Manners Mini Chassis or other bottom metal?

[welldonecj7]

I'm in process of starting to order parts to build a light weight long action hunting rifle and going to go with an EH1 Manners stock and trying to decide on mini chassis or another bottom metal likely APA or Hawkins?

Online it shows 0.62lb for the mini chassis does anyone have experience and think it worth extra weight of the mini chassis?

Thanks in advance

 

[Lawnboi]

Are we talking bdl? Or the aics mag mini chassis.

Aics mags and lightweight hunting rifle don’t go together for me

 

[Cjl2010]

Are we talking bdl? Or the aics mag mini chassis.

Aics mags and lightweight hunting rifle don’t go together for me

Hawkins dbm with accurate mag was 3oz heavier than Hawkins M5 bdl with Wyatt’s box, spring, and follower.

 

[Secant]

I had a lightweight long action built using the EH-1 with the MCS-DBM mini chassis. I've also used the MCS-DBM in other L/A & S/A stocks as well as the MCS-BDL mini chassis. In my experience, the listed weights of the manners stocks are right at real world weights. I know some others have complained about discrepancies, but that has not been my experience. The listed weight of the MCS-DBM mini chassis is 0.62 pounds = 9.92 oz. The weight of APA/Hawkins/Other DBM + pillars + bedding should be in the 7 -8 oz (ish) range.

The price increase of the mini chassis is about $360, which includes 1 AICS/Accurate Mag (normally retails for about $90).

Aftermarket dbm will be about $175 - $285 (dbm) + $90 (mag) + cost to bed.

In my experience, the mini chassis is repeatable when swapping barreled actions (no need to re-bed), the cost is basically a wash, so the difference is a couple ounces.

 

[jda2631]

If you want DBM, absolutely go mini chassis. If you are going BDL, you can probably save some weight, but I would probably still go mini chassis unless you are counting ounces.

Another plus with mini chassis is no bedding, bolt and go.

 

[Lawnboi]

Hawkins dbm with accurate mag was 3oz heavier than Hawkins M5 bdl with Wyatt’s box, spring, and follower.

Yea but you have a metal mag hanging out the bottom.

 

[Cjl2010]

Yea but you have a metal mag hanging out the bottom.

True, guess it depends how you hunt, Ive never had a single issue with a mag hanging out the bottom but some dudes seem to struggle with it.

 

[Secant]

Yea but you have a metal mag hanging out the bottom.

That's what flushcups on the side are for. All my rifles balance in front of the magwell, so the magazine does not get in the way of handling the rifle in any way. Ammo management using mags is a big plus. My rifles have all fed a little better using mags. Really the only downside of a dbm is a few extra ounces. Different strokes I guess.

 

[Rob01]

The mini chassis is excellent. All I have now except for one stock. It all comes down to how much weight you need to lose. I think the benefits of the mini chassis out weighs a few ounces but you will be the one carrying it on a hunt.

 

[welldonecj7]

Thanks for all the input this is my first custom bolt gun and trying to do my research and get good parts. Open to input from everyone. I am going to go with dbm. If it is within a few oz sounds like it would be a good fit for me.

 

[Rob01]

Going DBM then definitely go mini chassis.

 

[Lawnboi]

That's what flushcups on the side are for. All my rifles balance in front of the magwell, so the magazine does not get in the way of handling the rifle in any way. Ammo management using mags is a big plus. My rifles have all fed a little better using mags. Really the only downside of a dbm is a few extra ounces. Different strokes I guess.

I get it, I have left side cups as well. Manners dbm mini chassis is pretty awesome, I really like mine, but I do prefer the bdl for a hunting setup, that or flush mags. If I were building another gun with a bdl I’d get another eh1 with the bdl mini chassis. Too convenient

 

[Brux]

I personally run BDL on my custom hunting rifles. If I could find a DBM that sits almost flush I would use them.

 

[Chargerguy]

I also went with the manner BDL mini chassis for my hunting rifle. Just a note for anyone considering the BDL mini chassis, the Wyatt’s CFE-12 is a drop in fit, but the MBE-3 requires the chassis to be milled out (wider).

 

[Secant]

Curtis Custom 3rd 308 Win Flush mag

Flush fit AICS style magazine with a 3 round capacity!

www.gaprecision.net

Good luck finding a L/A mag in stock though.

 

[308pirate]

Hawkins dbm with accurate mag was 3oz heavier than Hawkins M5 bdl with Wyatt’s box, spring, and follower.

Facts and measurements, such inconvenient things......

 

[welldonecj7]

Can anyone give input on best mag to run for the 300 prc in the manners mini chassis?

 

[Sprayed99]

I personally run BDL on my custom hunting rifles. If I could find a DBM that sits almost flush I would use them.

Hawkins new hunter flush DBM with their new billet magazine. I have both for 308 and 300wsm (<6.5 PRC) It is not cheap, but it is about as slick of a setup as you would ever want. I can post pics tomorrow of it.

 

[b6graham]

Can anyone give input on best mag to run for the 300 prc in the manners mini chassis?

MDT or Accurate CP mags

not a a manners (ran mini chassis when i had manners) but i have a McMillan Z1 with hawkins M5 DBM now and not a single complaint. no need to bed and i can run Hawkins M5 oberndorf with a wyatts 300PRC kit for hunting

if you're set on only ever running mags mini chassis is the way to go. if you want options then bottom metal is a good choice but you'll probably want to bed the manners