MDT HNT-26 Chassis System

Chassis systems are very common for target use now, and although they might seem like a good idea for hunting, they are often a bit heavy, bulky, cold, and noisy, with too many niches or adjusters desperate to snag clothing or foliage. MDT is quite probably the chassis king, so it was nice to see the company use its head to come up with a chassis for hunters and to address most of these concerns.
First, the HNT-26 really does weigh 26oz (740-grams), to help build a super-light rifle. The forend and butt are easily recognisable as carbon fibre, which although at a premium price, is a superb material for integration in an engineered component where strength and light weight are paramount. What’s less obvious is the use of magnesium and not aluminium in the central receiver area of the stock. Magnesium is sometimes seen in items like binoculars, where it can be precisely moulded to shape without sacrificing weight, even to aluminium, which is about 30% denser.

Options
This MDT chassis is available in multiple inlet options for Remington 700, Tikka T3, and Savage rifles (both long and short-action formats). The forend is available as bare carbon fibre or with an integral ARCA rail that enables easier fitting of accessories in this increasingly common format.
On test, I had the plain carbon unit with standard forend, which seemed to offer everything I needed, with conventional sling studs under the forend and butt, as well as multiple M-LOK slots across the truly rigid enclosed forend for additional accessories. I must admit that for additional illuminators on a foxing rifle, these will offer superb versatility. If you shoot from a tripod, the ARCA rail is a superb option. I shot from a clamped tripod head, and in fairness, the stock is totally rigid and will grip securely in position without any detrimental zero shift.

Assembly
The chassis arrives boxed in two main parts. The rear end/action inlet simply bolts to your rifle, and the correct length action screws are supplied, so there is no internal trimming to do to avoid snagging your bolt lugs. The receiver area is accurately machined, with support rails for a stress-free interface, and when I shot my gun, the zero was unaffected, which is a sure sign of no additional applied stress.
Once the action and barrel are in place, the carbon fibre forend slots over the barrel and offers a tight interference fit with the magnesium, into which three T15 screws are fastened to complete the overall build. It took me about five minutes on the Rem 700 I used. The instruction on the stock reminds you to only go “finger tight” on the fittings though, as the threads are small, and magnesium is quite soft. I would personally thread-lock all the stock screws, but not the action screws, but that’s just my opinion.

It feels good
Bearing in mind that I am not normally a chassis fan, once the bipod is fitted, you get a feel for the stock, and it is very appealing. It certainly does fulfil its intention of being a hunting stock. The grip is hollow carbon fibre and AR-15 compatible, and it looks nice, but I’d prefer something rubberised, so there is a bit more grip in this location. The back end offers a bag rider for precision use, and there are QD stud anchor points on both sides here, as well as on the forend. The stock folds to the left and has a secure locking latch, so when in use, you are never bothered by any kind of rattle in the unit. Up top, the cheekpiece is vertically adjustable, and there are twin grub screws on the right side to secure its position. I like the fact it has been kept slim and has a soft foam cover too. You get great head alignment, and your cheekbone is supported without excessive lateral jaw displacement.
The Length of pull as standard is very short at 12.5” (316mm) but spacers and extra screws are supplied so that you can build this up to 13.5” (343mm). I feel this is still comparatively short, but I suppose you could use additional spacers and longer screws if desired. The recoil pad grips your shoulder securely, and there are no snags on your clothing when you address the rifle.

Noise signature
MDT has foam-filled the hollow carbon fibre, so you don’t get any ringing noise. Also, importantly, there is no vibration resonance through the chassis during recoil. The HNT-26 is AICS magazine compatible and there are plenty of 5 and 10-round options available in whatever calibre you are using. There’s an ambidextrous magazine release lever on the front of the spacious trigger guard, so fast changeovers are fumble-free and the feed/function on the rifle are not disturbed. The stock is available for left-handed actions too, and it’s good to see it has retained plenty of internal space for any aftermarket trigger options that a Rem 700 footprint action might have fitted. Also, the safety catch is neatly surrounded for normal operation.

Conclusion
I’m no great chassis fan but I actually like this one. I admire MDT for doing a very good job of blending the concept with appropriate materials, while still minimising the fuss factor of multiple external adjusters and snag points. The stock is very light yet remains ultra-stiff and very pleasant to shoot with. Just bear in mind that you will need to choose the appropriate action and barrel profile/weight/material to maximise the weight saving and to ensure the rifle balances correctly for your needs. For example, my rifle was nose-heavy due to the sound moderator and the 20” steel barrel that has a 22mm diameter. So, in an ideal world, perhaps this chassis would work best when married to an action with a Proof Research carbon barrel, making a very lightweight rifle indeed.