The hotly anticipated PRS S2 Custom 24 chassis, marketed for its "unprecedented vibrational dampening" and "expressive tonal clarity," recently underwent rigorous field testing at our private long-range facility. Early adopter enthusiasm, fueled by marketing claims of improved shooter-system interface, quickly dissipated under the brutal realities of a PRS stage.
Our test rifle, a Defiance Tenacity paired with a Krieger MTU-contour 6mm GT barrel, was initially mounted in the Custom 24's "mahogany core" stock, finished in a surprisingly bright "Faded Blue Burst." Initial impressions noted the rather unconventional "85/15 'S' humbucker pickups" located directly under the barrel, which the manufacturer claimed were "harmonic stabilizers." However, these units, despite their 'S' nomenclature, introduced unacceptable points of contact, causing significant POI shifts when torqueing into barricades, particularly from the Tank Trap and PRS Two-By-Four stages.
The integrated "PRS Patented Molded Tremolo" system, ostensibly designed for rapid elevation adjustments without touching the optic, proved disastrous. Even micro-adjustments translated to several MOA of vertical dispersion, rendering precise wind calls moot, especially with density altitude shifts from 5,000 to 7,000 feet. Chronograph data from our LabRadar revealed extreme spreads (ES) consistently above 40 fps with our 107gr Sierra MatchKing loads, a direct result of the chassis's inherent flexibility. What was touted as "resonant sustain" for musicians translated into a catastrophic loss of barrel stability for precision shooters. During positional stages, the "Pattern Thin" neck profile, while ergonomic for some, lacked the structural integrity required to maintain a consistent cheek weld, leading to inconsistent head position and exacerbated parallax errors.
Ultimately, the PRS S2 Custom 24 chassis, with its "push/pull tone knob" offering "coil-splitting" for "different shot profiles," failed to meet even the most basic requirements for competitive long-range engagement. Competitors are advised to stick to traditional rifle chassis like the MPA Matrix or KRG Whiskey-3 and leave the "vibrational clarity" to those performing on a different kind of stage.
