Drake Associates Stalker Gen II
During the Sniper Company SHOT show shoot 2012 I was able to spend a little time with the Stalker Gen II rifle system. When it first made its way to the firing line I was instantly drawn toward it. It isn’t something I see often in field precision rifle matches. The rifle was short and compact not your usual long barreled precision rifle.
I like the rifles ability to quickly adjust the ergonomics for the individual shooter without having to use tools. I was shown how the adjustments are made and you can quickly dial it in for a different shooter. If the shooter is comfortable behind the rifle he won’t fatigue as quickly and can maintain a higher level of focus for prolonged periods of time. I also think the ability to quickly change the ergonomics from one shooter to another is an asset for LEO departments and MIL units. Situations where you may not have one precision rifle for one shooter 100% of the time.
The chassis also featured a free floated fore end that offers the ability to attach additional tools like IR illuminators, lights and thermal units. At the 12 O’clock position is a monolithic rail the runs the length of the fore stock and mates up to the action receiver. This provides an excellent rigid platform to attach your optics. In this case it was one of the new Leupold Tactical scope with a Horus reticle.
Something that jumped out at me was the fact this chassis folds to the right and accommodates the action bolt handle. I thought that was an excellent idea to protect the bolt handle and assure the action stays closed. Another feature I haven’t seen before was the ability to access the trigger without having to remove the barreled action from the chassis. Those familiar with chassis will know that if you do not have an externally adjustable trigger and have to make some adjustments you will need to remove your barreled action from the chassis its self. That is not the case with this rifle, you can remove the magazine well and trigger guard and access the trigger to make the needed adjustments.
The action itself was a short action with standard bolt face. It had 4 locking lugs and utilized a M16 short/Sako type extractor. The 60 degree bolt lift was a special treat because I am so used to a 90 degree lift. The action was extremely smooth and easy to run. The short bolt lift and smooth action made follow up shots very easy and fast! The rifle was fed from 10 round AICS type magazine which is an excellent feature because the AICS magazine system is very prevalent in precision shooting. You have your choice between different magazine makers and the ability to run 5 round magazines or 10 round magazines.
The rifle barrel was short to maintain the need for a compact system. The 16” 1-10” twist fluted barrel was finished with a Rangemaster muzzle brake. The brake was loud but did its job and took any hop or jump out of the rifle. The fast twist barrel shot Federal Match 168 grain and 175 grain factory ammo very well. I was able to go from my 6.5mm match rifle right over to the Stalker Gen II and rapidly connect with a 25”x15” IPSC steel target at 762.68 yards. Coming back to the 100 yard zeroing target I was able to shoot a sub-MOA group and I’m sure with more time behind the rifle I would have been able to quickly bring that down to 0.5 MOA.
With the Stalker Gen II’s compact size, sound suppression is an obvious route to go. With its short barrel you can attach a suppressor and still have a very manageable short system with the added advantages of suppressing the report of the rifle. With a suppressor attached the report of the rifle is tamed and the largest sound signature is the bullet breaking the sound barrier which ends up sounding like a loud “crack”. If you need total sound discipline you can switch to sub sonic ammunition. With sub sonic ammunition the bullet is traveling slower than the speed sound and you end up with an extremely quite rifle. Because of the Stalker Gen II’s attributes the Delta P. Designs 762 Brevis suppressor would be my 1st choice. The 762 Brevis is very short for a .308 suppressor and will maintain the balance of the rifle, not unnecessarily increasing the rifles overall length and providing the advantage of suppressing the report of the rifle.
I thoroughly enjoyed my time with the Drake Associates Stalker Gen II and look forward to shooting it again. The rifle system is very impressive, fun to shoot and offers a large amount of modularity for Law Enforcement marksmen and Military Snipers. I am very thankful to Sniper Company for giving me the opportunity to attend their SHOT show shoot and see some of the very exciting things to come in the world of precision rifle shooting.
Joeseh F. Comfort
Sin City Precision Shooters
http://www.sincityprecision.com/a/About-Us.html
PS – I wish I could have had more time with the rifle it was very enjoyable to shoot. Here are more insights I have. The rifle is fairly light and well balanced. That will aid in positional shooting and semi supported shooting. Even with its short barrel making hits a distance is easy.The rifle is compact and easy to transport. I dont normally use 2 stage triggers but I did like the myrid of trigger adjustments so it can be dialed in for the shooters preference. I wasnt a big fan of the particular optic used.
For further detais:
http://www.snipershide.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showgallery&Number=3353492
http://www.snipershide.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showgallery&Number=3352714
Stalker Gen 2 Rangemaster Precision Arms .308 Sniper Weapon System photos from 8541 Tactical
