Zeroing
A review of the NEW Accuracy International AT-X
First Look
The new Accuracy International AT-X is a very good-looking rifle that differs slightly from their usual military style and is AI’s first purpose built PRS rifle to meet the discipline’s growth in popularity as shooters were finding that the previous AI models didn’t offer the amount of modularity that is needed and couldn’t give the same adaptability that you would find using a custom build. However, with the new AT-X, it has a brand-new chassis, that also comes in a selection of colours. At heart it still follows other AI rifles with its solid action, over-sized bolt handle and heavy varmint barrel but with this new design it definitely appeals to the PRS shooter!
Calibres
The AT-X comes chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor from the factory and it is based on the AT quick change platform so you can easily purchase new barrels in different calibres and swap them out. Because it has only been offered in 6.5 Creedmoor it shows that AI have kept the focus on PRS style shooting rather than a multi-purpose platform like the AT and AX.
Barrel
The rifle comes with AI’s standard heavy contour 24” barrel and unlike other factory rifles the barrel and action sits very low in the chassis to bring down the centre of gravity which provides a more stable shooting platform when you balance the rifle on a barricade or obstacle. With the right ammo a 24” barrel will do the job, when you start using a 26” or longer it can make the rifle harder to move around a stage, therefore this keeps the rifle compact and easy to manoeuvre.
Chassis
This is our main focus! Their renowned action has been around for years, but this is the first time we have seen a chassis like this from AI. Rifles in their range are usually more focused around prone/sniper style shooting so they don’t always incorporate the factors a competition shooter looks for in a rifle. The chassis includes a full-length ARCA rail which allows you to use a bipod that can slide into multiple positions, as you can see, we are using the Ckye Pod from MDT. At the base of the rail is a barricade stop, like other chassis systems it’s a great addition which protects the magazine and can aid in recoil management.
As you can see down the full length of the fore-end on both sides you have AI’s signature Key-Slot system, they have angled the slots at 45 degrees to allow you to fit a half- or full-length bridge. These can be used for night vision systems or provide a resting place for your hand when shooting so you don’t have to touch the barrel and potentially cause a point of impact shift. In addition to the new bridges, AI have also produced a weight system, following the route of MDT and XLR we are seeing more and more modular weight designs. The weights however, are more positional because you can stack and mount them in different areas along the fore-end. Each weight comes in at 8oz and because of their design you can stack the weights and increase the footprint of the chassis allowing you to have a flatter and more stable shooting position on a bag. A nice little touch they added is the 4 key slot points along the magwell which allows you to attach a match-saver or a pressure switch for night-vision.
On the left-hand side of the rifle, you will notice the cut out magwell, this allows you to have more access to the magazine meaning you can reload much faster. Moving to the rear of the chassis, AI have supplied a standard pistol grip which you can easily change to a more slanted or vertical style to fit your preference, the AT-X is also compatible with an AR style pistol grip. The butt-stock comes fixed as standard but there is an option to add a hinge which will convert the rifle into a folding stock, the cheek piece and length of pull are both adjustable. They are adjusted with two sets of screws on the back, it’s a very solid system however I would recommend changing these to QD knobs which allow you to raise and lower the cheek piece without any tools. To sum up, this is one of the most modular and competitive chassis systems we have seen, they are also available in a range of colours and if you fancy one for your custom build, they also offer the chassis in a Remington 700 footprint which is a nice touch!
Trigger
With the AT-X you get AI’s competition trigger where the pull adjustment ranges from 12oz to 3 pounds. It’s a good factory trigger where you can get the pull set exactly how you want it. The only downside is you can’t get it lighter then 12oz and the blade is rather wide, but all things considered it’s a very nice trigger to use.
Verdict
+ Looks great and has been designed from the ground up to be a dedicated PRS rifle.
+ It is very customisable, with all the attachments available you can really customise the rifle to suit you.
+ Being an AI, it will shoot half inch groups straight out of the box, and you have the benefit of one of the most rugged and reliable actions ever made.
- Could be considered a little expensive as there are lots of competitive PRS rifles out there.
- A custom action can offer you a little more customisation especially regarding the trigger, but AI have still done a great job
- Key-Slot although a good system is AI’s own, most people are using M-Lok or Key-Mod which means there is a bigger choice of accessories
- 7th January 2022