Tactical Operations Delta 51

[Yama Arashi]

Update on page 2:

I've been hunting as far back as I can remember, and have been around and used bolt actions all my life, but have never actually had a personally owned bolt rifle.

Figured it was time to jump in headfirst. :)

- TacOps Delta 51 in .308
- Built on a Remington 700 action - 2.25# trigger
- 21.75" TacOps proprietary heavy contour stainless Krieger barrel - 1/10 twist
- Class 3A threaded for TacOps titanium suppressor
- McMillan A-3 stock w/ adjustable comb and 'Sniper fill' weight
- Nightforce NXS F1 3.5-15 FFP w/ MLR2.0 illuminating reticle
- Leupold Mark 4 high rings
- 24 MOA 2-piece rail
- Anschutz rail with BT28 AFAR Kit
- Atlas PSR bipod

I'll get some better, properly lighted pics up after I get it dialed in and dirty.

http://s13.postimg.org/ld4va4sc7/IMG_0342.jpg

http://s27.postimg.org/gnzk5fagz/IMG_0347.jpg

http://oi61.tinypic.com/2lxf4gg.jpg

[gt40]

Nice group even though it hasn't been put together yet. And at 110 yds. too.

[Yama Arashi]

That's the certification/test target shot by the builder.

[Canonshooter]

Nice stick!

The two-piece scope base caught my eye though, wondering why they didn't use a bedded one-piece mount on the notoriously unevenly machined/finished 700 receivers.

[Yama Arashi]

I'll just post a couple links to answer that. Easier than prattling on about it myself. :) TacOps does/will build with a one-piece base on certain models.

http://www.sniperforums.com/forum/optics/10614-1-piece-vs-2-piece-base-thoughts-bedding-base.html

http://forum.snipershide.com/snipers-hide-bolt-action-rifles/75396-tac-ops-tango-51-a.html

http://forum.snipershide.com/snipers-hide-bolt-action-rifles/120145-tacops-delta51-downunder.html

http://www.sniperforums.com/forum/rifles/6878-tactical-operations-response-update-1-22-08-a.html

[Canonshooter]

I would be interested in learning their procedure for bedding the two-piece bases. I know how I would go about making sure they are perfectly aligned, but I'm sure there is a better way.

FWIW, since I have no intention of changing it, I bedded a one-piece steel Leupold 15 MOA base to my 700 using the Murphy method (http://www.murphyprecision.com/Page/Scope_Base_Bedding). I lost about 7 MOA of the 15 due to the uneven receiver (lower in the rear), but the SWFA SS HD 10X42 scope that is mounted on it with Seekins rings has plenty of internal adjustment.

I do like the cleaner look of two piece bases, and I hope you post photos of the finished rifle!

[Yama Arashi]

I'll have to ask, as I haven't inquired as to his procedure, but they are indeed perfectly aligned.

OP updated.

[specopsscout]

It's been quite a while since I last spoke with him, but as I recall, Mike preferred to utilize the two piece base, as he believed it imparts less stress to the receiver compared to a one piece base. As to the builder, his rifles are absolute works of art, and his talents are remarkable. If I was looking for a new bolt gun, he's be one of my very first stops. That test target isn't unique. All his rifles shoot like that with factory loads.

[Yama Arashi]

I've posted briefly about this rifle before, but here's a more thorough follow-up, now that I have everything dialed in.

I've been hunting as far back as I can remember, and have been around and used bolt actions all that time, but I've never actually had my own. Family rifles essentially, namely a .300 Savage from the 1940's and Browning in .270 Win, using fixed 4 and 8 power scopes.

I've been shooting some semi-precision gassers for the last handful of years, with variable scopes up to 9x. This is my initial entry into a high-end/custom precision bolt action rifle. Perhaps a bit overkill for my first, but I like to jump headfirst.

After some brief forum interaction earlier last year on the Hide, I was contacted via PM by Mike Rescigno of Tactical Operations, who walked me through narrowing down what exactly it was that I wanted. He was and continues to be nothing but a pleasure to work with, and beyond helpful with any questions or concerns, which there have been plenty of considering my obsessiveness. The guy can also talk your ear off in general, but he knows his shit, and is nothing but generous with his time. I have a titanium TacOps can on the way as well, partly due to too MUCH talking with Mike perhaps. :)

The rifle originally shipped with Leupold Mark 4 medium rings, but they put the bell of the NF scope far too close to the heavy barrel at 0.84" - he gladly swapped them for some highs at 1.06". I took the rifle to Utah while on vacation, where my Pops and I dialed it in to a rough zero on some prairie dogs out on a ranch/farm. The next morning we took a 6-point mule deer with it, so the rifle was definitely off to a good start! I had handled a Tango model previously, and frankly I wasn't quite expecting this rifle to be as much of a beast as it is with a seemingly much heavier stock and far heavier barrel, but hoofing it around wasn't bothersome. The stock feels great, especially in the hand, and the heft lends nicely to eating up perceived recoil and staying on target.

I decided the high Mark 4's gave me a bit more clearance than I wanted, and started looking at other well known ring manufacturers. I had it narrowed down to Badger and Seekins, but ended up going with the Seekins high rings at 0.97". Off to Birdsong they went for the TacOps Green-T finish, and the rifle hibernated until I received them in mid-December.

http://oi58.tinypic.com/maw93b.jpg

I have now taken the rifle out to the range 3 times since the Christmas holiday, to start putting some groups together and to bang steel. I've adjusted and dialed in the LOP, eye relief, and comb height over the course of these 3 trips. Granted, I've just layered some high density foam under the cheek pack because my OCD ass doesn't like the gap when the McMillan is raised.

My first two shots on paper with the rifle and new rings were just a tad high and a bit right at 100 yards. I dialed down and left, putting one shot right of center. Dialed left again and stringed my first 3-shot group.

Factory loaded FGMM 168
http://oi61.tinypic.com/11v3zhw.jpg

Hits on 24" steel gongs down to 4" diamonds/circles back to 500 yards have been like clockwork with this rifle. Although I find shooting on steel and silhouettes from various positions and barricades to be much more satisfying, I'm really trying to lock it down and shoot consistent solid paper groups.

The below groups are from today, my third range trip out with this rifle. I still have a lot of work to do, and I'm hoping to get to the PR course with T3 this year, and get the fundamentals better locked down, but I'm enjoying the hell out of it thus far. I've never used a scope with a turret for parallax, so that's taking some acclimating as well.

I find the MLR 2.0 reticle to be a tad thick for precise paper work, and the trigger could stand to be a bit lighter only as it pertains to the same, but that's probably me making excuses as much as anything. I'd probably be jumping prematurely on the shots if it was lighter. The trigger breaks at just over 2.25#, but there is absolutely no creep or over-travel whatsoever. This really only pertains to shooting at gnat asses though - no complaints about the scope/reticle or the rifle at this point, and I'm quite elated with my choices in both scope and builder, and don't intend to change anything. I'm working on tightening up my precision/group shooting, but that's actually the least that this rifle will be used for. I consider both aforementioned aspects to be optimal for my main usage, and have lost finer reticles during dusk/low light conditions, or hunting with heavy/busy backgrounds. The reticle is very clean and holds with it are a breeze.

I've mostly shot FGMM 168gr, but I think I prefer the A-MAX at this point. I've shot/function tested 150gr soft points, 155gr A-MAX, 168gr match, 175 FGMM, M118LR and 180gr soft points. Everything has chambered and sent without issue.

3 shot group at 100 yards - .410" top edge to bottom edge with factory Hornady A-MAX 168

http://oi61.tinypic.com/s4vt4i.jpg

10 shot group at 100 yards - 0.795" top edge to bottom edge with factory FGMM 168

I placed a half inch green circle sticker on hadji's forehead, and kept punching it in each time to where I couldn't see any green. After walking to the target in between every shot to replace the sticker, I said screw it and put the last two shots between his eyes. Perhaps I should have taken two more walks...

http://oi59.tinypic.com/29lk32p.jpg

- Tac-Ops Delta 51 in .308
- Built on a Remington 700 action - 2.25# trigger
- 21.75" TacOps proprietary heavy contour stainless Krieger barrel - 1/10 twist
- Class 3A threaded for TacOps titanium suppressor
- McMillan A-3 stock w/ adjustable comb and 'Sniper fill' weight
- Nightforce NXS F1 3.5-15 FFP w/ MLR2.0 illuminating reticle
- Seekins high rings (0.97")
- 24 MOA 2-piece rail
- Anschutz rail with BT28 AFAR Kit
- Atlas PSR bipod

Cert target
http://s16.postimg.org/p1i91huat/2lxf4gg.jpg

w/ Original Mark 4 rings
http://s16.postimg.org/psaz79wo5/IMG_0342.jpg

http://s16.postimg.org/4mlrqfb8l/IMG_1611.jpg

http://s16.postimg.org/zfehgzpnp/IMG_1615.jpg

http://s16.postimg.org/sawo7yied/image.jpg

[gt40]

Yama Arashi,

Pretty good shooting. I'd like to see your "5 shot" groups at 1,000 yard target also.

My best 5 shot group at 1,000 yards was 3.25 inches with my Savage "BUILT" 6 mm Norma BR.

[Yama Arashi]

Will do when I get there.

I've only gone back to 600 thus far. Shooting something decent at 1000 is going to take some work I expect.

[gt40]

Not really You first need to be sure your vertical is perfectly vertical. Then you need to enter your ballistic numbers into the JBM chart http://www.jbmballistics.com/cgi-bin/jbmtraj-5.1.cgi Then you can figure how many clicks to get on target at 1,000 yds. With my rifle with a 200 yard zero it takes me 208 (1/4 moa) clicks for me to the center of the target.

Here is the target I shot the second time I ever shot at such a long distance. The wind was changing so each time I shot my single shot rifle as fast as I could for each 5 shot group. This was in competition and the scores and group sizes are in the lower right of the target. 1+2+3 are the relays we shot. For score there is a maximum of 50 points for 5 shots. Every time I shot in competition after this target I improved. I shot bench rest at 100 & 200 yds. for years until a friend invited me to shoot at 1,000 yds. and I never shot point blank again. I just wasn't interested anymore.

PS: You have a great shooting rifle. The best 5 shot group at 100 yds. was .084" and my smallest 5 shot group at 1,000 yds. was 3.25".

[RegisteredTM]

Very nice rifle

[robert357]

Good Lord man! A TacOps for your first precision bolt rifle is like a newly licensed driver getting a Bugatti for their first car! Beautiful rifle but I'm wondering how long your wait was... Congrats and thank you for sharing.

[gt40]

Good Lord man! A TacOps for your first precision bolt rifle is like a newly licensed driver getting a Bugatti for their first car! Beautiful rifle but I'm wondering how long your wait was... Congrats and thank you for sharing.

If you are commenting on my rifle I actually got very lucky. The builder had his barrel blanks on back order so I sent him my Brux 1 in 8" twist blank and he put mine ahead of the other builds and I had my rifle in 5 weeks.

[Yama Arashi]

Good Lord man! A TacOps for your first precision bolt rifle is like a newly licensed driver getting a Bugatti for their first car! Beautiful rifle but I'm wondering how long your wait was... Congrats and thank you for sharing.

Well fortunately I already knew how to drive it for the most part - just never had a privately owned bolt.

Due to some odd circumstances, I had the rifle in a ridiculously short amount of time. The usual turnaround time for civilian owners is around 2 years.

My latest rifle I had built for precision matches, and is seeing the most rounds: Defiance Deviant action on a McMillan A-5 stock with Surgeon bottom metal, Krieger M24 contour barrel, 1-8 twist with a Bagder Thruster brake, crowned at 26" and chambered in 6.5 Creedmoor, topped with a NF ATACR F1 5-25. The Delta still gets plenty of work, but I wanted to have something that I could beat on and burn through barrels without too much concern.

I still consider the TacOps my bread and butter as it were, and it's the last rifle in the stable that I'd consider parting with. I've moved the NF 3.5-15 off, and replaced it with a Vortex Razor Gen II 4.5-27.

[BigJoe]

I've owned a tac ops and they are great guns, Mike has his equation down to build 308's that will shoot tighter then just about anything. I will add another to the safe one day as I know Mike and his guns are unlike almost anything out there. He is a little set in his ways which drives some shooters away but his guns straight up perform.

[graffex]

That "save the goat from Isis" target is fantastic. Gave me quite the chuckle.