical for hunting as above. I have never seen one in the bush. There are plenty on the range being shot of bipods but few being used in any other position. A lot of people bought them with their buy back money as they looked like their old rifle.
GPM.

have you actually used one for hunting in the bush?

I did have a go on one that had been built by it's owner (who was an engineer and machinist). It was... minimalist - if you can call something that barely registered against the barreled action minimalist.

I wish I'd gotten a photo of it - the thing was barely a butt in the usual sense of the word butt, a piece of acetal lined with ali at the front end well clear of the barrel to hang on to, with a one round 'magazine' for a follow up if required. It was ugly, brutal and purely functional but it worked really well. There was literally nothing on it to get hooked onto, and what isn't there can't add weight.