Hunting rifles have evolved drastically over the years, with modern precision machining and materials such as carbon fiber introduced into both the stock and the barrel, and an off-the-shelf rifle can now outperform custom-built actions from a decade ago. Many people with older rifles seek ways to improve their gun without losing the charm of an old school Remington.
Boyds has been in the stock game for a long time and has always been one of the most popular and reliable names in the game. Their stock options have always been a solid, affordable, and aesthetically pleasing option for the hunter wanting to upgrade their stock rifle. Whether that be the excellent Agility line, blending classic lines with modern adjustability and features, or the full-blown AT-One series with complete adjustability and modularity. As someone with a penchant for long-range performance, while I love the Agility, I have always craved a mini-chassis system to really lock down the rifle's performance while maintaining the aesthetics of a traditional hunting rifle. Previously, options for these mini chassis systems were boutique and expensive, with some costing over a thousand dollars. The new Deadset comes in at less than $600 and in a plethora of wood and finish options, letting you keep the traditional look or go as exotic as you wish with color combinations like electric blue to catch the eye.
Upon receiving the stock, I was impressed by Boyds’ work. They have done an excellent job designing their system. With a mix of epoxy and clever inlaying, the interior of the Deadset is well machined and very aesthetically pleasing. One of the first things I did was take 3 separate Remington 700 actions and drop them in to see if there would be any fit or finish problems. The actions span from the late 70s to the early 2010s, and all of them dropped in perfectly, torquing down and sitting flush without issue.
Back in 2022, I reviewed the original Agility stock and was impressed by its functionality and overall finish. The original survived chemical, temperature, and drop tests without damage and had no issues with zero retention. While I would not expect anything different from the Deadset, I decided to put it through the same testing procedure as the original.
As much as it pained me to do so, I took the Deadset stock and not only wiped it with chemicals like WD-40, transmission fluid, and CLP, but also with rubbing alcohol. None of which left a noticeable mark on the finish after 24 hours. To test the weather resistance of the wood's finish, I sprayed the stock with water and left it outside overnight in the rainy PNW. After 24 hours in the weather, I wiped the stock down with oil and reseated the action in the stock, looking for any signs of swelling or warping. The barrel remained free-floated, allowing a dollar bill to slide between the stock and the barrel. Additionally, during testing, I found no issues with accuracy or repeatability, with the rifle returning to zero easily and holding it without issue for the remainder of the review.
I then moved on to drop testing the stock. Accidents can happen on a hunt, whether you like it or not. A stray branch might catch your foot, or a slippery rock might cause a tumble. I have seen many OEM wood stocks split or get hairline fractures from falls and tumbles, even from waist height. I set out to drop the Agility from 6 feet onto the ground 10 separate times with the action installed. Not only did the Deadset survive with no notable damage or marring, but after 10 drops, the rifle had only shifted zero by about 1.2 inches at 100 yards, which one might chalk up to the optic being battered around anyway. I was far more vigorous with the drop testing on the Deadset than I was with the original Agility, and it performed flawlessly in every test I put it through.
One of the many benefits of an aluminum mini chassis is greater resistance to POI shifts caused by varying temperatures and weather conditions compared to traditional wood stocks. Wood stocks can swell or shrink with temperature changes, and without pillar bedding can cause severe accuracy and POI issues. Over the course of the review, I took the Deadset on multiple hunts through the mountains of Imnaha to the rainy coastal forests of the Pacific Northwest. I took the rifle through the sweltering deserts of central Oregon and the snowy mountains of the coastal range. I initially zeroed the rifle at an inside 100-yard tunnel during the review. I intentionally took the rifle out to the most miserable conditions I could imagine to try to induce a significant POI shift, but throughout the process, I was unable to make it fail.
Over the course of the review, I swapped multiple Remington actions into the stock, including a 7mm Remington, a 30-06, and a 300 Win Mag. I fired 60 rounds of 7mm, 140 rounds of 30-06, and 40 rounds of 300. All 3 rifles notably tightened up when dropped into the Deadset compared to their original factory stocks. The 300 was by far the most receptive to the Deadset, tightening from a 1.4 MOA gun to about .76, with some ammo giving me, quite frankly, absurd accuracy with match loads for an old Remington 700.
All 3 actions held up extremely well in the Deadset; none gave me any issues while hunting and hiking through the wilderness. To sate my curiosity, I took the 30-06 out to the Leupold range in Madras and stretched its legs out as much as I could. Taking it to 1000 yards on a bigfoot target was a breeze. I ended up topping the rifle with a VX6HD Gen 2 3-18. Combined with a CDS dial and the Deadset, walking the rifle out to 1000 yards was easy. The weather while I was out there was sweltering, peaking around 101 degrees. Despite this, the rifle held up and performed excellently throughout the course of fire. Additionally, when target shooting in the western half of the state, the stock easily held up to me, bashing it through the brush and shooting off trees and stumps with no issues damaging the finish or affecting the zero.
Another benefit of a proper aluminum mini chassis compared to a traditional stock is precision and repeatability. The way the Deadset is machined provides proper support for both action screws and the recoil lug. This provides a much more stable platform when seating the action and torquing it into place. During the review, I completely disassembled the rifle to assess how repeatable the stock was. Between 4 separate disassemblies, the rifle would always, when torqued properly, return to within 1.2 inches of its original zero. I tested this with two different actions and found similar results. The inlet on the Deadset is well machined and, in my testing, fits all manner of aftermarket triggers like Timney and Triggertech. Comparing the Deadset side by side with the OEM stock and the original Agility, I found the weight difference negligible, with no issues carrying the Deadset through brush on long treks.
Comfort-wise, the Deadset, borrowing from the Agility, has a thick rubber buttpad and an adjustable stock that allows you to fully customize the length of pull to the shooter's preference. Even during longer-range sessions, I found the buttpad to be more than comfortable absorbing the recoil from full-power 30-06 loads. The cheek swell and contours on the stock make shouldering the rifle natural. Snapshots were a breeze with the rifle easily coming up into the shoulder repeatedly. At the time, I was supplied the stock to review Boyds was unable to offer some of their customization options, like engraving and checkering. One of my only gripes with my particular stock is that, on rainy days, the palm swell can get a bit slick; however, you can fully customize your Deadset with checkering, stippling, or any mix of engravings in the Boyds catalogue, negating my one small gripe with the rifle.
Overall, I think the Agility Deadset is one of the best mini-chassis hunting stocks on the market. I love that it combines traditional lines with modern chassis technology. Over the course of my time with it, I have been unable to make it falter. Time and time again, I am impressed with Boyds offering an outstanding product for the price. The additional creature comforts of adjustable LOP and cheek swell make for an outstanding rifle, no matter which action you put in it. The deadset is currently available in a variety of action inlets with more on the way. Given how mine performed, I have no issues highly recommending the Boyds Deadset to anyone looking to upgrade their old hunting rifle or build out a new one based on a barreled action.
