I'm having a tough time deciding on the cartridge I want to get when I order my Desert Tech SRS-A1 in two weeks. I'll give a bit of background information on what I already have and intended purposes and I would love everyone's input. Sorry for the amount of information but I don't want to be one of those people who has to be asked 10 questions to get the advice they originally asked for. I plan to order the conversion kit first with a TS customs barrel from Primal Rights, then the chassis a month later so it'll be done in two parts. Since I'm going to be starting with a steel barrel (because of cost and barrel life) I want it to be a TS customs barrel.
My current build is as follows (done by LRI):
- Whole setup is 16 lbs and 51.5" long
- Mausingfield Action
- Proof carbon fiber barrel
- Manners EHF1A with mini-chassis and adjustable LOP
- Huber two-stage trigger
- Vortex Razor HD Gen 2 4.5-27x56mm
- TBAC Ultra-9 suppressor and Cole-Tac HTP suppressor cover
Once I get a DT rifle, I'll heavily consider swapping out the stock and scope on the custom to make it lighter so it still serves a purpose that doesn't overlap with the DT. The stock comes in at 5 lbs and the scope comes in around 3.5 lbs with accessories. I'll either take steps to lighten it up or I'll just get a Kimber and put together an ultra-light rifle for serious mountain hunting.
There are several reasons I've finally decided on getting a Desert Tech instead of other rifles, such as an Accuracy International. The main two reasons are length and modularity. My first centerfire suppressor (TBAC Ultra-9) came in just two weeks ago and I never want to shoot without a suppressor again. I'll have a 338 Ultra and Ultra-7 coming in hopefully 2-4 more months as well. The issue my current custom rifle presents is two-fold, it is heavy AND it's unwieldy. My current rifle with suppressor attached comes in at 51.5" long, whereas the DT with the same length barrel would be around 41" long with the weight of the rifle closer to the body. The current rifle also presents packing challenges because of its ridiculous length.
My plan is for the DT to be an all-around rifle that I will use for treestand hunting on the east coast (the majority of my hunting), and possibly for hunting out west. As well as casual shooting. I do not intend to compete with the DT. If I ever compete I can use the custom build. I believe the DT will be very similar in weight to my current build but the distribution of that weight will be easier as it is closer to my center of gravity and it'll be a lot shorter for ease of handling. My main challenge will just be finding a solid packing setup that I can attach the DT to for hiking around out west.
That all said, I'm wondering what my first cartridge for the DT should be. I do not have and have never had a .308 rifle, so I think it would be cool to get it in that to start with. I already have two rifles in 6.5CM and I imagine it'll take me a little while to get used to the bullpup platform, so I figured I'll get .308 so I'm not burning through short barrel life during that time. Plus it would be nice to have a .308 just to have it. I do not currently reload so I'll just be shooting factory ammo for awhile at least. I can use the .308 to hunt while out east because shots are all under 400 yards max (most within 150 yards) and it's all treestand hunting so I won't need to be hauling that big MTU contour barrel around much. When I want to go do a more mobile hunt I will get a 300WM conversion kit for it or some other more capable long range cartridge. I could even save a pound by getting a Proof DT barrel if I felt it would actually make a difference.
So the big question is am I missing anything here? Given my circumstances, would you get a .308 too or would you lean towards another cartridge I'm not thinking of?
My current build is as follows (done by LRI):
- Whole setup is 16 lbs and 51.5" long
- Mausingfield Action
- Proof carbon fiber barrel
- Manners EHF1A with mini-chassis and adjustable LOP
- Huber two-stage trigger
- Vortex Razor HD Gen 2 4.5-27x56mm
- TBAC Ultra-9 suppressor and Cole-Tac HTP suppressor cover
Once I get a DT rifle, I'll heavily consider swapping out the stock and scope on the custom to make it lighter so it still serves a purpose that doesn't overlap with the DT. The stock comes in at 5 lbs and the scope comes in around 3.5 lbs with accessories. I'll either take steps to lighten it up or I'll just get a Kimber and put together an ultra-light rifle for serious mountain hunting.
There are several reasons I've finally decided on getting a Desert Tech instead of other rifles, such as an Accuracy International. The main two reasons are length and modularity. My first centerfire suppressor (TBAC Ultra-9) came in just two weeks ago and I never want to shoot without a suppressor again. I'll have a 338 Ultra and Ultra-7 coming in hopefully 2-4 more months as well. The issue my current custom rifle presents is two-fold, it is heavy AND it's unwieldy. My current rifle with suppressor attached comes in at 51.5" long, whereas the DT with the same length barrel would be around 41" long with the weight of the rifle closer to the body. The current rifle also presents packing challenges because of its ridiculous length.
My plan is for the DT to be an all-around rifle that I will use for treestand hunting on the east coast (the majority of my hunting), and possibly for hunting out west. As well as casual shooting. I do not intend to compete with the DT. If I ever compete I can use the custom build. I believe the DT will be very similar in weight to my current build but the distribution of that weight will be easier as it is closer to my center of gravity and it'll be a lot shorter for ease of handling. My main challenge will just be finding a solid packing setup that I can attach the DT to for hiking around out west.
That all said, I'm wondering what my first cartridge for the DT should be. I do not have and have never had a .308 rifle, so I think it would be cool to get it in that to start with. I already have two rifles in 6.5CM and I imagine it'll take me a little while to get used to the bullpup platform, so I figured I'll get .308 so I'm not burning through short barrel life during that time. Plus it would be nice to have a .308 just to have it. I do not currently reload so I'll just be shooting factory ammo for awhile at least. I can use the .308 to hunt while out east because shots are all under 400 yards max (most within 150 yards) and it's all treestand hunting so I won't need to be hauling that big MTU contour barrel around much. When I want to go do a more mobile hunt I will get a 300WM conversion kit for it or some other more capable long range cartridge. I could even save a pound by getting a Proof DT barrel if I felt it would actually make a difference.
So the big question is am I missing anything here? Given my circumstances, would you get a .308 too or would you lean towards another cartridge I'm not thinking of?
