Multi-purpose platform - DTA?

I use my DT A2 covert for that very thing! The covert is nice to get short barrels and “light” for hunting and plinking… but then can still support whatever length barrel for long range.

It’s very accurate but more importantly repeatable shift from barrel to barrel that is easily recorded.

It has its quirks sure, but the versatility of it is pretty sweet when a 16” bolt gun is shorter than a fully collapsed 10.5” SBR. Then toss in a 28” 300prc and go long with a quick swap and scope adjustment.

Love that Multicam pattern! Who painted it for you?

Also, how light is your rifle in it's lightest configuration?
 
Just got my KRG Bravo in for my PRS/range rifle turned turned hunting rifle.

Weight is 12.2 lbs as pictured. Any chance getting a DTA to weigh this amount?

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Love that Multicam pattern! Who painted it for you?

Also, how light is your rifle in it's lightest configuration?
Short Action Customs

Kind of tough with the hefty ass arc mount & TT315… but here it is with the 450bm conversion, sac mag, bolt, bolt stop (no ammo or can)
 

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i bought a DTA for that exact idea...dont want to sound "mean"...DTA just sucks lol

accurate yes
short yes
repeatable barrel change, who cares im re zeroing if i change a barrel anyway
past that you can keep it


@kthomas , "knowing" the gear you like, your not going to like the DTA

yes it will fit the role and put animals down but so will any other rifle within 400 yards no matter how cheap

i had the dream of putting it on a backpack and living the accurate but small dream, it never made it to the woods

actually it sits in the safe with a short 308 18" barrel if i remember since the first 40-50 rounds or so i put through it

for hunting i dont care about bolt feel, build quality, mag change speed...its hunting 1-2 rounds at a time...i dont even fill the mags for the extra weight.

easier to carry than my AXSA yes
would i take my AXMC on a hunt...no way that thing is a pig
would i carry my DTA instead of my tac ops (regular stock but heavier than a "model 70" pencil barrel for example), no way

only other regular/hunting "wood" stock is my mauser which is a perfect hunting rifle but it has irons and my eyes are going so thats out lol

i actually bought the DTA on the hide with a few mags etc hoping id love it, but some things just dont work out.

if i sold rifles all the time like some guys do, it would be gone a few years ago
 
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Been shooting DT’s since 2013 and will never be without one. For me they are unmatched hunting coyotes out of the front seat of my jeep. The A1 trigger was definitely better than the A2 but the A2 is still great. My A2 covert weighs in at 9.7lbs with a my 18” hunting contoured 6.5prc barrel and a 3.6-18 MK5
It’s very packable.
The bull pup configuration is cumbersome at first but after some time behind it it becomes second nature.
DT will never be the “fine” rifle” that an AI is but for my needs it is far more useful than my AI’s.
On a side note I recently went down a Muasingfield rabbit hole and have completely fallen in love with the actions. Archimedes that I got is no slouch either.
 
i bought a DTA for that exact idea...dont want to sound "mean"...DTA just sucks lol

accurate yes
short yes
repeatable barrel change, who cares im re zeroing if i change a barrel anyway
past that you can keep it


@kthomas , "knowing" the gear you like, your not going to like the DTA

yes it will fit the role and put animals down but so will any other rifle within 400 yards no matter how cheap

i had the dream of putting it on a backpack and living the accurate but small dream, it never made it to the woods

actually it sits in the safe with a short 308 18" barrel if i remember since the first 40-50 rounds or so i put through it

for hunting i dont care about bolt feel, build quality, mag change speed...its hunting 1-2 rounds at a time...i dont even fill the mags for the extra weight.

easier to carry than my AXSA yes
would i take my AXMC on a hunt...no way that thing is a pig
would i carry my DTA instead of my tac ops (regular stock but heavier than a "model 70" pencil barrel for example), no way

only other regular/hunting "wood" stock is my mauser which is a perfect hunting rifle but it has irons and my eyes are going so thats out lol

i actually bought the DTA on the hide with a few mags etc hoping id love it, but some things just dont work out.

if i sold rifles all the time like some guys do, it would be gone a few years ago
What don’t you like about it?
 
What don’t you like about it?
for pure function of putting meat on the table its fine, but for the price you can do the same for 50%

but we all want a little more for nothing right..

to be picky, because its not a 600$ rifle

i think i have a A2 covert, as i have the little pin to line up the barrel..although i could be wrong its been a while

build quality or maybe design specs from factory is a better term, as it has not fallen apart or broken

im not expecting a benchrest feeling action and trigger or a custom scrollwork H&H safari rifle

skins dont line up, worse then the original AICS greens from 20 years ago

trigger is pretty good feel, but no where near a AI, Sako trg, Timney, prepped R700...not talking diamond or bix triggers

bolt is like someone dumped 3/4" blue stone in the action

mags are worse than my sons airsoft mags... and im not joking

butt plate removal and adjustment feels like a after thought

dont care about bolt or mag position as its a bullpup so that part of the design so i dont compare to a regular action

balance is different, not bad but i dont like a over under shot gun balance either so that just my preference

for the same money or possibly less id buy a used GAP from the PX everyday and twice on sunday...not even a debate
 
repeatable barrel change, who cares im re zeroing if i change a barrel anyway
It is nice though because once the shift is recorded off the home barrel there’s no need to re-zero, just plug in the shift change to your scope, re-set the tool-less zero on the TT and bam… I did notice from barrel to barrel the consistency is a bit more, well, “consistent” on my DT vs my AI.
i think i have a A2 covert, as i have the little pin to line up the barrel..although i could be wrong its been a while
The tiny index pin is their very first Gen before the A1, they worked out a lot of quirks since that very first gen

As an owner of one I agree with you though😂 yet I don’t see myself ever getting rid of it lol
 
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Any particular reason you’re not considering an AXMC? Maybe a little heavy for hunting but no worse than the DT.

Personally I’m all about consolidation/cross-functional rifles. People love to say “jack of all trades master of none” but that’s only if you don’t know what platform to use as a foundation or how to cater the other setups for specific uses.

My AT-X for example. I can make it as heavy as 30lbs or as light as ~15lbs by swapping barrel, suppressor, and removing weights. 5 minutes tops. Even more flexibility if I was willing to swap optics.
 
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Any particular reason you’re not considering an AXMC? Maybe a little heavy for hunting but no worse than the DT.

Personally I’m all about consolidation/cross-functional rifles. People love to say “jack of all trades master of none” but that’s only if you don’t know what platform to use as a foundation or how to cater the other setups for specific uses.

My AT-X for example. I can make it as heavy as 30lbs or as light as ~15lbs by swapping barrel, suppressor, and removing weights. 5 minutes tops. Even more flexibility if I was willing to swap optics.
although the AXMC isnt that much heavier on the scale, the balance feels so much more front heavy, it feels 2x my SA

now im not shooting off hand, but to hump it around it feels like a big square cinderblock for some reason

if your using a ATV and walking 3-400 yards to a spot, stand etc... all of this means nothing

but if walking in 1-2 hours for a long sit and walking out, no way im bringing my MC
 
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Any particular reason you’re not considering an AXMC? Maybe a little heavy for hunting but no worse than the DT.

Personally I’m all about consolidation/cross-functional rifles. People love to say “jack of all trades master of none” but that’s only if you don’t know what platform to use as a foundation or how to cater the other setups for specific uses.

My AT-X for example. I can make it as heavy as 30lbs or as light as ~15lbs by swapping barrel, suppressor, and removing weights. 5 minutes tops. Even more flexibility if I was willing to swap optics.

Maybe I need to consider it more.

I guess I don't have to consolidate my hunting rifle with my .300NM. My KRG Bravo came in last night for my Mausingfield hunting setup, and I'm really digging it.

I guess the real issue is that my .300NM is a one trick pony that rarely gets used. At this time I'm having a hard time justifying a dedicated rifle to it. It's a really nice custom built rifle too, I just hate that it mostly collects dust.

I would consider trading/selling it for an AI, as long as I'm not out money. Or maybe I should sell it and get a SA 7mm barrel for the Mausingfield, for ELR type work.
 
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although the AXMC isnt that much heavier on the scale, the balance feels so much more front heavy, it feels 2x my SA

now im not shooting off hand, but to hump it around it feels like a big square cinderblock for some reason

if your using a ATV and walking 3-400 yards to a spot, stand etc... all of this means nothing

but if walking in 1-2 hours for a long sit and walking out, no way im bringing my MC
Definitely don’t disagree, but if you don’t want to do it with the MC, you def wouldn’t want to be doing it with the DT either.
 
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Maybe I need to consider it more.

I guess I don't have to consolidate my hunting rifle with my .300NM. My KRG Bravo came in last night for my Mausingfield hunting setup, and I'm really digging it.

I guess the real issue is that my .300NM is a one trick pony that rarely gets used. At this time I'm having a hard time justifying a dedicated rifle to it. It's a really nice custom built rifle too, I just hate that it mostly collects dust.

I would consider trading/selling it for an AI, as long as I'm not out money. Or maybe I should sell it and get a SA 7mm barrel for the Mausingfield, for ELR type work.
change everything to a 300 PRC and dont look back

we did more than a little shooting in my previous life..lol

inside 1 mile, 300 prc with 230 atips is serious medicine

300 norma was a joke at 1 mile, dave was stacking them on a 24" plate but its more recoil, powder, action is bigger...its just bigger and more money for "nothing" if you dont need it

i already sold my 338 and 300NM barrels for my AXMC, and got a 300PRC

once the 300WM barrel is toast the PRC is going on and prob not coming off
 
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Smoking deal on a axmc in the px fyi...

You can build a stupid light rifle on a manners lrh stock for probably under 2k if you already have that barrel
 
Opens up a ton of options if you’re open to consolidating calibers. Ultimately no right or wrong answer, just up to you to decide what will suit your primary use(s) best.

Otherwise keep in mind that any of the multi-cal setups (AI/DT barrels, bolts, mags not including the platform itself) are probably going to border your total investment in your current rifle from a cost standpoint… so for that reason I highly recommend NOT doing any of the MCs for cost effectiveness, LOL.
 
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Opens up a ton of options if you’re open to consolidating calibers. Ultimately no right or wrong answer, just up to you to decide what will suit your primary use(s) best.

Otherwise keep in mind that any of the multi-cal setups (AI/DT barrels, bolts, mags not including the platform itself) are probably going to border your total investment in your current rifle from a cost standpoint… so for that reason I highly recommend NOT doing any of the MCs for cost effectiveness, LOL.
I was just looking at the AI AXSR, and fuck me that's a lot of $$$. You're right in that with these systems there's a lot of gadgets that add up quick.

I think I'm ruling out the DTA. Too many compromises and quirks. I really need to spend time thinking about what exactly I want in another rifle, what role I want it to serve and what I would actually shoot.

The more I think about it, the more I realize how impractical my .300NM is for me. Besides not having a place to really stretch it out, it's long and heavy and a pig to drag around. I don't think replicating that formula in a different rifle is what I need. I haven't quite figured out what I want in another rifle, if anything at all.

Maybe I just get a SA 7mm barrel for the Mausingfield for when I get the opportunity/itch to shoot extended ranges. Maybe it's a dedicated rifle in 7mm, but lighter and shorter than my .300NM. Maybe it's a pseudo "switch barrel" like a Terminus, that's configured differently than my Mausingfield (like a Foundation stock vs my current JAE).

Lots of things to think about, but at this point I don't think it's a DTA or a MC AI.
 
For those of you who dislike desert tech mags, what is it that you don’t like? Do they not feed well? I’ve watched videos and haven’t seen anyone have problems with mags not feeding.
 
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For those of you who dislike desert tech mags, what is it that you don’t like? Do they not feed well? I’ve watched videos and haven’t seen anyone have problems with mags not feeding.
My opinion is they work just fine for 5 or 6 round single stack mags. They have more internal length than others (4.00") which I really like the most for my 338 LM with long bullets (3-15/16"). They also were designed to contact the case shoulder rather than the bullet points, another plus. I do not have any feeding issues with DT mags using the cartridges they were designed for. That said, if you run cartridges that deviate too far from the intended cartridges you will likely have problems, but that's true for any mag. Frankly for me I would like longer internal length double stack AI 338 LM mags. If they were available I would modify my DT to work with them, they truly are more robust and are less expensive. The biggest problem with DT mags is the higher price for what you get, and poor at best customer service! I have an SRS A1 with multiple barrels. It meets most of my desired criteria in a precision tactical rifle, not everyone's.
 
@kthomas did you ever decide on what you were gonna do?

My suggestion is to get a DT and if you don’t like it, sell it off. The A2’s seem to be holding their value so I don’t think you’d be out any money. Because I see an occasional person say they disliked them, but I see many many people using them for hunting and even in the mountains for elk.

I picked up an A2 Covert almost exactly with the same intentions you did. I’ve come to the conclusion that I’ll never be without a DT SRS. Nothing else on the market can compare to it. Some rough figuring based on my current setup, I think you can get very close to 9lbs if you remove the monopod, use a 16” barrel, Vortex LHT, and lightweight extra tall rings. Which is very huntable. I have a Kimber that’s sub 6lbs ready to hunt for when I need ultra lightweight.
 
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This is a tough question... I have a DT, dedicated rifles and an MRAD.... I find the compactness of the DT a plus for me. As for weight... Holy cow the DT and MRAD weigh a ton compared to my hunting rifle... my DT is an older A1 Gen2, so it's not as light as all the new ones. I do find myself grabbing my MRAD a lot,aybe because it's the newest addition it's getting a lot of love.

Bolt lift hasn't been an issue for me, I did a PRS match and did just fine, I wasn't near dead last so that's a big win.

The new light DT's are nice... dedicated rifle is nice too. Just build a rifle using the 300 NM for hunting , you already have all the stuff to reload it.
 
I think one thing you gotta consider is that it’s not a hunting rifle (as you are well aware). It’s a precision rifle that people also use hunting. I think despite being a bit heavier, the compact size makes it handle like a lighter rifle. So you gotta ask yourself, are you okay carrying a 9-12lb rifle (depending how it’s set up) hunting? And keeping it in the back of your mind it’s more compact than a comparable 9-12lb rifle.
 
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There is no question that the DT is heavier than most hunting rifles. I always find this "light weight" thing a bit subjective, and it always makes me think about my first high power rifle when I was just 14 years old, an M1 Garand at 9.5 lbs. Which how many soldiers carried all across Europe and North Africa? Are we less capable than they were? As mentioned above, the DT does handle the weight much better in my opinion, and others. And it is a serious precision rifle, capable of consistent accuracy and repeatable barrel changes. Add up the pros and cons and the DT comes out on top in my book.
 
My thoughts have been all over the place and pretty scattered on this.

I think I've ruled out the DTA. Seems like a really cool rifle for what it is, but I'm not sure it's what I need at this time.

I also considered an AT-X, setup in 7SAUM or similar. However it's a big expense and a pain in the ass to set this rifle up for such cartridges.

I've done a lot of thinking, trying to figure out why I can't settle on a new rifle. My current Norma is a bit of a third wheel when it comes to my center-fire rifles - it just doesn't get shot much because I don't have a good place to really use it. I feel like I would encounter the same issue with another rifle dedicated for ELR type work. That rules out the AT-X. I already have a hunting configuration for my Mausingfield, so I would have to sell off a lot of equipment I just purchased in order to make the DTA work.

At this current time, I don't think I need/can justify another center-fire rifle. It just wouldn't get shot much. However, the range I belong to has a lot of private 50 yard bays, so I'm starting to think that a nice rimfire training would be a good add to the collection - and I would be able to shoot it a lot.

Haven't pulled the trigger on anything yet, but looking at some rimfire options and I have a few ideas brewing.
 
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