Printable View
Is the Choate Tactical $60 better than the Boyd Pro Varmint?
This will be a 25-06AI with a heavy barrel that will be primarily used for paper punching/steel ringing, coyotes, and maybe one or two "bean field" sits on my deer property.
First-hand experience trumps opinions, but since everybody has an opinion let 'em fly.
The Choate has an aluminum bedding block that the Boyd's doesn't have. Personally, I'd go for the Choate Tactical for the type shooting you intend to do.
It's primarily the block that has me thinking it is, in fact, worth going with the Choate.
Have also heard good things about Boyd's stocks and some folks say you don't need to pillar and bed to get good accuracy. Saves me $60 but could bite me in the ass if need to put time into pillar and bed job.
Thanks, GaCop, for the input. Interested to see if anybody else has thoughts.
Add the cost of your labor and buying the $30 Devcon or whatever other bedding material you decide, you may be better off with the Choate. Pro Varmint is about $110 and the Choate is close to $200, unless you can find one used or on sale.
I've got no regrets with my Tacticool/Pro-Varmint but I was trying to do my build as cheaply as possible. If I hadn't forced myself to a strict budget, I would have likely gone with the Choate since the flat-back LA Duramaxx-es have dried up.
i'm partial to the B&C M40-type stock.
The Boyd's is lighter, but that doesn't really sound like a big selling point for the type of shooting and hunting youl be doing.
I have the Choate on a heavy barrel 284 winchester. The stock is as solid as it gets. Torque on the action is very onsistent and repeatable. I have no accuracy issues with the stock. It is heavy, especially when coupled with a long heavy barrel, but as long as you're not carrying it too far, that's the direction i would go.
Me too but not available in LA...sad...Quote:
Originally Posted by mikgarus
I've got a Choate..love it...inlet'd for CDI DBM its friggin awesome stock...
I have two Choate stocks on recent builds, a 308/260/30-06 switch barrel set up and a dedicated 28" bull barrel bench rifle.Quote:
Originally Posted by 86alaskan
It's sounding more and more like spending the extra $ to get a Choate is worth it.
Supposed to be a budget build but spending more here seems like it's got a good chance of saving me time if I were to have to pillar and bed a Boyd's.
Thanks for the input, has been very helpful to hear from real folks and not just marketing.
No experience with the Boyds but the Choate is a bolt up and go. I never even bedded the lug. Very stable stock,all free floating where it should be and even a bull barrel will fit no problem. Don't think you'll regret the Choate.
I've got 4 Choate Tactical stocks and 4 Boyd's stocks (1 is the Pro Varmint/Tactical). I like both brands,but the Choate is ready to go right out of the box. I always order my Boyd's stocks unfinished,and then do everything to them myself,but I've never needed to glass or pillar bed any Boyd's stock and every rifle that wears one will shoot right with the Choate Tactical stocked rifles.
Funny how things work out. Have been keeping an eye on eBay a used stock that will work and be budget friendly.
Found a 112 laminate stock for $95 yesterday and snagged it. Photos look good so we should be all set when it shows up next week.
Was just about ready to pull the trigger on the Choate too.