Build of the Month: Stoop Pursuit

Don’t get it wrong, we love our ARs, but we also have a soft spot in our hearts for bolt-action rifles. So, when our friends at Stag Arms, located just over the Wyoming border, launched their new Pursuit Bolt-Action series last fall, we knew we had to get one in.

A near-complete rifle on its own, we kept this month’s build light in accessories. After slapping on a Warhawk 4-20x precision riflescope and mounting it all to a Two Vets tripod, the perched rifle looked like a large bird of prey diving out of the sky – or what’s called stooping in falconry. Thus, the Stoop Pursuit was born.

Stag Arms Pursuit Bolt-Action

The result of collaboration with hunters and precision shooters, the Stag Arms Pursuit Series is the AR rifle manufacturer’s first bolt-action. Currently offered in 6.5 Creedmoor, 6.5 PRC, and .308 Win chamberings with 22”, 20” and 18” length barrels, respectively, in black, OD Green, and tan stock colors, we opted for the latter offerings for our peregrine build.

Built around the popular Remington 700 Short-Action with a 3-lug bolt head, dual ejectors, and 60-degree throw, the Pursuit feeds from AICS/AW pattern magazines like our 5-round Magpul PMAG. The flat face TriggerTech Rem 700 Primary Trigger allows for single-stage precision complemented by guaranteed sub-MOA accuracy from the rifle’s 416 stainless steel, spiral-fluted barrel. The muzzle is also threaded 5/8-24” for a suppressor, but we left ours at home to keep the overall footprint small.

Up front, the contoured Pursuit forend features ambidextrous QD sling mounts, 12-o’clock M-LOK slots, and a forward Picatinny spigot mount – popular among long-range competition shooters. At the rear, the rifle’s sleek buttstock offers adjustable length of pull and cheek height with two additional ambi QD mounts and an included bag rider. A vertical, well-textured grip positions the shooter’s hand in the optimal position for a consistent and repeatable trigger pull. The upward angle of the stock from the grip also allows shooters to better hold the rifle and use support bags when shooting off benches or from the prone position.

Unique to the Pursuit, the patented stock can be easily removed from the rifle using the takedown pin behind the receiver. Stag isn’t currently offering additional stocks and we’re not aware of any others on the market compatible with the rifle series, but we expect that to change in the future.

Swampfox Warhawk 4-20x FFP

When we want to go long, we reach for our Precision lineup. At the top of the line is our Warhawk Series, with magnification ranges from 2-10x to 5-25x. Wanting more power than an MPVO but not needing to shoot the petals off newly in-bloom spring flowers, we selected the more-than-capable 4-20x for the job.

Constructed on a standard 34mm tube with large 50mm objective lens, the Warhawk 4-20x is an apex predator. Efficient light transmission and fully multi-coated lenses produce superior glass clarity while side parallax adjustment and a rear diopter allow for enhanced focus at any magnification. Together, Warhawk offers the eagle-eye vision needed to shoot far and accurately.

Both elevation and windage turrets have push-pull locking functionality with zero reset for on-the-fly adjustments while chasing prey or riding the wind.

Available with either our Sharpshooter MOA or MIL reticles, we prefer MILs when there’s the potential for shooting long distance. Glass-etched, the first focal plane (FFP) Sharpshooter MIL reticle can be used with or without red illumination, powered by a CR2032 battery. Two MIL hashes run along both axes until you reach 24 MIL, which then note 1 MIL out to 32 MIL. A bottom ranging grid provides ample holdovers when scanning the horizon.

Swampfox Hostile Engagement Rings

Securing the Warhawk to the rifle’s 20 MOA Picatinny rail are our 34mm Hostile Engagement Rings. Though initially using taller 1.93” height rings, we quickly realized we didn’t need over 50 MOA of vertical adjustment between the rail and reticle and switched to the lower 1.60” pair for better perfect sight picture.

Like our Hostile Engagement cantilever mount, each HE Ring has two integrated 45-degree, RMR-footprint red dot mounts for offset optics. As a precision build, it didn’t make sense to use these this time out.

Magpul Bipod

Though we prefer to shoot off a tripod, a Magpul Bipod is more versatile when stalking in the field. Simple and easy to use with over 10” of available height, 50-degree pan, and 40-degree tilt, the lightweight bipod could be mounted to either the forward spigot mount (via Picatinny) or under forend M-LOK slots, like ours.

At a minimum, every precision rifle should have a bipod. It also just happened to be the only real accessory we needed to add to the Stoop Pursuit build.

Outside of our own optics, there’s one product consistently featured in our Build of the Months – the Two Vets No Name V2 Tripod. In fact, this is now its fourth appearance on a build. And while it may be the only tripod we have, it’s also all we need.

But what the No Name V2 lacks in name, it makes up for in adaptability and functionality. Weighing less than 5 pounds, the tripod offers a maximum height of 65.5” while also collapsing down under two feet. Each of its three legs features three adjustments with three angled positions for shooting at various heights across any terrain. At its lowest position, the tripod can win any game of limbo sitting an impressive 5” off the ground. You may be better served using a bipod at that point, but it's still pretty cool.

Adding a Two Vets Ballhead to the tripod allows us to easily position the rifle to quickly transition between targets both laterally and vertically, while the Desmond Arca-Swiss Adapter provides a secure connection between rifle and tripod.

If you’ve ever watched a hawk or bald eagle, you know just how fast and powerful birds of prey can be. Their eyesight and hearing are some of the best in the animal kingdom, while also packing razors for feet. And though some can have massive wingspans, many species have adapted over thousands of years to be compact, efficient, and deadly hunters.

The more time we spent behind the trigger of the Stag Arms Pursuit, and this specific build, the more parallels we found between it and such birds. By itself, the Pursuit Bolt-Action is feature-rich in a short overall length footprint thanks to the 18” barrel of the .308 Win model. Its adjustable stock has been perfected for precision applications, while its spiral-fluted barrel delivers guaranteed accuracy at range. Adding the aptly named Warhawk 4-20x riflescope atop only enhances the rifle’s performance capabilities while both bipod and tripod act like talons when shooting off any surface.

With a smooth trigger, comfortable stock, clear glass, and versatile platform, the Stoop Pursuit proved to be a lethal tack-driver on paper. Taking it out beyond 500 yards was a breeze, knowing the rifle and optic are capable of more than our range could provide. It may not be our sexiest build to date, but there’s always room in our heart for one more bolt-action.

Stag Arms Pursuit Bolt-Action, .308, 18”, Tan

https://www.stagarms.com/products/stag-bolt-action/pursuit-bolt-action/stag-arms-pursuit-complete-rifle-18-308-sporter-fluted-tan-sabr01040001.html

Swampfox Optics Warhawk 4-20x, Sharpshooter MIL

https://www.swampfoxoptics.com/warhawk-precision-series

Swampfox Optics Hostile Engagement Rings, 34mm

https://www.swampfoxoptics.com/hostile-engagement-rings

Magpul Bipod, M-LOK, Black

https://magpul.com/bipod-m-lok.html?mp_global_color=118

Two Vets Tripods No Name V2, Leg Stopper

https://www.twovetstripods.com/no-name-v2-w-leg-stopper

Two Vets Tripods Dual Tension Ballhead, 44mm

https://www.twovetstripods.com/44mm-dual-tension-ballhead-w-area-419-arcalock-qd

Desmond DRC-60 Rapid QR Clamp, Arca-Swiss Adapter

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09HJGCJJ2