Sisk Tactical Adaptive Rifle (STAR) Multiple-Position Rifle Stock

by Jeff Quinn

photography by Jeff Quinn & Boge Quinn

December 7th, 2012

UPDATED February 15th, 2013

UPDATED November 11th, 2014

 

 

Click pictures for a larger version.

 

 

 

 

Multiple sling stud mounting positions.

 

 

Fully adjustable cheek piece.

 

 

Butt plate is adjustable for length, pitch, and cant.

 

 

Buttstock rotates at wrist a full 360 degrees.

 

 

Barrel is free-floated in chassis.

 

 

Accuracy.

 

 

 

 

Charlie Sisk of Dayton, Texas has been building top-quality hunting rifles for many years, catering to the needs of sportsmen who demand the very best equipment. I had previously heard of Charlie Sisk, and have seen some examples of his craftsmanship, but had never met Charlie until about six months ago when he landed his private plane at Outlaw Field in Clarksville, Tennessee.

I met Charlie at the airfield, and we got into my Suburban and drove into town for some good Mexican grub. While waiting for the feast to arrive, he opened his computer and showed to me some very interesting CAD drawings of a new stock which he had designed, and which was in the process of being built. The design really piqued my interest, for it was like no other which I had ever seen. Charlie had conceived a rifle stock which would allow the rifle to comfortably fit the shooter, no matter the position from which he had to fire the weapon. My only question was, “When can I shoot it?”

After a couple of months of working on the rifle and tweaking the design, the prototype rifle was ready, and I flew down to Houston, Texas, where Charlie, along with David Biggers of Biggers Consulting, picked me up for the drive to Dayton and the Sisk Rifles facility. For the next two days, we fired Charlie’s prototype tactical long-range rifle outside from multiple positions, and also inside at his one-hundred yard range. Over the course of those two days, Charlie changed the barrel from 223 Remington to 243 Winchester to 260 Remington, and with each barrel, it exhibited amazing accuracy.

The most impressive thing about the rifle is the stock, and that is what we are looking at here; the STAR rifle stock. The STAR is really more of a chassis, or an adjustable portable vise, or a platform, which holds the barreled action, creating a solid shooting machine. Whatever you choose to call it, this chassis is made primarily from aircraft grade aluminum, hard coated for durability, and it adjusts like nothing else on the market.

Charlie has several patents which cover his unique stock design, which is purpose-built to exactly fit the weapon to the shooter, no matter the position. Many times, a sniper or designated marksman will have to get into position and wait for several hours before making his shot. When the chance comes to make that shot, if the shooter is confined to an uncomfortable position in which he has to fight to get the rifle on target, that shot most likely won’t happen. With the STAR chassis, the shooter can adjust the length of pull, the height and angle of the cheek piece, and the pitch, height, and cant of the recoil pad. In addition, the wrist of the stock is indexed to easily and quickly rotate a full 360 degrees around its axis, to get the shooter’s eye aligned exactly behind the scope, no matter the position from which he has to shoot. At long range, parallax is a much bigger deal than most shooters think it is, and having the eye in perfect position can make the difference between a hit and a miss. The STAR stock puts the eye exactly where it needs to be, no matter the shooter’s position, nor the bulk of the equipment that he is wearing.

In Texas, shooting the prototype rifle, we were able to comfortably adjust the rifle stock to shoot from many positions, the most impressive of which was shooting underneath cover from a hole only six inches high. I am a left-handed shooter, and found that by rotating the buttstock and adjusting the angle of the recoil pad, I could take the rifle from one of the other fellows, who are both terminally right-handed, and fit it perfectly to me in under a minute, by making a couple of adjustments.

Earlier this week, Charlie again flew into Outlaw Field, and this time instead of his computer, he brought with him a production rifle, which he left here for me to shoot. He arrived at the airfield at night, and had to scale a seven-foot security fence topped with barbed wire, but together we were able to get him out of there, and drove to Stewart County and the Gunblast World Headquarters. Shown here is one of the first production STAR stocks, which is built for a left-handed Sisk barreled action chambered for the 308 Winchester cartridge. Charlie had already mounted a Leupold Mark 4 Tactical scope onto the rifle, which is a perfect choice for such a weapon, so all I had to do was make a couple of adjustments to the stock, and get to work. In addition to the premium Buffalo Bore Sniper ammunition, which is my first choice when testing a quality 308, I tried a couple of handloads that used the 169 grain Sierra Match King bullet and Varget powder. As expected, accuracy was superb.

The stock shown here is finished in a hard-coat tan, and contrasts well with the black barreled action. While the Sisk tactical rifle accuracy is superb, it is that STAR stock which allows the shooter to take full advantage of the accuracy potential built into that custom barrel and action. The video shows the workings of the rifle stock better than does the still pictures, but for the next couple of days after receiving the rifle, I had a lot of fun firing it. The complete rifle weighs in at fifteen and one-half pounds, so it would not be the ideal choice for slinging across your back while climbing a mountain, but for a tactical rifle, fired from various positions, I know of nothing better. The chassis fits the barreled action perfectly. The action is precisely bedded into the chassis. CNC machining allows for a tight fit of the action, and the barrel is free-floated for consistent accuracy. In addition to the tan shown here, the STAR stock is offered in many different colors and camo patterns. Depending upon your preference, Charlie will build you a complete rifle, or sell you the stock to fit your rifle. The stock is available either right-handed or left-handed, to fit Remington or Savage barreled actions, with other brands available soon. While there are many good bolt-action rifles on the market, most are lacking in the quality and fit of the stock, making it difficult for the shooter to take full advantage of the accuracy potential of the weapon. The STAR stock turns a good rifle into a great rifle, and this STAR rifle is the one that I would want in my hands, if I had to make the most important shot of my life.

Check out the STAR stock and complete rifles online at www.siskguns.com.

For a look at the extensive line of quality Leupold optics, go to www.leupold.com.

To order premium Buffalo Bore Sniper ammunition, go to www.buffalobore.com.

Jeff Quinn

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Click pictures for a larger version.

 

 

 

 

Shooting the prototype STAR rifle in Texas with Charlie Sisk.

 

 

 

 

Rifle uses detachable Accuracy International style magazines.

 

 

Leupold 4.5 to 14 power Mark 4 scope.

 

 

Buffalo Bore Sniper ammunition proved to be very accurate from the Sisk rifle.