Cheytac usa

[gzitterspiller]

I was reading a lot of information from this website about this company and the fact thst with less money you could custom build your own rifle with same accuracy to these expensive 10k rifles.
But I created this thread to know a little more about the history of the company.
Could you tell me how they started and if they are still in business (I have read that they started at 2001 closed at 2009 and re opened at 2012).
I also read that they sold civy versions of their rifles but now they offer the same military top quality to civilians.

 

[Phezzik]

Cheytac started by designing a round more capable at extended ranges in terms of precision and energy on target for military applications (the .408 Cheytac), then designed a rifle to fire the round. Thats where the M200 came in. Initially it would consistently hold rounds on a man sized target at around 3300 yards, but then they developed the .375 Cheytac which soon replaced the .408 and the battlefield domination round, or whatever the hell they called it. The bullet design of both the .375 and .408 keep the round stable through the entire transonic flight, whereas a lot of the .338 and .300 caliber rounds would destabilize once they hit the transonic speed.

The rest, in essence, is history. The rifles (as you can see) were too expensive, the rounds were ridiculously expensive (it's cheaper, or at least was, to reload .50 BMG), and while it is popular with ELR shooters, you won't see a lot of them at your local gun club, hiking up the side of a mountain on a hunt, or in tac matches. Don't get me wrong, they're out there and they are a lot of fun to shoot (in my opinion), but for the civilian market there are just better options out there for far less money. I took a Cheytac M200 armorers course back in 2009, and while I was impressed at the performance (the closest they let us shoot the M200 was 1400 yards), I just couldn't see the point.

Edit: I pulled most of this out of my memory from 2009, which is sketchy at best. I can go get my notebooks if anyone really wants the hard data (weights, velocities, barrel life, initial design, ect), but feel free to correct anything I got wrong.

 

[Dogtown]

Yep, the current version of Cheytac is entirely new owners and management apparently and has next to nothing to do with the original company.

 

[Defuzer]

also read up on EDM Arms.

 

[Dogtown]

For clarity, the early incarnation of Cheytac involved the following companies:

- LRBT (specifically Warren Jensen) to develop the bullet
- Lawton to develop the barrel
- EDM Arms to scale down the M96 into the XM04 receiver

By 2006 LRBT was out of business and the equipment was sold off to Hooker Tactical and Jamison International (who Cheytac purchased not long afterwards), and EDM was selling the XM04 as a stand alone rifle without Cheytac and had essentially broken off relations with Cheytac over a dispute. Jamison helped make the .408 and .375 brass & bullets available in volume by 2008, which really helped them catch on. At this point Cheytac was having complete rifles made by an outside shop and having a difficult time delivering them to customers, so they struggled until they dropped off the radar around 2009. Then this new incarnation appears, now moved from ID to GA and are assembling complete rifles from new components.

 

[kevad68]

I actually met John D. Taylor (primary developer of the cartridge) at the CheyTac booth one time when I went to the SHOT show in Vegas in Jan of 2008. I think the rifles were running about $7k at the time and their pitch was to Law Enforcement agencies.

Years prior to that (I'm guessing based on where I lived and the computer I was reading them on...maybe...oh....2000/2001), I remember reading (with interest, since John Taylor worked at the time at my Alma Mater-Wayne State university in Detroit) his development notes he had his lab assistant post on the web while he was testing the cartridge. I remember them being quite fascinating because they showed his research from the ground up, the testing and measurements that went into various combinations to come up with the final result. It was very detailed stuff. I'd love to see the old development papers that were on the Internet back then, and I had even asked him when I met him in person if they were still out there but he said he didn't think so.

He's still listed on Linkedin as the Owner/President of CheyTac USA.

 

[gzitterspiller]

Cheytac started by designing a round more capable at extended ranges in terms of precision and energy on target for military applications (the .408 Cheytac), then designed a rifle to fire the round. Thats where the M200 came in. Initially it would consistently hold rounds on a man sized target at around 3300 yards, but then they developed the .375 Cheytac which soon replaced the .408 and the battlefield domination round, or whatever the hell they called it. The bullet design of both the .375 and .408 keep the round stable through the entire transonic flight, whereas a lot of the .338 and .300 caliber rounds would destabilize once they hit the transonic speed.

The rest, in essence, is history. The rifles (as you can see) were too expensive, the rounds were ridiculously expensive (it's cheaper, or at least was, to reload .50 BMG), and while it is popular with ELR shooters, you won't see a lot of them at your local gun club, hiking up the side of a mountain on a hunt, or in tac matches. Don't get me wrong, they're out there and they are a lot of fun to shoot (in my opinion), but for the civilian market there are just better options out there for far less money. I took a Cheytac M200 armorers course back in 2009, and while I was impressed at the performance (the closest they let us shoot the M200 was 1400 yards), I just couldn't see the point.

Edit: I pulled most of this out of my memory from 2009, which is sketchy at best. I can go get my notebooks if anyone really wants the hard data (weights, velocities, barrel life, initial design, ect), but feel free to correct anything I got wrong.

And last time I bother you... what do you know about THOR, I was looking at their products and they have a rifle that looks identically to the m200, and another that is identical to windrunner. I've read too many bad comments on those rifles being poorly made.

 

[Phezzik]

Honestly I don't know anything about it. Shortly after the class, I lost any real interest in Cheytac rifles. I'm still intrigued by the round, but the armorers course I took was a joke, and it was more of a "marketing stunt" than anything else. We didn't get into very much detail about teardown and each mechanical component like every other factory armorers course that I have taken. He spent a lot of time talking about the design and function of the round, the training they offer, and how to field strip the M200, which in and of itself was funny because he just kept referring to how similar it was to taking a Savage bolt apart. The best part of the course was day two, where we spent the whole day on one of the students land out in eastern Colorado shooting steel at 1400 yards with the M200 and M310. If anything I preferred the M310 at the time, which was built off of a Lawton action and Lilja barrel, and it sat in a Mcree chassis. It was a benchrest model, but was fitted with a detachable magazine setup. It was far more accurate, not to say far lighter also, than the M200. In all fairness, though, the M200 was one of their first test rifles that still had the original barrel on it after 5000+ rounds. He claimed they were still testing barrel life on the .408.

So now that I've rambled on again, I don't know anything about Cheytac as it sits today. I still got my t-shirt and a piece of paper showing I took an armorers course, but that's about it. I had a hard time taking the old Cheytac too seriously after that course, so when it came time to build my ELR rifle, I just went .300 wm. If you are interested in the round itself, get an EDM, or even better, find a Lawton, Surgeon, or whoever else makes an action long enough to accommodate the round, get a barrel turned for it, and drop it in a chassis, McM or MCS. You'll be much happier, and probably save some money wich will be needed for reloading components (or ammo if you can find it).

 

[Dogtown]

And last time I bother you... what do you know about THOR, I was looking at their products and they have a rifle that looks identically to the m200, and another that is identical to windrunner. I've read too many bad comments on those rifles being poorly made.

Stay away from THOR (aka Knesek). I think Bill Ritchie at EDM initially licensed his XM04 to Knesek but I have no idea who was actually building the THOR line. This wasn't long after Cheytac was having their rifles made by yet another shop, so it's entirely possible that they were made by a shop that at one time made the M200 rifles.

 

[Early Cuyler]

If you like the style, go wit EDM Arms and Bill Ritchie. I bought one of his early early M96 Windrunners second hand three years ago. I had an issue (self induced to be honest) with it over labor day weekend, called, left my number, and Bill called me from a barbecue within 30min. He took care of me and was top notch throughout the two week process.

Bill, his operation, rifle quality and accuracy, are all tier 1 in my book.

 

[Kubitza123]

If you want a Cheytac I have a beautiful 408CT on a Bat single shot ill be letting lose soon.

 

[defcon]

i would love the real thing but couldnt afford it.

i made a $450 .22LR version of it instead using a full metal airsoft chassis

at a local rimfire match having fun with it

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwNgXjB4H_M