Im looking at ppicking up a Choate stock for my winchester 70 super shadow in 300wsm. Does anyone have any experience with Choate? I've read mostly good, but wanted to find out if anyone here had first hand experience with them

Have a couple of Choate Dragunof stocks on a pair of SKSs.
They fit and function fine.
One of the best looking/feeling stocks out there as far as I'm concerned.
The edges are smoother and the mold flash is trimmed for a nice finish.

I have the ultimate varmint stock on my old 708 VLS. Their stocks are heavy, that's about the only bad thing I have to say about it. Aside from the weight, they are very well built, fit was good, and the UV stock is very functional. Gun shot .75" groups in the factory laminated stock, and shoots that or better in the Choate stock.

Good stocks, especially for the money.

"Their stocks are heavy" X2 and the reason i sold mine. if your going carry the gun a lot i would look at other stocks. HS are really good stocks and i picked up a used one cheaper then i spent on the choate.

They look cheap

I'll be kind. Choate stocks are very functional. Ultimate Varmints are a little heavy, the Ultimate Sniper is VERY heavy. I have both and cannot complain about how well the do. I also have had an HS Precision, I found it to work well, but not as nice as a McMillian. For me the B&C Medalist Tactical makes a great stock. Priced just above Choate, under HS and one third of McMillan with quality just short of HS.

The only experiences I have is one of their tactical stocks on a Savage 110 build. (http://www.midwayusa.com/product/185114/...composite-black)

Overall the stock functions as well as any alum bedded stock; mine has a massive barrel channel which is nice because it gives flexibility to run a bull barrel (currently have a varmint) if I want to.

That said, they do look/feel cheap because it's essentially injection molding around the alum bed block. I've duracoated over mine, and it gave a slightly better feel to the touch (the plastic is dense, so it feels ultra solid, it just previously felt like plastic)

In my situation, I was forced into the Choate (nobody makes a Long Action CF stock for Savages). That said, if I did have alternatives as you do, I would have gone to an HS or Bell & Carlson, over the Choate. I've got other HS and B&C stocks, and as a matter of personal preference I'd take them. Woven fiber stocks just feel better the plastic materials Choate uses; I doubt there is much practical difference between any of them though, unless you're shooting F-Class/BR, or setting up over-watch in a war zone.

Manners and McMillian are also worth checking out.

If you have the time to wait 3 months; call Stockade Gunstocks. I have their Prariedog/ Tactical on my .22-250. I went the money saver route. I had to do some minor body fill on some tiny pinholes, prime and paint.

The stock only cost $250 ish and is way higher quality than that price. The swivel studs re screwed into brass fittings and the inletting required no file work from me, as opossed to my $560 McMillan A-5.

I got a stock from stockade for my savage 116 300 rum and it was about a 6 month wait but that was last year. Went with the money saver too and it was super easy to finish. Its no where close to the quality of my mcmillan but its pretty darn good for the price.

Heavier than my Manners and McRee combined! Go Manners or McRee if you can. I liked the ergonomics, but the weight was unbearable.