Expert Review - PSE Evolution

July 22, 2024

We recently received an in-depth review of the new PSE Evolution stock by a long-standing customer of ours. Jacob has been a user of PSE stocks for many years. He is an industry expert and has a career in LE / Defence. He conducts work for government on R&D for ammunition and arms. Jacob is also an avid hunter and shoots a lot. He has chosen PSE stocks as the stock of choice for many project custom builds for both himself and others in Europe.

PSE decided to have Jacob conduct some testing with the new PSE Evolution stock & a Tikka T3 rifle. Please note that Jacob was not employed or paid by PSE to complete this test and the views expressed below are entirely his own!

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I recently received my new PSE Composites Evolution stock for my Tikka T3 in 7mm-08R. What can I say - wow!!

I have been using PSE stocks for almost 10 years. I have tried them all - Multipurpose, E-Tac, E-Lite and now the Evolution or EVO as it's already being nicknamed.

Over the years I have been in close contact with the team behind the design, development and manufacturing giving them my feedback (for what it's worth). I have absolutely no financial interests in the company though - I use their stocks only because I believe there is nothing better out there - not even close!

The craftsmanship, technology and energy they put into making the best rifle stocks for hunters, law enforcement, military and competitive shooters are unbelievable. Having witnessed the process first-hand I can say that it's a painstakingly and time consuming process where every little detail is cared for. On top of that one should know that these stocks are not made for the looks. They are not made to look flashy on your 10k Euro overengineered german gun or to impress your fellow hunters... These stocks are made to be used and abused by the most serious hunters and professionals out there. The stocks are made to support your shooting skills acquired through endless hours of training - and they will not only support your skills - they will improve them.

Jacobs's Collection of Rifles & PSE Rifle Stocks

My first PSE stock was a Multipurpose stock for a Tikka I had. The rifle was chambered in 6.5x55SE. It shot very well from the factory stock but the Multipurpose just made a huge difference. Lower weight, rigidity and ergonomics were in a league of its own. I still have that very first stock but now sporting a 300WSM - why? because if you look for a stock that can eat recoil for breakfast you should look no further. The Multipurpose is still superior in that regard. I use a solid for-end hold when shooting instead of the more common cross-arm technique. For that reason I have a lot of focus on the for-end design - more about that later.

My next purchase was an E-Tac. It never really appealed to me - maybe because it is made with the cross arm technique in mind (not that I know if this is true). The for-end is very wide and not perfectly suited for a solid for-end hold. However, disregarding the size of the for-end I must say that the shape is nice. Having these edges as reference points is very advantageous when you have to develop intuitive feeling and skills.

Next up was the E-lite. Just looking at it I could tell that it would be close to being the perfect hunting stock. I had to try it and purchased one for a Tikka CTR in 6.5 Creedmoor. This stock fulfilled everything I wanted - great for-end shape and design, rigidity, relatively light, adjustable cheek piece and a straight comb. The pistol grip has a perfect angle for hunting, not vertical and not too angled. The shape is like a racket with edges that gives you the same intuitive feel as mentioned earlier - but now in your trigger hand - a small brilliant detail that explains very well how they work at PSE Composites. At the moment I own four E-lite stocks.

Here - 10 years later I have just dropped my Tikka T3x chambered in 7mm-08R into my brand new EVO stock. To be honest I was a bit sceptical; could it be any better - where could they possibly improve?

First impression - it is incredibly light and the overall finish is so nice. The camouflage painting on top of the carbon fibres is a nice detail if you want it to be just a bit cool looking.

Starting at the front - they improved! The for-end now has the perfect - and I mean perfect shape and size if you use the for-end hold technique. I would describe it as a hybrid between the good old Multipurpose and the E-lite . You instantly get a reference point, where and how to hold. The shape supports a firm and solid grip without slipping thanks to the shark skin texture.

Moving backward you just have to dwell on the fit and finish of the bottom metal. For ignorants it will seem as an unimportant detail but you couldn't be more wrong. The slightest misalignment or stress in the bottom metal created when tightening the action screws will ruin accuracy. You will see flyers and double-grouping right away. So take a closer look at this detail next time you cuddle with your PSE stock.

The pistol grip, shape and size feels like the E-Lite - and why change anything when you already nailed it!?The same goes for the comb and adjustable cheek piece. Shape and size is much like the E-lite - if not identical which is very good. When it comes to weight I believe it is in this area they have cut most of the weight - at least that is how it feels. And talking about weight reduction it is not insignificant. Compared to the E-Lite weighing between 850-900 grams the EVO stock is under 700 grams. 150-200grams.

If you want to build a lightweight rifle for stalking, mountain hunting etc. and still be able to tackle high recoiling calibers you should start with purchasing the EVO stock. 200 grams may not sound like much - but believe me you notice when you hold it. You get everything you desire in the lightest package available. The way the stock is engineered, the combination of materials, how the carbon fibers are woven combined with the design and ergonomics is where the magic happens. It is designed to be accurate and to absorb recoil. As all the other stocks from PSE the EVO also comes with optional spacers so you can adjust the LOP. The barrel channel on the EVO is wider compared to the E-lite and would most likely fit the beefiest carbon barrels you would care to put on a hunting rifle.

Last but not least I want to mention the action bedding. It has always impressed me how well the wizards at PSE Composites manage bed a Tikka rifle. Thanks to Tikka's very tight production tolerances it is possible to bed the stocks from the PSE workshop for your Tikka - and it fits 99,9% perfectly. In the beginning (10 years ago) the bedding was a bit tight and needed a bit of rework with fine sandpaper to relieve the bedding. A very tight bedding can pinch the action resulting in the rifle to shoot double groups. This has changed over time and the fit became so perfect that it just dropped in. It is the exact same case with the EVO stock that comes with a full length bedding - which is a work of art if you care about such details. The perfect alignment and fit of the stainless steel recoil lug, the black, mirror like finish of the carbon reinforced epoxy (a special blend of their own recipe I was told) with absolutely no cracks or air bubbles is just amazing.

When you drop the action into the stock you get the feeling that the action lands on a pillow slowly displacing the air underneath it while it settles into the bedding. You can check the bedding, the fit and alignment between the action and bottom metal all together by tightening the action screws. While observing the junction between the barrel and the very front of the forend you slowly loosen the front action screw and tighten it again. There should be no movement at all. And of course this was not the case here.

Shooting the EVO is such a joy. As mentioned in the beginning I was sceptical - but they really managed to evolve. I believe it is a result of the PSE team's open mind and ability to listen to feedback from customers mixed with their own high level of skills, passion for shooting, engineering and development.

There are a lot of details that I haven't covered. I can only recommend that you browse around the PSE Composites website for more information.