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What’s cooler than being able to hit a target at a thousand yards?
Not much.
Firearms, as a hobby, are not cheap.
Precision shooting, even more so. If you want quality equipment–you better be ready for some wallet hurt.
But most of us don’t need the “best,” especially when we’re just getting a toe wet in the sport.
What Is It?
If you’re into precision long range shooting, then you already know who MDT is–but if you’re not into the sport, then you should know that MDT is growing in the space at a huge rate. Their pro shooters are winning competitions and their chassis are winning the hearts of shooters the world over.Best Beginner Long-Range Chassis
$420
at Brownells
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
Available Coupons
-
25% off all OAKLEY products – OAKLEY25
Copied! Visit Merchant
Who Is It For?
Clearly, the main target is shooters that are new to long-range precision–but they aren’t the only ones that should be interested in the Oryx. If you’re looking to build a training rifle or looking to try out a new caliber or action, the Oryx provides a much easier way of exploring options while still giving you the outstanding benefits of a great chassis.
Fit, Feel, and Finish
The fit of the Oryx is great, the finish is also well applied and while not the most aesthetically pleasing, the anodized black will protect the chassis for years to come. The feel is a bit off, however. If you’re new to great chassis then this isn’t something I think most people would pick up on, but having been spoiled by the LSS-XL, ESS, and ACC chassis, the Oryx, by comparison, feels like what you would expect for spending less than half the price. The strangeness of the feel is most prevalent when loading. Oryx uses standard ACIS magazines, like the MDT polymer magazines, the same I used in my other MDT reviews. Due to the anodizing, it was a bit of a tight fit getting the magazines in and out of the chassis for the first dozen or so times. This didn’t impact the shooting at all, it just took some iterations to work itself in. The cheek rest is adjustable using a couple of set screws to hold it in place makes for a fairly easy to adjust rest. It held rock steady and served my face well. Length of pull is adjustable, but not out of the box. Spacer kits can be had from MDT for an extra $20 per set of 4 0.25″ spacers. For me, one set would have been enough to adjust the LoP to a perfect fit. I would highly recommend getting a set when you order your chassis.
How Does It Shoot?
My other MDT chassis all used Howa 1500 Barreled Actions, but this time around I wanted to try something different, so MDT sent me an Oryx set up for a Tikka T3x. The donor rifle I used for this project was a Tikka T3x CTR in 6.5 Creedmoor. I haven’t even shot this Tikka using the factory stock yet–as soon as it came home with me it first went into a Boyds AT-One thumbhole stock where it lived for a few weeks before the MDT Oryx came in the mail.
What Are Your Options?
While my Oryx was made for the Tikka short-action, the Oryx actually comes in a huge range of options including Howa 1500 long-action, short-action, mini-action, and mini-youth, Remington 700 and 783 short-action, Ruger American short-action, and Savage and Savage Axis short-action. This gives you a really nice set of options for building a rifle of your own or if you’re looking to upgrade a rifle you already have. Legacy Sports should be offering a Howa/Oryx pre-built rifle in several calibers soon, but for right now it doesn’t look like they are on the market.By the Numbers
Reliability 5/5
Granted, reliability is mostly reliant on a good action–but MDT’s magazines and fitment were perfect. Zero issues installing the action or using it in any form.Accuracy 5/5
Oryx, paired with a good action and barrel, shoots wonderfully. For a factory action and barrel shooting factory ammo, I’m very happy with sub-half-MOA–especially since I only tested a few brands and weights of ammo, I hope to tighten these groups even more with some experimentation!Ergonomics 3/5
The lack of adjustability in the length of pull in the field knocks off a couple of points for me. Granted, using spacers isn’t a problem – but it is something you have to set up ahead of time and limits your ability to adapt. If you set your LOP for summer t-shirts, you’ll find it off when it comes time to shoot in a winter coat and layers. Since I’m in California, this won’t be a huge issue but I’d imagine that a shooter in Minnesota would find this more annoying. Other than the LOP, everything fits how you would expect. The cheek rest is great, the grip is MDT’s awesome grip, and the thumb rests feel right.Looks 3/5
No one has looked at anodizing and said “Damn, that looks slick”. It’s a highly functional finish and, while the Oryx’s finish is applied very evenly and firmly, it doesn’t exactly make your eyes pop. That said, the chassis does look solid and looks like it is ready to go to work. It’s a no-nonsense chassis that, if it could talk, I’m sure it would be gruff and squinting.
If you really want to change it up, MDT does offer different colored side panels in black, FDE, gray, and OD Green.
Customization 4/5
M-LOK on the bottom of the forend, spacers for the LOP, and adjustable cheek rest. This is honestly all that you need, but it isn’t everything you might want. For all of the bells and whistles you’ll have to get the ESS or ACC chassis–but even at what it is the Oryx offers a lot more than most factory stocks and even many aftermarket stocks and chassis.Bang for the Buck/Value 5/5
This is an outstanding value for what you get. You get what you need. A $1,000 chassis feels like it should cost a $1,000, but this $400 chassis doesn’t feel like it should only be $400–to me, it feels like 80% of what a top-of-the-line chassis is. And it absolutely shoots way above the price point!Overall Rating 4.5/5
For the intended market, I highly recommend the Oryx. If you’re new, want to try something different, or need a chassis for a training rifle, the Oryx is one that you need to strongly consider!Best Beginner Long-Range Chassis
$420
at Brownells
Prices accurate at time of writing
Prices accurate at time of writing
Available Coupons
-
25% off all OAKLEY products – OAKLEY25
Copied! Visit Merchant
Parting Shots
I love seeing budget-minded gear, I love it even more when it actually works! Oryx won’t likely win any national matches, but it very well might be the stepping stone that you need to get there as a shooter. MDT has never failed to impress me and I think with the introduction of the Oryx a lot more people will be able to see just how much fun and how challenging long-range shooting can be! Do you shoot long-range? What set-up are you running? Don’t forget to top off your new rifle with some great optics: Best Long Range Scopes!
17 Leave a Reply
Have you tried magpuls AICS pmags in this chassis? Per KRG's site they don't work in the KRG Bravo
Waiting on a delivery for my Savage SA 6.5 Creedmoor, but that is only half of the story.
I was on the site with the not so smart phone, on the Savage page, ordered the Oryx stock or so I thought. It ended up for a rem 700 sa when I got the confirmation! What the heck, I will just cancel the order. No cancel feature, so I sent emails after trying phone calls, oh no you can't cancel the order!
Dug out the laptop and ordered the correct stock seeing the whole page and selections.
December first if the wrong one isn't in my hands and hasn't shipped then I can cancel?!
Love their product line but not thrilled about their site/service.
I have one with a Savage Axis action and Shilen barrel 6.5mm Creedmoor. This is easily my most accurate rifle and shoots .3 MOA with Hornady ELD-m 147gr, Alpha brass handloads. The rifle cost me <$1000. The chassis gets the job done quite well. The barrel has almost no contour and it has plenty of room in this chassis. It aint the most pretty or comfy chassis however, at the price, it is a great option.
Will this work with a tikka t3x in 300win mag?
Did you use the 20" or 24" barrel on this build?
20" in 6.5 Creedmoor
Thank you! Nice looking build!
Thanks for the review! Just to be sure, would I order the Tikka SA for a Tikka T3x CTR 260 Rem? I wonder if the stock could be modified for adjustable LOP?
David, thank you for a great review, definitely pointed me in the right direction for my first build!
Glad to have helped! Enjoy!
Hi David, thanks to Your great review i'm planning to buy the chassis as well as a tikka ctr. Yet, I'm concerenced it could be to heavy for hunting. Could You please tell me the overall weight of the chassis + the tikka ctr??
I don't have that rifle in that chassis right now so I can't weigh it for you :( off the top of my head I believe the weight without a scope and unloaded was right around 10-lbs, I would consider that a little chunky for hunting with unless you're hunting from a blind.
It's not too heavy, but I wouldn't choose it for a long canyon stalking trip.
How about the howa 1500 on an oryx? Would that be a decent training rig for someone to get their feet wet starting out long distance? I’d be shooting 6.5 creed
Yes it would. The Howa 1500 is a very solid rifle and makes for an awesome barreled action, dropping it into the Oryx would be an outstanding starter rifle.
hey David great review! I'm looking to build my first rifle. any chance you could send me a list of parts needed to build a $1000 dollar rifle (223.) utilizing the oryx chassis including glass like you mentioned above?
Hey Zach, We're coming out with a more detailed article on 1,000 yards for $1,000 rifles soon but generally speaking for a bolt action rifle it is very easy. All you need is a torque screwdriver, a barreled action, stock/chassis, and optic.
.223 Remington isn't a great cartridge for 1,000-yard shooting - it can reach that far, but it won't be consistent and will be highly susceptible to wind. I would recommend a different caliber such as 6.5 Creedmoor, 6mm Creedmoor, .308 Win, or 300 win mag. My top choice would be 6.5 Creedmoor.
Using something like a Ruger American for your doner action/barrel will run you around $400, maybe a little less. Plus the Oryx chassis and you're left with around $200 for a scope.
A Vortex Crossfire II 6-18x scope will get you on target and be accurate until you can upgrade to nicer glass. It won't turn heads at the range, but it'll get the job done!
Can you do a comparison on budget night vision scope for AR