For those of you who have used both. Which do you prefer and why? Traditional bottom metal or DBM? Love to hear your thoughts on the matter.
I am in the Traditional Camp.
I’ve used both and settled on a stock for sure. Lighter, easier to hold on to and quieter. I do like dbms, especially the Hawkins flush mount.
1 Like
All but one of my rifles has the floor plate type bottom metal. Recently I had a 6.5PRC built with the Hawkins flush mount DBM. Haven’t spent enough quality time with it to this point to form an opinion. Although I can see the need for a spare magazine to be had.
I’m currently using that DBM as well. It’s a nice product. However, for my hunting rifles I still prefer a box. I hate leaving a clip behind when I head out on a hunt. It happens to the best of us. Nearly all of what I would call lifelong woodsman do as well. They don’t want anything extra in their pack or any extra noise.
I like a traditional grip stock as well. I can it more precisely everywhere except a bench. I try to convince my clients that are coming in new to shooting and hunting to strongly consider a traditional set up if they are not going to be using the rifle for a specific competition.
Big game and predator hunting mostly take place later in the year and throughout the winter, so comfort is a huge consideration. anyone ho has carried an aluminum chassis in the winter knows how to quick-freeze their hands with one.
So, the material the stock is made of becomes a serious consideration. Wood, carbon and other composites are mostly ok, but you don’t want to let your hands get in contact with winter cooled metal regardless of configuration.
In warmer climes/times it is possible to get quite comfortable the weight-saving chassis made of aluminum, magnesium, etc.
Of the five hunting rifles I have owned three were wood stocked and two were composit. One was laminated wood. All but one had magazines, either blind or could be opened. However, the one I still have is composit with a detachable magazine. The only chassis I have ever had are on my competition rifles.
For hunting I prefer a very light traditional stock. It is quiet, easy to carry, pulls up fast and allows me to get a good shot off in as little as a second. On one measured occasion, I pulled the rifle off my shoulder, ranged an antelope at 500 yards and shot it in the heart at 500 yards in 3 seconds. I occasionally hunt with a chassis and find them to be heavy, clunky, slow to pull up and slow on safety switch. That same shot would take me 4 or 5 seconds.
I have a hunting rifles in both a chassis and a traditional stock. The chassis wins on comfort and shootability at the range, but once I factor in having to carry it in the field, especially during our cold rifle season in the north, I always end up taking the traditional one with.
I also have a few of each and I use both but all of mine have a flat bottom and are a minimum of 14-pounds I hate a light gun I just can’t get the wobble out of them. I don’t have to walk very far to my stands either.
