Earlier this week, I decided to order an XLR Evolution chassis for my Savage 10 .308. It was something I've wanted to do for a while now, and I finally committed. In the meantime, I have been thinking about the assembly. Does anyone know if there is a recommended torque setting for the 6 screws that go in the locking block on the front of the chassis? I have read through some threads looking for the answer, and I see that the suggested max torque for the action screws are 65 in/lbs, but I have not seen anything mentioned about the other screws. I'm assuming most people are just snugging those down, but figured I would ask while I waited for the stock to arrive...............which should be next week since one was in stock.
Any other tips or suggestions are welcome too.
Thanks.
It will come with torque instructions but to answer your question...all screws are 45 inch lbs action screws are 65 inch lbs....you will love that chassis...get the folding adapter so you dont have to mess with your butt stock settings when you clean it.
OK thanks. I figured the instructions might say what to do for torquing them, but I got antsy and decided to ask.
I did not order the folding adapter. I did briefly mention it to Nick with XLR, but said I did not want it. In retrospect, maybe I should have ordered it. I had been thinking about the cheek piece possibly being in the way while cleaning. My hopes were that the cleaning rod would go under the cheek piece without having to lower it. From you post, it sounds like that won't work. I guess I can order it later.
The main reason I held off on the folding adapter was I wanted absolutely no play or wiggle. But from reading other threads, everyone says it locks up solid.
Yes order it or youll be messing with the adjustments every time you clean...the folder has two set screws to take the play out of the folder...very simple to adjust and makes it lock solid.
I did not know about the set screws. I guess I should have ordered it, but I was hoping and thinking that I did not need it. I guess installation is straightforward? Did you put yours on? I was wondering how to time it so it is oriented properly.
it comes pretty much assembled except for the hand guard...just drop your barreled action in and loosely install the action screws...slide the hand guard into place...it has a hole in the bottom of it that goes over a set screw near the barrel nut in the chassis...put the cap over the hand guard and snug up the 6 screws that hold it in place...id then torque the action screw to 20 inch lbs starting with the front then the back and then check to make sure the tang is floated and the trigger is not binding up...through the bolt in and dry fire a couple of time to confirm everything is good...if everything is good pull the bolt and torque the action screws 10 inch lbs at a time starting with the front then the back...add 10 inch lbs and do the same thing again starting with the front until you reach 65 inch lbs...then go back and torque the hand guard screws to 45 inch lbs starting with one screw on the left then one on the right and continue in that criss cross pattern going up 10 inch lbs at a time until you reach 45 inch lbs.
i guess you could just torque right to the 65in/lbs and 45in/lbs but personally i like to pull everything in slow and evenly so i know everything seats nice.
You can always add the folding mechanism later if you wanted to. My cheek rest is far enough back that allows my .338 bolt to be removed without having to readjust the comb every time... I went back and forth between whether or not I should get it but ultimately decided against it since I could always order it after I got the chassis.
I guess it's a matter of personal preference, but it fits well into my standard Cabela's case with a 28" barrel and no folding mechanism. I guess to me, it's more of a luxury than a necessity. Definitely a little on the pricey side too.
And some motivation for you:
[I]"In the end, run what 'ya brung because it's better than nothing and don't give two ****s what some interwebs chat board guy says about your rig."[/I]
LongRange, I will definitely do as you as suggest and tighten it down incrementally.
WinnieTheBoom, sharp rig. My rifle has a 24" barrel. I'm looking forward to receiving mine. It should be here Monday or Tuesday of next week. For now, I decided I would hold off on the folding mechanism. I'm going to play around with it and see how I like it. Like you, I might decide I can get by without it. If not, I can order it later.
Thanks for the help and advice.
Nice, you're going to love it. As LongRange said, it will come with torque specs and mounting instructions. Super easy and quick, just make sure you check the action screws every so often. Mine had come lose after a 1 or 2 range trips, so just something to keep in mind.Originally Posted by NicfromAlabama
Post up some pictures when you get it and let us know how you like it! Nick produces some top quality craftsmanship, I have no doubt that you'll love it.
[I]"In the end, run what 'ya brung because it's better than nothing and don't give two ****s what some interwebs chat board guy says about your rig."[/I]
If I had not procrastinated on ordering last week, I would have it in time for my long Thanksgiving weekend. I thought there would be a long wait time anyway, but Nick said they just happened to have one in stock. I had to order a torque driver anyway, as my current one does not go past 40 in/lbs. So, the chassis and torque driver should be arriving at about the same time.
I will make sure to keep an eye on the screws. I was actually apprehensive about going to 65 in/lbs initially. I'm assuming yours were torqued to that. I was also wondering if there would be any benefit in trying different torque settings on the adjustment screws and checking accuracy levels. It seems that some say yes and others say no. I have done that with rimfire rifles and seen improvement, but not tried it with centerfire rifles.
I do look forward to using it. I started building AR-15s about a year or so ago. Turns out, I really like the ergonomics of the AR platform, and that is the main reason I wanted the chassis. The current stock for the rifle is made by HS Precision, has an aluminum bedding block and it is a nice stock. I just never warmed up to it. Although, the rifle does shoot well with it.
Hopefully, once I have everything situated, I can post some pictures. I know my current low (Warne) rings on the rifle will not allow the 50mm scope to clear the tube of the XLR chassis. But, I think I have some medium and high quick detach type that should work.
Last edited by NicfromAlabama; 11-25-2015 at 09:36 PM.
Just torque them to 65 inch lbs and be done...i played a little with torque tuning and mine shot best when i tightened all 3 to 65.
That what I wanted to hear. I was hoping someone had put forth the effort to do that. So, thanks for saving me the time.
I know torque tuning works well with other stocks including the ones with the aluminum blocks but youll see when you get your chassis its a tight fit.
Another question while I wait for the chassis to arrive. For those that have the chassis, what magazines are you using? I ordered a 5 and 10 round Accuracy International magazine when I ordered the chassis. For some reason, I started wondering what the maximum cartridge length would be for these magazines. Online sources say 2.850" for the Accuracy International magazines. My Savage detachable box magazine accepts just over 3.0", so I was a little disappointed in reading that. However, my Savage is not very long throated like a CZ I previously owned, so I am probably fine loading as long as I want anyway. I was just hoping for a little more wiggle room.
I did see Alpha Mag sells their Type 2 magazine, which accepts up to 2.965" cartridges. I did read something about having to mill down feed ramps for them to reliably work though, but not sure if that would apply to my rifle.
Anyway, I have too much time on my hands thinking things over, so I figured I would ask.
Last edited by NicfromAlabama; 11-27-2015 at 03:07 PM.
The AI mags aren't super roomy inside but they should be more than suitable for your rifle. You'd be able to use the Alpha Type 2 mags since they have the same compatibility as the AI but I haven't heard anything about the feeding issues... fwiw I've heard that they've been fine for the most part but they very well may require polishing the feed ramps to feed properly. Like I said though I probably wouldn't even worry about it as there's something else going on if you need to seat your .308 more than what the AIs will allow.
[I]"In the end, run what 'ya brung because it's better than nothing and don't give two ****s what some interwebs chat board guy says about your rig."[/I]
I wasn't too worried about it, but I could see it being an issue if I really wanted to get close to the lands with some bullets. I checked the measurements on the bullets I have. I should be able to load most as long as I want and still have room with the Accuracy International magazines, but it will be close. I would not have minded a little extra room. I may try an Alpha mag at some point in time later.
Thanks.
I received the chassis last week. I installed it, but had to remove it later since I needed to work on the trigger,so I did not have it back together until a day ago. My first impression is favorable. Like LongRange said, the fit is tight...........as in exact. I had to bump the rifle with my hand a few times to remove it from the chassis when I disassembled it. Assembly is very easy. The only problem I encountered was the rear action screw, and I was pretty much aware of the situation already from watching an assembly video. The rear action screw is about 1 inch recessed. My normal 3/16" bit for my torque wrench could not reach that far. I ended up ordered a 5 pack of 2" long hex bits from Amazon and received them today. So, keep that in mind if you only have stubby bits.
Ergonomics of the chassis is great. I was wondering about the grip. The grip feels very good in the hand. The Accuracy International magazines are nice, snap it perfectly and I cycled a couple of rounds through it with no problem. I think I have plenty of room for loading whatever length in the magazines.
I did not order the folding stock adapter. I thought about doing that later, but after looking over and adjusting the stock some, I think I can do without it. I will need to move the buttpad and cheek rest down every time, but I feel I can adjust everything back the way it was without much hassle. I have the buttpad as high as it can go, so that will be easy to put back. I practiced adjusting the cheek pad just by dead reckoning and can pretty much get it back like I want it every time just by guessing. I will probably make some hash marks with a Sharpie on the cheekpad screws and by the slots to match up. In retrospect, I might have bought the folding adapter, but I think I will be fine. Just out of curiosity, I tried to see if my AR tool would fit over the tube to remove the castle nut. I'm assuming that is how the tube is removed. I had read the tube is over-sized. Sure enough, I could not get the AR tool to go over the tube.
I also had to order a Pro-shot cleaning rod. They have a small diameter handle, which will allow me to clear the buttpad.
I would have shot it today, but I got sick yesterday and have been coughing non-stop. So, maybe later.
The first picture is of the rifle in the original HS Precision stock.
Looks much better...when you shoot it youll know why they cost what they do...also i think theres a set screw in the buffer tube nut so take a look if you remove it.
Thanks. I do like the looks better, and it is much more comfortable to me.
Yeah, I saw the set screw, and wondered if it was for the tube. I was a little misleading in my earlier post. I was not trying to remove the castle nut, I just wanted to see if my tool would fit over the tube if I decided to change over to the folding adapter later.
Also, thanks for all the help.
You will after having to readjust a few times lol.
The finish on the cheek rest will start to wear down after you adjust it a few times, so it should be pretty easy to get it back to your preferred settings without much of a hassle. Also consider moving the cheek rest back a little further providing your eye relief is still good... I was able to on mine and can remove the bolt without having to adjust it.
Chassis looks great, and be sure to post up your impressions after your 1st range session.
[I]"In the end, run what 'ya brung because it's better than nothing and don't give two ****s what some interwebs chat board guy says about your rig."[/I]
Thanks. I might go out behind the house and shoot a bit today if I can motivate myself. I'm over most of my sickness, but took a day off from work, as I'm still not that great.
Yeah, I need to tinker with it some more until I get everything where I want it. I think I have my scope a little too far back and was going to move it forward some, but I will probably just move the cheek rest back like you suggest.
Thanks for all the help and advice.
I shot with the chassis a little while ago. I mainly wanted to get everything adjusted like I wanted. Point of impact was probably about an inch higher than in the old stock. I did not shoot much and no groups that I shot were spectacular. Mirage was terrible. I started out with a low grain load of 178 grain bullets and clean barrel. The group wasn't bad for a clean barrel. I then shot 4 5-shot groups of Nosler 190 grain overrun bullets that I bought for a decent price. None of the 190 grain groups were that good. Just to make me feel better, I then shot one last group of 178 grain bullets. It wasn't too bad considering I swapped back over to them.
So, I did not accomplish much, other than getting everything adjusted and test for function. I was hoping the 190 grain bullets would shoot better, but the groups I shot were on the low end of the ladder, and I have more to shoot before I get to the upper end of the loads. I figured they need to be pushed harder to shoot well with the 1:11.25 twist barrel, if they shoot well at all for me.
I did enjoy the comfort of the stock.
Yeah I'd probably stick in the 168gr range.... 190 is way heavy for that barrel twist.
[I]"In the end, run what 'ya brung because it's better than nothing and don't give two ****s what some interwebs chat board guy says about your rig."[/I]
I figured I would try them as I have several. I bought them for shooting subsonic rounds with my 300 Blackout since they were so cheap at the time. I may play with them a little bit longer, but I will be surprised if I see any success using them.
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