Ordered one from Tactical Coordination end of last year. I am actually in AZ so I met Mike in person. At his shop he had a stack of new in the box foam packed FN SPR's. He basically said pick one. I looked to find the detachable magazine one which is marked on the boxes. Found one, opened it, all packed and wrapped in OEM foam with the manuals etc.. I wanted to take it and go shoot right there but I decided to customize it a bit. Man new rifles in the box smell good.
I asked for threaded barrel, over size bolt knob, Harris bi-pod and 2.5 lb trigger. He also re-beds them as part of it. When it came too optics I appreciated his advice. "I am a Leupold deal we and we sell them all the time, I don't want to talk you pout of what you want, but if it were my money I'd go with this" and he pointed out a Millett trs sitting atop a 338. It was $350 or so I forget exactly but it was not $2K+ I was planning on spending. Anyhow we discussed it a bit more and I was comfortable, if he told me I had to have a $2,300 Night Force I wold have said OK. We'll see how I like it.
Mike had a Motorcycle crash short;y after I bought it. That set him back a bit in terms of timelines, plus I had to have the barrel bolt handle sent out for machining, no worries, he communicated when I communicated.
He gave me a call a few weeks back giving me heads up the rifle wold be ready shortly. He drove up and delivered it. I told hi I would drive down and get it but he was adamant that he would deliver it and go over it with me. I appreciated that actually.
I had wanted panting but had planed on getting it later. I was pretty delighted to hear Mike offer to paint it in compensation for the delay and felt bad about it. I told him it was not a big deal I have been in bike crashed and wheel chairs so I get it. I offered to pay for the painting service with out issue. He insisted on doing it gratis so who am I to argue. Free paint job, yey.
Anyhow it is worth noting that I have never shot a big rifle before. A .22 35 years ago with the NRA is about it. I do shoot pistols though. Long story, I know what I am supposed to do, I get shooting, I read up a bit on it, I have ZERO experience though.
I was worried I would suck so bad that the groups would be wild and I would not know if it was me or the rifle. Honestly I was stressed about it.
Mike drove up and delivered it Thursday. I head out to the range today, Sunday. Scope was way off at 100 yards. Not hitting paper even. I was like Ohh geez the rifle does not work! I suspect one of my kids was "checking" out the dials on the scope.
We regroup, no spotting scope yet so we moved it into 25 yards and got the scope sightd pretty good. It was off a good bit. Kinda of hard to tell free hand rear butt plate though when your shooting ad shots vary an inch here and there. Some support would have helped I am sure. Sure would have shot less ammo. Was not concerned about that, I wanted to get familiar with it anyhow.
We then moved it out to 50 yards got the scope pretty good. Pretty hard unsupported with the butt. Ben Avery Range here in AZ closed right as we finished 50 yard sighting at 5 pm. Burned through 90 rounds, really more for the purpose of getting familiar with it as much as sighting. Pretty hard to not flich the last 1000th of a second, I have to say. I can shoot 1911's all day and not flinch at all. The big rounds are a bit different until one gets used to it as I expected.
When I say we, I mean me and my 13 year old son. He too has never shot a big rifle, twice some .22 at 50 feet. Frankly it atrocious with a pistol. I was a bit worried about him shooting. Mike selected a Muzzle brake/comp for me based on the notion I want my kid to shoot it too btw. It worked great. Son handled it fine and the folks next to me at the range were a bit perturbed when they saw me but after shooting it they said they forgot I was there and it did not affect them at all. I wanted functional but subtle. It is the PWS Precision Rifle Compensator for reference.
My son was shooting ragged holes with it at 50 feet in the wind and rain. He had my jacket on so I froze. Kids....
Trigger is light and snaps super hard like a glass rod. Every time I have someone try it they giggle almost. We shot it off the Harris Bipod holding the butt pad manually. We did not really have any support for the rear. Man.... just breathing sends that scope soaring all over. Going to have to get a sand bag or something to support the rear hand some. Rest the hand on a sand bag and use the hand to hold the rifle butt all nice and snug or something along those lines. Like a stack. Not too keen on using a lead sled and the like. I may have to to get it sighted. Seems it would shoot different with a human holding it, like a ransom rest and a pistol.
I could not figure out how to stop the bi-pod from swiveling or perhaps I am not supposed to? Kinda hoped to center it and lock it in. Ahh well it was actually fun with it unlocked. Just burned ammo with wild shots I am sure. Which is OK as we wanted to get familiar with it anyhow as I mentioned before.
So far the scope is working just fine. Not sure how a more pricy unit would help, but I'll likely get a more spendy one and put this one on a 17HMR rifle to lower shooting cost.
Anyhow here it is, with the 50 yard target since that is all we had time to do today. The target is what my 13 year old did right at the close of the range bell. It is a 5 shot group unsupported rear off the bipod.
NO IDEA if that is good so if not, it sure was easy to do though. Can't wait to go back next weekend. Sorry for the crappy pics, camera is marginal.
Ohh ejecting is not so good when done slow, I have to pull the bolt quick and send the shell flying. I called Mike he said he can look at it and perhaps adjust it if I give him the spent rounds and bolt. I'll meet up with him in a week or so unless it turns out to be normal for this action or something. Makes catching the brass hard is all. As it is my son plays outfield when I eject.
Mike at tactical Coordination had Super service, incredible paint job, nicely bedded, even spacing, great pricing, shoots good as far as I can tell thus far with a wobbly bipod and no rear butt plate support and no experience. Man the is the Desert cammo paint job ever good too.
I asked for threaded barrel, over size bolt knob, Harris bi-pod and 2.5 lb trigger. He also re-beds them as part of it. When it came too optics I appreciated his advice. "I am a Leupold deal we and we sell them all the time, I don't want to talk you pout of what you want, but if it were my money I'd go with this" and he pointed out a Millett trs sitting atop a 338. It was $350 or so I forget exactly but it was not $2K+ I was planning on spending. Anyhow we discussed it a bit more and I was comfortable, if he told me I had to have a $2,300 Night Force I wold have said OK. We'll see how I like it.
Mike had a Motorcycle crash short;y after I bought it. That set him back a bit in terms of timelines, plus I had to have the barrel bolt handle sent out for machining, no worries, he communicated when I communicated.
He gave me a call a few weeks back giving me heads up the rifle wold be ready shortly. He drove up and delivered it. I told hi I would drive down and get it but he was adamant that he would deliver it and go over it with me. I appreciated that actually.
I had wanted panting but had planed on getting it later. I was pretty delighted to hear Mike offer to paint it in compensation for the delay and felt bad about it. I told him it was not a big deal I have been in bike crashed and wheel chairs so I get it. I offered to pay for the painting service with out issue. He insisted on doing it gratis so who am I to argue. Free paint job, yey.
Anyhow it is worth noting that I have never shot a big rifle before. A .22 35 years ago with the NRA is about it. I do shoot pistols though. Long story, I know what I am supposed to do, I get shooting, I read up a bit on it, I have ZERO experience though.
I was worried I would suck so bad that the groups would be wild and I would not know if it was me or the rifle. Honestly I was stressed about it.
Mike drove up and delivered it Thursday. I head out to the range today, Sunday. Scope was way off at 100 yards. Not hitting paper even. I was like Ohh geez the rifle does not work! I suspect one of my kids was "checking" out the dials on the scope.
We regroup, no spotting scope yet so we moved it into 25 yards and got the scope sightd pretty good. It was off a good bit. Kinda of hard to tell free hand rear butt plate though when your shooting ad shots vary an inch here and there. Some support would have helped I am sure. Sure would have shot less ammo. Was not concerned about that, I wanted to get familiar with it anyhow.
We then moved it out to 50 yards got the scope pretty good. Pretty hard unsupported with the butt. Ben Avery Range here in AZ closed right as we finished 50 yard sighting at 5 pm. Burned through 90 rounds, really more for the purpose of getting familiar with it as much as sighting. Pretty hard to not flich the last 1000th of a second, I have to say. I can shoot 1911's all day and not flinch at all. The big rounds are a bit different until one gets used to it as I expected.
When I say we, I mean me and my 13 year old son. He too has never shot a big rifle, twice some .22 at 50 feet. Frankly it atrocious with a pistol. I was a bit worried about him shooting. Mike selected a Muzzle brake/comp for me based on the notion I want my kid to shoot it too btw. It worked great. Son handled it fine and the folks next to me at the range were a bit perturbed when they saw me but after shooting it they said they forgot I was there and it did not affect them at all. I wanted functional but subtle. It is the PWS Precision Rifle Compensator for reference.
My son was shooting ragged holes with it at 50 feet in the wind and rain. He had my jacket on so I froze. Kids....
Trigger is light and snaps super hard like a glass rod. Every time I have someone try it they giggle almost. We shot it off the Harris Bipod holding the butt pad manually. We did not really have any support for the rear. Man.... just breathing sends that scope soaring all over. Going to have to get a sand bag or something to support the rear hand some. Rest the hand on a sand bag and use the hand to hold the rifle butt all nice and snug or something along those lines. Like a stack. Not too keen on using a lead sled and the like. I may have to to get it sighted. Seems it would shoot different with a human holding it, like a ransom rest and a pistol.
I could not figure out how to stop the bi-pod from swiveling or perhaps I am not supposed to? Kinda hoped to center it and lock it in. Ahh well it was actually fun with it unlocked. Just burned ammo with wild shots I am sure. Which is OK as we wanted to get familiar with it anyhow as I mentioned before.
So far the scope is working just fine. Not sure how a more pricy unit would help, but I'll likely get a more spendy one and put this one on a 17HMR rifle to lower shooting cost.
Anyhow here it is, with the 50 yard target since that is all we had time to do today. The target is what my 13 year old did right at the close of the range bell. It is a 5 shot group unsupported rear off the bipod.
NO IDEA if that is good so if not, it sure was easy to do though. Can't wait to go back next weekend. Sorry for the crappy pics, camera is marginal.
Ohh ejecting is not so good when done slow, I have to pull the bolt quick and send the shell flying. I called Mike he said he can look at it and perhaps adjust it if I give him the spent rounds and bolt. I'll meet up with him in a week or so unless it turns out to be normal for this action or something. Makes catching the brass hard is all. As it is my son plays outfield when I eject.
Mike at tactical Coordination had Super service, incredible paint job, nicely bedded, even spacing, great pricing, shoots good as far as I can tell thus far with a wobbly bipod and no rear butt plate support and no experience. Man the is the Desert cammo paint job ever good too.
