Official (DTA) SRS, HTI, Covert, Hunter Thread

Well finally stretched my old 308 16" Gen 2 covert to 1000 yards today. 4000'DA, 25 deg C. 175gr FGMM (brought some 175 TMK handloads too but the FGMM was so consistent vertically even through transonic that I mostly shot those). I got lucky and somehow grouped 1-1.50 MOA at a 900-1000 yards and I'm not much of a shooter, off a Atlas V8 bipod and a Gamechanger rear bag, the range owner who was shooting a custom 260 rem was amazed at how good my 16" 308 barrel was doing, especially with factory ammo. The only thing is that the Applied Ballistic custom curves off my Kestrel Elite was way off (0.5 mil) compared to the tuned G7 and Strelok data which was 0.1 from real world. I'll have to investigate further.

I was actually so impressed that I'm really enthusiastic about getting a 26" 6.5 creed barrel. The wind was kicking my ass past 900 yards (would easily go +/- 0.4 mil in between shots for the slightest wind change) and I could have done much better I with a heavy 140+ 6.5mm pill.

A big help was Orkins trigger mod (Removed all the pretravel using a custom M3 set screw and file the safety tab to be able to move rearward enough to get the audible click. I set it at 1.25 lbs and it's as crisp as my Trigger Tech Special. I also JB welded a metal plate in the skins to remove all the overtravel.

I'm still pissed that I can't get a A1 "keyed" forearm anywhere, I'd love to be able to have the RRS ARCA rail go all the way to the trigger guard. Does anyone knows how if it'd be possible to get the new forearm and maybe have a smith do the indexing ? Isn't it the same thread pitch ? DTA support is no help.



For shit and giggles, I also shot a few subsonic handloads on steels at 400 yards. For my 200 Lapua FMJBT it required 14.9 mils of elevation and was easily sub-moa, just a bit vertical stagger due to velocity SD. ToF is 1.25 seconds so it's a lot of fun to watch those on steels.

All in all ... very impressed with the little rifle.
I found one to the length I wanted and drilled some holes in it and bolted it to the hand guard. Very sturdy and works perfect. They sell a ton of various lengths of them on amazon.
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Finally received my tripod (not a Gucci mile-high purchase) but I truly believe the DT is the perfect platform to shoot from one. I’ve shot from a tripod pretty extensively and haven’t found anything that balances as well as my particular setup does right now. Still trying to find a full length A2 handguard.. anyone? :)
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Can you post a link to that tripod or what model it is?
 
Can you post a link to that tripod or what model it is?
It is an Innorel RT90C with a Desmond DLOW-55 ball head. I’ve used everything on the top end and without getting into too much detail.. this setup is 95% what you get for 1500$.
FWIW it was recommended to me by a current PRS pro series competitor that have periodic time with.
 
Finally received my tripod (not a Gucci mile-high purchase) but I truly believe the DT is the perfect platform to shoot from one. I’ve shot from a tripod pretty extensively and haven’t found anything that balances as well as my particular setup does right now. Still trying to find a full length A2 handguard.. anyone? :)
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What length barrel are you running?
 
Anyone ever come across this rifle? Looks like the predecessor to the SRS, (a precision bullpup switch barrel design). A little searching leads me to believe it is extremely rare to find one in civilian hands. However it looks pretty sweet!


A bit of backstory:

Nick (creator of Desert Tech) was one of the few people who was able to import a DSR-1 rifle back around 2006. I think his initial impressions were less than stellar given the cost, and this is what partially motivated him to develop the SRS. So yes, it was definitely an influence.
 
A bit of backstory:

Nick (creator of Desert Tech) was one of the few people who was able to import a DSR-1 rifle back around 2006. I think his initial impressions were less than stellar given the cost, and this is what partially motivated him to develop the SRS. So yes, it was definitely an influence.
That makes sense given the similarity of design. I wonder what the short comings of the DSR are? I generally associate German design and manufacturing with excellence. I'm certainly pleased with my SRS A1, my only complaints are lack of polish, the magazines, and some accounts regarding the company. The accuracy, modularity, and reliability (for me thus far) have been awesome!
 
Hello folks,

I had custom Silencer made for SRS A2 .338 Muzzle brake and figured out that spec of A2 muzzle brake Silencer and Thread protector thread is different spec than my SRS A1 .308 brake :)

However DT made thread protectors work on both. SRS A2 is more "tight" thread and I will nee to "loosen" the threads on my Silencer for it to fit both generations. So just so you know.

Any ideas why that was made like this?
 
Hello folks,

I had custom Silencer made for SRS A2 .338 Muzzle brake and figured out that spec of A2 muzzle brake Silencer and Thread protector thread is different spec than my SRS A1 .308 brake :)

However DT made thread protectors work on both. SRS A2 is more "tight" thread and I will nee to "loosen" the threads on my Silencer for it to fit both generations. So just so you know.

Any ideas why that was made like this?
If it threads on but it's just a little tighter, its probably because you are on each end of the tolerances. I'd bet a different A2 brake threads on easier.
 
That makes sense given the similarity of design. I wonder what the short comings of the DSR are? I generally associate German design and manufacturing with excellence. I'm certainly pleased with my SRS A1, my only complaints are lack of polish, the magazines, and some accounts regarding the company. The accuracy, modularity, and reliability (for me thus far) have been awesome!

From what I remember it was that it was mostly too heavy to lug around. At the time his main ELR rifle was a PGW Timberwolf in .408CT (later .375CT), which was already a big, heavy rifle. The DSR-1 was more compact and modular, but heavy and while it could handle everything from .308WIN to .338LM, it couldn't support the .408CT case. That last part was actually in the initial plan for the SRS: from .308WIN up to .408CT. Ultimately during development it was decided that going beyond .338LM would require a bigger, heavier rifle for what an extremely niche cartridge at the time. There was at least one SRS modified to shoot .375CT with an opened-up bolt face but sketchy-thin barrel tennon. Obviously that was seen as just too unsafe and the idea was shelved until the HTI went into development.

At least that's how I remember it...
 
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From what I remember it was that it was mostly too heavy to lug around. At the time his main ELR rifle was a PGW Timberwolf in .408CT (later .375CT), which was already a big, heavy rifle. The DSR-1 was more compact and modular, but heavy and while it could handle everything from .308WIN to .338LM, it couldn't support the .408CT case. That last part was actually in the initial plan for the SRS: from .308WIN up to .408CT. Ultimately during development it was decided that going beyond .338LM would require a bigger, heavier rifle for what an extremely niche cartridge at the time. There was at least one SRS modified to shoot .375CT with an opened-up bolt face but sketchy-thin barrel tennon. Obviously that was seen as just too unsafe and the idea was shelved until the HTI went into development.

At least that's how I remember it...
Firing a 408 CT out of a bored out SRS action, yikes I can see why that was a safety concern;)
 
I'm not 100% sure if this applies to 6.5PRC, but Mark Gordon has been doing conversions of SRS mags to better feed certain SA cartridges:

Drop them a line and ask if it would work for you.
 
I live in Canada so itd be a total pain to ship magazine and import/export them. I have the MPA feedlip tool so as long as I can modify them myself I’d be happy.
 
I did some 12.7X48 mags too. What a pain. I used the 308 mags and had to remove the spacer in the back then swap out the follower and spring to make it work. Not so much tweaking on the body is needed since the shoulder is further forward than on the 338 Lapua size mags.

Frank
 
SRS is on its way and I had a few questions about magazines and some other gear. I’ve read through a ton of the pages in this thread and didn’t really find what I was looking for.

I ordered a 5 round mag for 300 PRC and a 6 round mag for 6.5 CM. I’m interested in getting at least one more mag for each. I intend to eventually use the rifle for competition but it will likely be a while, probably end of the year at the earliest. I’m interested in recommendations on the standard capacity or 8 and 10 round mags.

I’ve also been looking at getting a good shooting mat to use. I live in AZ and primarily shoot in the mountains. Right now I have a foam camping pad that I use with a soft case on top. I don’t want to break the bank with the mat but I do want something solid. I’m all about not going past the point of diminishing return.

Lastly I’m looking at tripods vs bipods. I have several bipods of varying degrees of quality and I’m looking at getting into a tripod. Mainly because of the terrain that I typically shoot, as well as practicing some more positional shooting. The only tripod mount I could find for the A2 is from Special Purpose Rifles. I‘m not very familiar with tripod mounts, but from the info I could find it looks like you can mount an atlas bipod to the Arca rail with the right adapter. I’d appreciate any information or experience. I’m trying to stay within reason on pricing. I’m more than likely going with the RT90c for a tripod. I know there are some very high quality offerings, but I don’t have unlimited resources. Thanks in advance!
 
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To address the magazine question:
There are 3 different magazine types for the SRS. Short action 6 round.
Short action 10 round.
Long action 5 round.
Short Action Customs makes a custom 223 magazine and a modification kit for the Short action 6 round magazine that makes the 6.5 SAUM and 6.5 PRC feed better. I don’t know if anyone else who has addressed the magazines for a Desert Tech.
you can get a quiver for 2 extra rounds from a couple of different places.

Shooting mat- I have only used the Midway shooting May and the May included in the Desert Tech soft case.

Tripods is a wide variety; I don’t use them much so I went with a less expensive aluminum one that works for me. The ballhead you choose (IMO) is much more important than the tripod itself.
I thought the A2 had a spot for a typical tripod to screw right in in front of the trigger guard?
 
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Most find the SRS a bit on the heavy side for PRS-style competition, though I personally find the balance and ergonomics (and modular overall length) a plus. Ditching the mono-pod can help with weight saving.

The magazines have always been a bit of weak point with the platform, especially with the earliest spot-welded bodies. These days they're definitely better, but have the challenge of trying to work with a pretty broad spectrum of cartridges. My take is that they work well in the common short-action and long-action cartridges they were designed for, but suffer a bit with the intermediate cartridges. Short Action Customs can do a "mid-action" modification that makes those intermediate cartridges feed more reliably. They also make +1 mag extensions. For most of the 2010s people were begging Desert Tech to make larger capacity mags for competition, and they are finally available now, but they are pretty long single-stack mags. My suggestion would be to just get standard size SA and LA mags and see how they work for you. If you find that they are too limiting, then try one of the larger mags.

The SRS Soft Case is really versatile and has a built-in mat. That's another item I've had for 10+ years, and combined with a Pelican hard case, I've taken my SRS around the world many times. The soft case isn't cheap, but it's optimized for using an SRS: it's got dedicated pockets for tools needed to switch barrels, extra bolts, mags, and an extra barrel. I have a number of shooting mats that I use with other rifles, but the SRS mat is kind of perfect for that rifle. And fully loaded it fits in a Pelican 1750 easily. You could buy a cheaper mat, but it probably wouldn't be able to also stow your parts and tools.

Bipods and tripods are too much of a personal preference thing, so I can't really recommend one or the other. I spent almost my entire Army career shooting off of my ruck.
 
What kind of barrel length/contour would give the perfect neutral balance ? My 16” 308 Covert has a bit of rear heavy feel to it even with the monopod removed. Was thinking 20-24” heavy or medium Palma with a 419 brake (even maybe MTU/M24).
No cans allowed where I live ...
 
What kind of barrel length/contour would give the perfect neutral balance ? My 16” 308 Covert has a bit of rear heavy feel to it even with the monopod removed. Was thinking 20-24” heavy or medium Palma with a 419 brake (even maybe MTU/M24).
No cans allowed where I live ...
Where you at? I’m a resident of the Democratic People’s Republic of NY so I feel your pain.
 
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Tried the search...no dice.

Debating used A1 vs new A2 covert. What type of speeds and groupings are you folks seeing from the 18" 6.5 creed and factory ammo, figuring 143 hornadys or 130 prime OTMs are the ticket? Is it really a .5 minute rifle all day? How does that translate to the 500, 600, 700 yard gongs?
 
Sold all my reloading equip...dont shoot a ton...lack of time between a baby, job, fly fishing addiction, hiking/scouting, etc...the covert appeals based on weight alone...10.3lbs or so with optic vs almost for the 26" A1...it will be carried in the woods as well...just not sure if its worth the extra 1500 or so over a used A1...was hoping some with the short barrel could sway me, if they shoot similar, the weiht and maneuverability would probably be worth it for me
 
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Personally I’d go with an A1.
Cheaper.
Trigger is more adjustable. And I highly suggest Orkins mod because the original trigger is quite light for a bull pup but had that inconsistent creep and that mod removes absolutely all creep.
I like the RRS ARCA plate that’s made specifically for the A1 handguard.
Weight difference isn’t that much when you take the monopod off and personally I’d prefer having the full top rail for thermal/nvg rather than mlok.

Save the money and buy a case of match ammo. Or use the saving for your next barrel.

It’s definitely a 1/2 moa rifle but nowadays it’s not that much of a milestone compared to 15 years ago.

Mine in 308 is definitely not picky at all, has the 16” and the old 1/8 twist and will do 0.5-1.0 from Hornady 110 to 208 Amax and will do less than 1 moa up to 200 yards with 175-225 subsonics, even had a 1” group at 200 with Lapuas 200 FMJBT but hardly an all day thing.

Thing is they don’t fit everyone, they’re a bit rear heavy if you’re doing positional shooting, the mags aren’t the greatest for competition but to be fair, I never had feeding issues even with my old mags.

Personally it’s one of the few rifle I’ll never get rid of
 
Thanksx solid info and points to ponder for sure.

The used A1 has a 6.5x47 factory bbl in it at 26"...my main hangup is the 8.5 twist since I'm limited basically to Lapua factory ammo.

The price is right, and its a hammer with handloads, just hung up on what my options are if it doesnt like the 2 factory lapua ammo offerings (DT and Lapua, and maybe copper creek?)
 
To address the magazine question:
There are 3 different magazine types for the SRS. Short action 6 round.
Short action 10 round.
Long action 5 round.
Short Action Customs makes a custom 223 magazine and a modification kit for the Short action 6 round magazine that makes the 6.5 SAUM and 6.5 PRC feed better. I don’t know if anyone else who has addressed the magazines for a Desert Tech.
you can get a quiver for 2 extra rounds from a couple of different places.

Shooting mat- I have only used the Midway shooting May and the May included in the Desert Tech soft case.

Tripods is a wide variety; I don’t use them much so I went with a less expensive aluminum one that works for me. The ballhead you choose (IMO) is much more important than the tripod itself.
I thought the A2 had a spot for a typical tripod to screw right in in front of the trigger guard?

I see a lot of people recommending the standard 5 and 6 round mags but then basically every video of the SRS they’re using the 8 and 10 round mags. I would definitely be interested in a quiver or two. The only calibers I’ll have are 300 prc and 6.5 Creedmoor. The Creedmoor being the practice caliber. would a single quiver be able to hold both cartridges? I’d like to have the setup for both as close as possible so the muscle memory is the same.

I didn‘t know the soft case included a mat, how is it quality wise? Soft enough to lay in gravel?

I believe it does have a spot for a tripod, but I have not seen it yet. Still have a little bit before I get back from America’s oldest war. I imagine the rail that special purpose rifles sells interfaces with that in some fashion. I’d like any info about that and experience people have.
 
Most find the SRS a bit on the heavy side for PRS-style competition, though I personally find the balance and ergonomics (and modular overall length) a plus. Ditching the mono-pod can help with weight saving.

The magazines have always been a bit of weak point with the platform, especially with the earliest spot-welded bodies. These days they're definitely better, but have the challenge of trying to work with a pretty broad spectrum of cartridges. My take is that they work well in the common short-action and long-action cartridges they were designed for, but suffer a bit with the intermediate cartridges. Short Action Customs can do a "mid-action" modification that makes those intermediate cartridges feed more reliably. They also make +1 mag extensions. For most of the 2010s people were begging Desert Tech to make larger capacity mags for competition, and they are finally available now, but they are pretty long single-stack mags. My suggestion would be to just get standard size SA and LA mags and see how they work for you. If you find that they are too limiting, then try one of the larger mags.

The SRS Soft Case is really versatile and has a built-in mat. That's another item I've had for 10+ years, and combined with a Pelican hard case, I've taken my SRS around the world many times. The soft case isn't cheap, but it's optimized for using an SRS: it's got dedicated pockets for tools needed to switch barrels, extra bolts, mags, and an extra barrel. I have a number of shooting mats that I use with other rifles, but the SRS mat is kind of perfect for that rifle. And fully loaded it fits in a Pelican 1750 easily. You could buy a cheaper mat, but it probably wouldn't be able to also stow your parts and tools.

Bipods and tripods are too much of a personal preference thing, so I can't really recommend one or the other. I spent almost my entire Army career shooting off of my ruck.
Yeah I know it’s not ideal for prs, my goal is just to get out and have some fun. I likely will not be winning but it’ll be a good getaway from the stresses of life and cool to be around people who enjoy the sport. I have always thought the SRS was uniquely cool and that was my primary reason for buying it. Plus competition gives me a reason to get out and train more.

The only two cartridges I’ll be working with for the foreseeable future is the 6.5 CM and 300 PRC, which seem to not have any issues with feeding from what I’ve read. I may at some point get a 300wm depending on how the 300prc pans out. I have the 5 and 6 round mags on order, I do want get more though. Are the higher capacity mags helpful in competition or do you find the length gets in the way?

I had not considered the soft case, I definitely appreciate the info. That definitely adds some value and reason for the increased cost. That is likely the way I’ll go. I had not considered pairing the hard and soft case, and I see that DT has that combo on their site.

I use a variety of bipods now, but I think I like the idea of a tripod. It seems like it could be very useful for shooting in the mountains where I live. Back in my infantry days most all my shooting I primarily was unsupported or used my ruck or whatever was available. I often use my range bag now but I feel like that would be impractical in a competition where I had to move any sort of distance. I live close to Gunsite in AZ and if I have the time I’m going to try to get into one of their long range classes. The last army shooting class I did was their designated marksman training several years ago and a lot has changed since then. I’ve never done any sort of formal long range training. I quickly realized after I started flying that even in combat the likelihood of me shooting at all is slim to none. I’m nearly done with hopefully my last deployment and haven’t fired a single round, only had them at me, and thankfully they have no concept of leading a moving target.
 
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