Noob Question About Shape of Rifles

[MG5150]

Hi All

Does the style of the rifle affect accuracy? Such as a tactical vs hunting rifle? Or is it all looks?

In brands that do a hunting and tactical version of the same gun, would one be better than the other?

I understand that some rifles only come in one, and that different brands and price points come into it too.

[womble]

It’s a difficult question to answer.

There’s too many variables to factor in.

But accuracy is more dependent on the action and barrel than whatever that is mounted in.

Tactical vs hunting in style I guess is more for pragmatic reasons. Practicality for intended use.

[deye243]

After having both composite rifle stocks and chassis on three different rifles accuracy did not change just that the stocks suited different applications

[Die Judicii]

You've virtually got the answer to your question in your own hands/shoulders.
Do a tour of gun shops and try every variation that you can get your hands on.
Even if you have to lay on the floor prone with one,,,, to achieve results,
Throw them to your shoulder and feel the fit/comfort.

When I'm interested in any particular firearm I do all that first and foremost.
Even just the "feel" of it when holding it.
If all feels great (you'll know yourself)
The very last thing I do is look at the price tag.
Theres no point in getting excited and buying a rifle according to the price tag if none of the above feel good.
If it's not comfortable and doesn't feel right,,, your chances of shooting it accurately are decreased dramatically.

[Fester]

I never really liked chassis rifles much and they seem more for shooting prone off a bipod, even off the bench, I didn't gel with the pistol grip. They are too heavy for hunting and most of my rifles are hunting style but still work well off the bench.

The PRS blokes like heavy-chassis rifles for their shooting.

I shot one that vibrated when it went off, all steel and alloy with no give, apart from the recoil pad.

I shot a decent group from one of those bull-pup .308s on the 500yd F-class targets and it felt OK for something so different.

My only target rifle is a Howa varmint, bedded into a Boyds stock and it held it's own against the old hands with all the gear.
It was like a budget, longer range rig and would make a great varmint rifle.

Rifle buying decisions are best made when you know sort of shooting it will do, same with the scope and stuff.

[Wapiti]

Long and short answer to the OP is that it doesn't.

It started as an obsession to Frankenstein bolt guns into the same ergonomic evolution that is the modern AR-style rifle.
Unfortunately, the safety position, mag style and release positions, triggers etc will never be the same.

Even the rounded forends have been copied from a rifle designed to be hung off a sling and used as "point and shoot" in combat have been copied. So much so that they either need extra clamp-on or strap-on heavy flat platforms or bags attacked to shoot without rocking and wobbling in precision applications, or have a biped fitted.

The only benefit practically to me is the alloy bedding chassis, which modern sporting shape stocks have now anyway.

If you look at the world's best pointing, fast snap shooting rifles still have the long slender open grips, point like the best shotguns and are the most desirable bits of kit out there, you will realise that some evolution requires unzipping your fly and imagination.

[GQshayne]

Hi All

Does the style of the rifle affect accuracy? Such as a tactical vs hunting rifle? Or is it all looks?

In brands that do a hunting and tactical version of the same gun, would one be better than the other?

I understand that some rifles only come in one, and that different brands and price points come into it too.

It makes a difference to me, for sure. Because I hunt on foot, weight of the rifle, and its ability to come to the shoulder quickly, and to change point of aim quickly, is far more important than other features. And when shooting offhand,which is 95% of my hunting, a rifle that can shoot less than 1 MOA is of little advantage.

[womble]

And that’s where the advantages of a tactical setup, happen to be ideal.

Let’s watch just how quickly our friend GQshayne can complete this course with his rifle.

[womble]

No wait.

Let’s make it a race with deye243 and his hunting rifle.

My money is on GQshayne.

[JohnV]

No , external looks alone does not make for good or bad accuracy . It's how the gun is constructed and how precision that construction is . There is many things that can make or beak good accuracy and few of them show externally that I can think of , maybe a heavy barrel on a chassis stock can indicate it may shoot better than a flimsy thin barrel on a weak plastic stock .
Generally speaking the alloy chassis pistol grip stock is intrinsically more accurate than say a normal wooden stock , due to not flexing and less expanding or contraction and not changing zero in different weather conditions and having a more stable bedding area . But just throwing an inaccurate barrelled action into a alloy chassis is no guarantee it will shoot any better . A better marker of potential accuracy is a quality brand with a reputation for accuracy . Certain style and looks can indicate a gun is more suitable for a certain purpose more than anything else . I once had a full alloy stock on my spotlighting rifle and it was so cold in winter shooting that I took it off and replaced the original bedded wood stock . So you buy the good quality gun brand that is the style that suits your purpose and then tune it up more and maybe handload precision ammo that the gun likes .

[GQshayne]

And that’s where the advantages of a tactical setup, happen to be ideal.

Let’s watch just how quickly our friend GQshayne can complete this course with his rifle.

I can't see any piggies to chase Womble!!!!

[bigrich]

And that’s where the advantages of a tactical setup, happen to be ideal.

Let’s watch just how quickly our friend GQshayne can complete this course with his rifle.

i've never been out hunting and had to navigate through a military obstacle coarse .

i'm with GQshane , a hunting rifle should have a good stock fit with a instant , comfortable sight picture for point and shoot hunting. i've used trees and my toyota as a rest for longer shots . it boggles my mind when i meet younger fellas with chassis stocks, bipods and big scopes that tell me their going hunting. i can see these features as a advantage if your set up in a static position over a rabbit warren or thermal pest culling over crops .
it's up to the individual to choose what's best for the job at hand using pratical common sense ,and not fall for peer pressure on "what's cool" and looks tactical. my working rifles are stainless tikkas in B&C stocks . accurate , weather resistant and reliable . i leave my classic blued/ walnut rifles for comps at the range mostly . it's what suits me and my uses

[bigrich]

No , external looks alone does not make for good or bad accuracy . It's how the gun is constructed and how precision that construction is . There is many things that can make or beak good accuracy and few of them show externally that I can think of , maybe a heavy barrel on a chassis stock can indicate it may shoot better than a flimsy thin barrel on a weak plastic stock .
Generally speaking the alloy chassis pistol grip stock is intrinsically more accurate than say a normal wooden stock , due to not flexing and less expanding or contraction and not changing zero in different weather conditions and having a more stable bedding area . But just throwing an inaccurate barrelled action into a alloy chassis is no guarantee it will shoot any better . A better marker of potential accuracy is a quality brand with a reputation for accuracy . Certain style and looks can indicate a gun is more suitable for a certain purpose more than anything else . I once had a full alloy stock on my spotlighting rifle and it was so cold in winter shooting that I took it off and replaced the original bedded wood stock . So you buy the good quality gun brand that is the style that suits your purpose and then tune it up more and maybe handload precision ammo that the gun likes .

absolutely 100%

[Wapiti]

I suppose with people, once they've tried a few setups over many years, people soon learn what is best for them and what they do.

From an engineering perspective, a chassis rifle isn't necessarily more intrinsically accurate than say, a "traditional" B&C, Hogue or alloy-bedded HS Precision stock. These stocks can be and usually are, actually stiffer than a chassis rifle.
Before I cause a fit in someone or unintentionally hurt someone's feelings, see I said "can be, and usually are".
That's because that these conventionally shaped ergonomic stocks aren't just a bit of alloy machined out, they are also wrapped with stiff carbon or fibreglass/epoxy fibre, with forends designed to sit steady when used in impromptu holds or to also conform to your hand. This alone makes a huge difference to a fast, good pointing firearm and an inherently steady one.
Yes, a conventional plastic cheapie that's flexible and just pillar bedded cannot compare.

We have had some of these chassis stocks show terrible alignment. A firearm action needs to be bolted into a stock that is perfectly straight, one that doesn't induce any stresses into the firearm action.
Chassis stocks are inherently heavy because of quite a lot of reasons.
Attachment variations to fit buffer tube type stocks, different pistol grip fashion, cheek risers to suit the huge coke bottle sized scopes that are seemingly essential today, magazine options, rails for every other bolt on needed today.
To try and be relevant for something other than competition shooting, these stocks are lightened as much as possible. For people who just shoot on a range, or carry a rifle for a limited time, like PRS or whatever, this doesn't matter.

We've machined up perfectly straight barstock and used this to check the straightness of a few chassis stocks and have found they are not as straight as I would have expected, because of the lightening needed to make them in any way relevant to the user who has to carry the things around all day.

Each to his own. A stock that suits what I do isn't necessarily going to fit the needs of someone doing something else. It's hard to get a perspective across on this, only experience over time for the things one does personally.

[womble]

And that’s where the advantages of a tactical setup, happen to be ideal.

Let’s watch just how quickly our friend GQshayne can complete this course with his rifle.

I can't see any piggies to chase Womble!!!!

They are very good at hiding.

[GQshayne]

That they are!!!