@Terry Cross curious if you have any updated info you're willing to share about the SOLUS action and your experiences? (If there is anything to share or if you have the time) Thank you!
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Thoughts on the Aero Precision SOLUS ?
- Thread starter zenpre
- Start date
Just don't pay full price and wait for a sale then? This is the only hobby where I've seen folks complain about sales and lower prices.
I only have the solus chassis and I bought it used so didn’t pay full price. I’m good with that.
I picked up an Aero Solus, 20" M24 .308 in the Bravo, really liking it, getting close on load tweaking. It's not an Impact or AI, but for the money an outstanding product. I'm really hoping for a 16-18" .223 version.
Ref sales, not going to say who but I called to order some product, Called as I had a question and spoke with the owner. Well ordered a few things, forgot a couple and went to order online the next day and see a sale had started site wide. You can't tell me that the owner didn't know about the sale and would either tell me to order the next day or "start" the sale early.
Ref sales, not going to say who but I called to order some product, Called as I had a question and spoke with the owner. Well ordered a few things, forgot a couple and went to order online the next day and see a sale had started site wide. You can't tell me that the owner didn't know about the sale and would either tell me to order the next day or "start" the sale early.
a guy in my squad last weekend was using a solus action and let me dry fire and mess around with it after the last stage. I was impressed! Bolt ran smooth and bolt lift was noticeably lighter than that on the tikka I was shooting.
Not knowing the company size or owner involvement but it’s very possible.
Ownership may not even know there is a sale because it was signed off 6 months ago. “
“We have 3 sales a year I don’t know when that marketing and operations job, spring fall winter, what week end I have no idea”
As long as the financials are matching the business plan put forth by ownership they might not even care, if they aren’t involved.
“All arrows are up” and people hitting their targets/goals for KPI and revenue..don’t even email me.
I just received a pair of solus actions. My observations so far. One unit has relatively lightly bolt lift for a 3 lug, the other is heavier. Tenon threads are not timed the same. Trigger hanger plays fine with. TT trigger, but a BnA will need low sear height. Headspace is within 0.00025 of another they're the serial numbers are way apart. It's the same exact spec as the print from solus/origin. I have a low round count 6br origin prefit headed this way that I'll be screwing on. Test fed some 22br through an AW mag(hrd br kit) with one my 22br origin barrels screwed on, and it fed very well. The actions feel like 650$ actions, smooth if ran perfectly, but side load the bolt a little and the get sticky. Hoping they smooth out after some rounds, and the heavier bolt lift goes away on the one action, time will tell!
I skipped the Solus action but I got to see the chassis in person and was surprised by it. I’m a fan but I do wish it had a full bridge option and Aero is really dragging their feet on the folder. Personally I’m not an Aero precision fan. I have this chassis and one lower. I think those are their best products.
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Interesting. I have one I bought from PVA with a 308 barrel and I have a BnA Tacsport Pro X and it’s working fine the way it was set up at the factory which I thought was the medium sear height.
1- some get much worse than otherd side loaded, this is one of them, this unit doesn't handle hardly any side pressure. A lone peak fuzion or my old DLC origin you can run like a crayon munching retard and they're still smooth. I'm sure they'll smoothe out in time, hopefully......
2- yes comparing lift w/o triggers and with them.
Received my error, precision solace, and put a little bit of lube on the bolt which I do on all my guns and I put quite a bit of lien on that sideways bolt and it still ran like butter.
where there’s metal on metal you gotta have lubrication
Dare I say this one runs better than my defiance anti-X action…?? Glides like bearings I don’t think my defiance does that, but I have to remember that my bolt handle is completely hollowed out for weight reduction.
This one has got a fair amount of weight in the handle which aids in maintaining the motion once you start the extraction/bolt back towards you
where there’s metal on metal you gotta have lubrication
Dare I say this one runs better than my defiance anti-X action…?? Glides like bearings I don’t think my defiance does that, but I have to remember that my bolt handle is completely hollowed out for weight reduction.
This one has got a fair amount of weight in the handle which aids in maintaining the motion once you start the extraction/bolt back towards you
I kinda disagree. I run all my nitride or DLC actions dry. Lube your action and go shoot a windy match in a dry day with dust blowing everywhere. I'd be cleaning the action every stage, no go for a match rig.
Other complaint is the cock on close, their website clearly states a cock on open designed but it's closer to 70/30 split as I get 0.060" of cocking when closing the bolt with a TT trigger installed. Also only measured 0.212" firing pin fall. Likely adequate if the fp spring is heavy enough.
I'll get a few hundred rounds down it and reevaluate!
Forgive my ignorance but what exactly is a recess mod?
FYI I'm just under 800rds on my first Solus with the stock 6.5 barrel withno issues. Bolt is a good bit smoother than when new as is bolt lift. I don't lube it anymore, also didn't completely degrease it. Bolt can't be handled without getting greasy fingers.
Couldn’t pass up the deal midway has going right now on the solus hunter so I ordered 2. These will be my first experience with the solus. $1500 for these is a steal. Hopefully aero releases a 373 bolt face soon so I can turn one of them into a 223.
for my rifles yet always had them on some sort of tripod and around a lot of grass
… I have got to agree with your sentiment about not wanting lube.( My anti-ex is just bare metal so it has to have some)
this will be my hunting rifle so I doubt I’ll be out in some dirty field shooting 100 rounds flat on my belly with the barrel compensator blowing every which way with each shot.
I also am not in another country in a 200 vehicle convoy formation, going down a dusty road, having to fight a bunch of goat farmers carrying AK-47s.
If that was the case, I’d get out the brake degreaser and spray it on all my bolt and inside my AR 15, or risk it being fouled considerably with that fine sand or a.k.a. 220 grit Lapping compound.
Once I got out of the truck, then I’d probably dump some oil in it because a little bit of lapping compound never hurt them.
you make some excellent points though as I’d probably make the mistake and have too much lube on my bolt action and it probably get all gritty if I was shooting in Highwind dusty environment like you have done with your rifles.
Some guys will run a spray on graphite lube that dries, it honestly only needs to be on the lugs and on the receiver raceways. Most 700 clone actions have an anti-bind rail that's machined inside the receiver that the bolt body rides along preventing binding. I didn't look too closely inside the solid to see if one was there. I'm not near the actions to look for a bit.
I use Tri-Flow dry lube on my bolt guns (except a spec of grease for the cocking ramp and back of the lugs). Works great. The Solus definitely needs some lube in the raceway the bolt stop rides in - which is also the anti-binding feature on the action. Even without a fluted bolt, it ran perfectly for the entire 2 days of the AZ Ghost Hunter match at Gunsite this year, with some of the thickest clay dust I’ve ever been in. Rain on day 2 tried to make it into cement, but the Solus just ran.
To be clear… use one shot “gun cleaner and lube”
NOT one shot “case lube” that most folks think of when they hear “Hornady one shot”
Picked up my solus hunters today and first impression is they are excellent. The triggers will get swapped for some triggertech specials and one of them will get the proof CF barrel I already have. Actions are both really smooth out of the box and will get better with time. Both will get topped with Steiner t6xi 3-18s. Looking forward to some field time with these rifles.
Thanks for the reply.
I’m coming from semi auto rifles ..
Bolt action is new to me
I lubed up everything on my Gas guns! …everything.
My next question is now that aero precision is coming out with their light weight, hunter models they claim the action has been profiled even better for smoother, most smoothest action in the industry so I was curious if anybody is shot this new action, the light model with the rails that are cut???
Smoothest in the industry?! That's a BOLD statement!
I'm surprised their is no asterisk there with a fine print, would have them an out. That's a guarantee that's not going to hold up.
I've got easily 500+ cycles on my Solus action, and it's ridiculously smooth with a light bolt lift...Much lighter than any of my 2 lug actions. The only thing I've done to it was put some Aeroshell 33/64 on the bolt and raceways and cycle the crap out of it, and it broke in super smooth. It's ready for a barrel whenever @CarbonSix decides to finish it... It's now over 6 months and a couple weeks ago they said they still have NOT even built the blank...
Not impressed with them so far. This fucking barrel better shoot absolutely lights-out...Like sub-1/4 MOA @ 100 with handloads or I'm not going to be happy. I'm already ready to cancel the order and buy a Proof blank, have them ship my reamer back to me, and then have a Proof spun-up by someone else. Probably still could get it back quicker... 
No shit... I don't like McGowan as a company (they're a bunch of douchebags), but they do make decent barrels...Sometimes.
I'm not exactly happy with @CarbonSix right now giving me the goddamn runaround. Every time I email them it's "I'll check on it, and get back with you after lunch..." After lunch it's always the same answer, "We're still waiting on the blank, so we can finish it..."
Update as of today...
I called @CarbonSix and talked with Gene, who was super nice and helpful. He did some digging and talked with Justin, and we found out that it was McGowan who was in-fact taking forever to build and ship the blank to them. I just wanted to clarify so we clear things up that this was NOT a CarbonSix issue...This was the dickholes at McGowan not pulling their thumbs out of their asses and making my blank (no surprise given how McGowan treated me for simply asking questions on the phone about 10 years ago).
So... I have now temporarily halted my order for the .25 Creed barrel with CarbonSix. They were super awesome to work with, and really nice and helpful, so instead of cancelling my order, I will probably just have them build me a barrel in another cartridge (for the Solus) on a blank they DO actually have in stock. I'm thinking I will go .260 Rem Ackley Improved, to push the Berger 156 Elites...But I am also tempted to order a 7mm SAW reamer from WTO and have them build me a 1:8 twist 20" 7mmSAW barrel to be able to swap to.
But, Gene also offered to build me a 7mm PRC barrel for one of my spare 700 magnum actions that I have in the safe, and sending it to them for proper headspacing and install. Which is fine, because I had the gun custom built 10 years ago, and never shot the damn thing. I already had a 7mm STW and didn't need a spare, but had the barrel laying around. So, I might go that route. I will keep this updated. I really wish Aero would release the magnum long actions so I can just order a 7mm PRC prefit for it, as well.
I DID, however, order one of the special order 20" / .257 / 7.5" twist Proof Research carbon fiber blanks from Evolved Ballistics, and then used one of their recommended builders to commission the prefit barrel build for .25 Creedmoor. I decided to go with Blue Mountain Precision. Erik seems like a really nice guy, and very knowledgeable after talking with him on the phone. He says 4-6 weeks lead-time, and I did not pay the extra $150 for a rush job, since I have already been waiting 6 months for the CS blank...I figured there was no reason to pay extra for that because I can wait another 4-6 weeks for it at this point. I will keep the thread updated.
I called @CarbonSix and talked with Gene, who was super nice and helpful. He did some digging and talked with Justin, and we found out that it was McGowan who was in-fact taking forever to build and ship the blank to them. I just wanted to clarify so we clear things up that this was NOT a CarbonSix issue...This was the dickholes at McGowan not pulling their thumbs out of their asses and making my blank (no surprise given how McGowan treated me for simply asking questions on the phone about 10 years ago
).So... I have now temporarily halted my order for the .25 Creed barrel with CarbonSix. They were super awesome to work with, and really nice and helpful, so instead of cancelling my order, I will probably just have them build me a barrel in another cartridge (for the Solus) on a blank they DO actually have in stock. I'm thinking I will go .260 Rem Ackley Improved, to push the Berger 156 Elites...But I am also tempted to order a 7mm SAW reamer from WTO and have them build me a 1:8 twist 20" 7mmSAW barrel to be able to swap to.
But, Gene also offered to build me a 7mm PRC barrel for one of my spare 700 magnum actions that I have in the safe, and sending it to them for proper headspacing and install. Which is fine, because I had the gun custom built 10 years ago, and never shot the damn thing. I already had a 7mm STW and didn't need a spare, but had the barrel laying around. So, I might go that route. I will keep this updated. I really wish Aero would release the magnum long actions so I can just order a 7mm PRC prefit for it, as well.
I DID, however, order one of the special order 20" / .257 / 7.5" twist Proof Research carbon fiber blanks from Evolved Ballistics, and then used one of their recommended builders to commission the prefit barrel build for .25 Creedmoor. I decided to go with Blue Mountain Precision. Erik seems like a really nice guy, and very knowledgeable after talking with him on the phone. He says 4-6 weeks lead-time, and I did not pay the extra $150 for a rush job, since I have already been waiting 6 months for the CS blank...I figured there was no reason to pay extra for that because I can wait another 4-6 weeks for it at this point. I will keep the thread updated.
It was the twist rate that was causing it to be delayed so much, not the cartridge choice. I had already sent them my new Alpha Munitions Legacy .25 Creed reamer. They were just waiting on McGowan to spit out a .257 barrel in a 1:7 twist rate. But after running the calc's on the Berger stability chart, even at 0 ft. ASL, a 7.5" twist stabilizes the 133 Elites all the way down to like 2,600 FPS. And I'll be pushing these nearly 3,000, so they'll be MORE than stable at any elevation. That's why I decided to go ahead and drop the extra on the PR barrel from Evolved Ballistics, and then just build something else with the CarbonSix order. I mean, yeah...I paid for 2 barrels, but at the end of the day, I get 2 high-quality prefit barrels in 2 different cartridges that I can swap around on that rifle. I like options.I’m so glad I like normal cartridges
I found this odd as well. It's advertised as cock on open, but upon measuring, it clocks 0.150 upon opening, and about another 0.060 upon bolt close.
Finally got 1 barrel on order that the blank was actually in stock (Proof .25 Creed). And going to call Carbon Six today after lunch to discuss options further with Gene. I made a dummy round this weekend using a Berger 156 Elite, and I’m order for it to fit inside my MDT mags, and not have the beating surface and boat tail dropping down into the powder column, the only logical option is 6.5CM over .260 Rem AI… I was really hoping for the .260 AI to work, but in a short action, it’s still not viable for making use of the long super-heavy bullets. The bullet still dips too far into the case and will interfere with case capacity. At this seating depth, they will still fit and feed in my MDT mags and Solus action. I’m going to have it custom throated where this seating depth is 0.010” jump to the lands. Mixed with StaBall 6.5 powder, this thing should be a LR hammer.
.260 Rem (left) - Berger 156 Elite (center) - 6.5 CM (Right)
I was really hoping for the .260 AI to work, but in a short action, it’s still not viable for making use of the long super-heavy bullets. The bullet still dips too far into the case and will interfere with case capacity. At this seating depth, they will still fit and feed in my MDT mags and Solus action. I’m going to have it custom throated where this seating depth is 0.010” jump to the lands. Mixed with StaBall 6.5 powder, this thing should be a LR hammer..260 Rem (left) - Berger 156 Elite (center) - 6.5 CM (Right)
You'll be shorter than saami freebore in that situation. I run 153.5 Bergers which have a lil longer base to ogive, 35k jump in a new throat, I was at 2.930 coal. Touching I was too long for reliable feeding from arc aics, and just barely fit into an AW mag, too tight for comfort.
