<span style="font-weight: bold">Tactical Operations Delta 51</span>
I picked up my new Delta 4 weeks ago and like every Tac Ops owner I was very, very excited to pick it up. I didn't post pictures right away because not only did I want to shoot it, but I also wanted to write about it's performance in an objective manner. I think all too often pics get posted without there being some concise message on performance. Also, consider this an ongoing review of the rifle. I will update the thread when I have new info to post on performance.
So besides providing some nice pictures (well to the best of what I can take), I also wanted to offer some key info on ballistics, performance, cold-bore, fit and finish, and overall performance. The pictures themselves have been edited slightly to have an artistic look that I feel ties in with the artistic nature of the rifle. I also had to make sure the colors matched as closely as they do in reality, and I think I have achieved that with the photos.
<span style="font-weight: bold">Specifications</span>
Here is the breakdown of the rifle.
•Remington 700 action, blueprinted, bolt knob installed and bedded to the stock.
•21" Kreiger 1:10 twist barrel, chambered in 308 Winchester, and it meets the action with a 1/4" recoil lug. The end is threaded with class 3A threads and capped.
•24 MOA two piece TacOps scope base.
•Factory trigger set to 2lbs.
•Williams bottom metal with a 5 round capacity.
•McMillan A3 stock, with cheek and length of pull adjustments, Anschutz rail, one flush cup on the front left, one flush cup on the rear bottom and complete texturing.
•All metal parts coated by Birdsong.
<span style="font-style: italic">Accessoires</span>
•Front sling/bipod stud adapter for Anschutz rail.
•Accu-Shot AFAR picatinny rail (waiting to have it returned from Birdsong).
•Short TacOps OD Dragbag.
•TacOps cheek pack in OD (waiting for the long straps from Mike).
<span style="font-weight: bold">Construction</span>
Like the legend goes of all TacOps rifles the fit and finish is superb. It isn't until you get to see one up close that you notice all the details. Every metal part of the rifle that is removable is coated by Birdsong. The action is very smooth, but locks up tight. It has been said before that the screws in the Anschutz rail are timed in the same direction.
Even small details in the engraving are incredible. Mike, matched my reticle to the "O" on his logo. The bottom metal has my company's logo, and the pictures do not do it justice. It was hard to capture but there are small lines throughout the thicker parts of the engraving. It's almost as though it was gone over in sections to give the logo "texture".
The rifle is truly a work of art.
<span style="font-weight: bold">Ballistics</span>
The first time I shot the rifle was to get some idea of how fast it was shooting factory ammo so that I can gauge where to start my reloads. I shot two different weights of federal gold metal match on two different days along with some of my reloads.
The first set of reloads were rounds left over from my previous custom rifle. Performance wise they were about 50fps slower, but I also have 3" less of barrel now. The second set of reloads was to check for pressure. I didn't have any signs pressure and it's providing great speed to the 175 SMK's.
Here are the results:
<span style="font-style: italic">Day 1</span>
DA 1500
˚F 67.8
% Hum 62.3
inHg 28.27
TacOps Delta 51 168 FGMM
Series 1 Shots: 10
Min 2653 Max 2702
Avg 2677 S-D 17
ES 49
Series Shot Speed
1 1 2680 ft/sec
1 2 2702 ft/sec
1 3 2679 ft/sec
1 4 2670 ft/sec
1 5 2653 ft/sec
1 6 2665 ft/sec
1 7 2698 ft/sec
1 8 2658 ft/sec
1 9 2698 ft/sec
1 10 2672 ft/sec
---- ---- ---- ----
TacOps Delta 51 175 Reloads 43.5 Varget
Series 2 Shots: 10
Min 2570 Max 2605
Avg 2582 S-D 11
ES 35
Series Shot Speed
2 1 2589 ft/sec
2 2 2597 ft/sec
2 3 2587 ft/sec
2 4 2573 ft/sec
2 5 2578 ft/sec
2 6 2570 ft/sec
2 7 2574 ft/sec
2 8 2572 ft/sec
2 9 2583 ft/sec
2 10 2605 ft/sec
---- ---- ---- ----
<span style="font-style: italic">Day 2</span>
DA 150
˚F 55
% Hum 82.5
inHg 29.96
TacOps Delta 51 175 FGMM
Series 5 Shots: 10
Min 2590 Max 2631
Avg 2614 S-D 12
ES 41
Series Shot Speed
5 1 2613 ft/sec
5 2 2626 ft/sec
5 3 2606 ft/sec
5 4 2605 ft/sec
5 5 2613 ft/sec
5 6 2627 ft/sec
5 7 2610 ft/sec
5 8 2590 ft/sec
5 9 2631 ft/sec
5 10 2626 ft/sec
---- ---- ---- ----
TacOps Delta 51 175 Reloads 44.5 Varget
Series 6 Shots: 10
Min 2672 Max 2707
Avg 2692 S-D 13
ES 35
Series Shot Speed
6 1 2707 ft/sec
6 2 2704 ft/sec
6 3 2693 ft/sec
6 4 2688 ft/sec
6 5 2707 ft/sec
6 6 2705 ft/sec
6 7 2695 ft/sec
6 8 2680 ft/sec
6 9 2675 ft/sec
6 10 2672 ft/sec
---- ---- ---- ----
Mike stated that he has changed FGM reamers to allow a little more room for the factory 168's and that a little speed would be lost compared to previous reamers. My previous rifle was chambered with a 95 Palma reamer and from what I can tell the TacOps is about maybe 2 thousandths longer in the throat. For me this is ideal since the 175 can be seated a bit longer and I can try slightly heavier bullets.
I currently have some 185 grain Lapua Scenars to test. They are loaded at 2.112 to the ogive, and are touching the lands. I will update this thread when I get a chance to crono them.
<span style="font-weight: bold">Performance</span>
I have not yet tried to shoot for tiny groups. My first two outings were very quick and my main goal was get velocities so that I could shoot at the next local match. Whatever groups I did shoot would only shame the gun and Mike's work. I had not shot a bolt action in about a year so I was getting back into the groove of things. One thing I know for sure is that I can shoot 1 MOA or better on my absolute worst day.
My next range session was at a practice day with the Nor Cal Practical Precision Rifle Club. I checked my zero in the morning and went off to get my dope out to 1000 yards. The day was typical of Sac Valley; windy and warm. While I was getting hits on the paper <span style="font-style: italic">most</span> of the time I was a little discouraged because I was still getting back into the swing of things. I was never a great shooter, but I was really rusty and I knew I'd be lucky to place a spot higher than dead last at my first match the next day.
The match day turned out to be great. Everything seemed to fall into place that day. There were a few times after a 3 shot string that my target would come up with only one spotter. Thinking I had missed my target due to wind, the pits radioed in that my shots are under one spotter. I was surprised and even more surprised when I got the same call at 900 yards. At the end of the match I saw my target and that string was under 3" at 900 yards with two of those only 1/2" apart.
I ended up placing 14th out of 43 and the only 308 in the first 21 spots. The kudos definitely go to the rifle. Just like Frank said, "Tac Ops rifles are lasers". I am the perfect example; first match with a new rifle, and not having shot in a year
My total elevation dialed for my load of 175 SMK's with 43.5 grains of Varget was 11MILs to get to 1k.
Below is my reported group along with the proof target from Mike.
My goal is to update this thread with the following:
•Cold Bore performance. Clean Cold vs Dirty cold and how how much shift there is.
•Group performance. I want to personally improve my shooting to match Mike's target. At minimum I may test the performance using factory ammo in an F Open bench rest and bag. I'm curious to see what the rifle taking away as much of the human element as possible.
•Different ammo performance at distance.
<span style="font-weight: bold">Overall Impressions</span>
The hardest part of the whole experience was the wait. It took 16 months, almost to the day, to get my rifle from the time I gave Mike my deposit and my action. I have been asked by my friends if it was worth the wait. My reply has always been yes. Considering the accuracy of the rifle I would do the wait all over again. It is the most accurate rifle I have shot and owned. In hindsight, if I were do it again, I would not have sold my previous rifle until I received my Tac Ops. Shooting is always better than not shooting, although I did really polish up my pistol skills in the mean time.
One thing to keep in mind is that while Mike tries to keep to his promised time frame, expect it to change. Mike gives priority to LE and Military customers so their orders will always take precedence. Understanding that is key to dealing with the wait. I essentially had a "order it, forget it" attitude from the get go.
Mike did mention that he has changed the workflow of his shop in an effort to reduce wait times. His goal was to bring the wait down to 8 months or so for civilian orders. If your interested in getting one, I would call Mike now and check to see what the current time frame is for a Tac Ops. Regardless of the wait, you won't be disappointed with the rifle.
My final comment on the rifle, and in my situation the only limitation, is the lack of a detachable magazine. I figured out quickly at my fist match that I am at a significant disadvantage not having one. It's not because the rifle isn't accurate, but it's purely based on a speed factor. If I had to do any positional shooting I would have had some No Fires because of the time limits. I'm already talking to Mike about this to see if one could be added, and I'm looking for one that requires a minimum amount of inletting and no additional bedding to minimize the time at Mike's shop. So if you think you need one, tell Mike you want one from from the get go. It's not part of Mike's standard equipment, but he will install one if you ask.
<span style="font-weight: bold">Amendments</span>
•Cheek Rest Stop
•Tracking Plate
It not the end of the the review, but in the mean time I leave you with some more pics. If anyone has any questions or want to see additional photos, please asks me here.
I picked up my new Delta 4 weeks ago and like every Tac Ops owner I was very, very excited to pick it up. I didn't post pictures right away because not only did I want to shoot it, but I also wanted to write about it's performance in an objective manner. I think all too often pics get posted without there being some concise message on performance. Also, consider this an ongoing review of the rifle. I will update the thread when I have new info to post on performance.
So besides providing some nice pictures (well to the best of what I can take), I also wanted to offer some key info on ballistics, performance, cold-bore, fit and finish, and overall performance. The pictures themselves have been edited slightly to have an artistic look that I feel ties in with the artistic nature of the rifle. I also had to make sure the colors matched as closely as they do in reality, and I think I have achieved that with the photos.
<span style="font-weight: bold">Specifications</span>
Here is the breakdown of the rifle.
•Remington 700 action, blueprinted, bolt knob installed and bedded to the stock.
•21" Kreiger 1:10 twist barrel, chambered in 308 Winchester, and it meets the action with a 1/4" recoil lug. The end is threaded with class 3A threads and capped.
•24 MOA two piece TacOps scope base.
•Factory trigger set to 2lbs.
•Williams bottom metal with a 5 round capacity.
•McMillan A3 stock, with cheek and length of pull adjustments, Anschutz rail, one flush cup on the front left, one flush cup on the rear bottom and complete texturing.
•All metal parts coated by Birdsong.
<span style="font-style: italic">Accessoires</span>
•Front sling/bipod stud adapter for Anschutz rail.
•Accu-Shot AFAR picatinny rail (waiting to have it returned from Birdsong).
•Short TacOps OD Dragbag.
•TacOps cheek pack in OD (waiting for the long straps from Mike).
<span style="font-weight: bold">Construction</span>
Like the legend goes of all TacOps rifles the fit and finish is superb. It isn't until you get to see one up close that you notice all the details. Every metal part of the rifle that is removable is coated by Birdsong. The action is very smooth, but locks up tight. It has been said before that the screws in the Anschutz rail are timed in the same direction.
Even small details in the engraving are incredible. Mike, matched my reticle to the "O" on his logo. The bottom metal has my company's logo, and the pictures do not do it justice. It was hard to capture but there are small lines throughout the thicker parts of the engraving. It's almost as though it was gone over in sections to give the logo "texture".
The rifle is truly a work of art.
<span style="font-weight: bold">Ballistics</span>
The first time I shot the rifle was to get some idea of how fast it was shooting factory ammo so that I can gauge where to start my reloads. I shot two different weights of federal gold metal match on two different days along with some of my reloads.
The first set of reloads were rounds left over from my previous custom rifle. Performance wise they were about 50fps slower, but I also have 3" less of barrel now. The second set of reloads was to check for pressure. I didn't have any signs pressure and it's providing great speed to the 175 SMK's.
Here are the results:
<span style="font-style: italic">Day 1</span>
DA 1500
˚F 67.8
% Hum 62.3
inHg 28.27
TacOps Delta 51 168 FGMM
Series 1 Shots: 10
Min 2653 Max 2702
Avg 2677 S-D 17
ES 49
Series Shot Speed
1 1 2680 ft/sec
1 2 2702 ft/sec
1 3 2679 ft/sec
1 4 2670 ft/sec
1 5 2653 ft/sec
1 6 2665 ft/sec
1 7 2698 ft/sec
1 8 2658 ft/sec
1 9 2698 ft/sec
1 10 2672 ft/sec
---- ---- ---- ----
TacOps Delta 51 175 Reloads 43.5 Varget
Series 2 Shots: 10
Min 2570 Max 2605
Avg 2582 S-D 11
ES 35
Series Shot Speed
2 1 2589 ft/sec
2 2 2597 ft/sec
2 3 2587 ft/sec
2 4 2573 ft/sec
2 5 2578 ft/sec
2 6 2570 ft/sec
2 7 2574 ft/sec
2 8 2572 ft/sec
2 9 2583 ft/sec
2 10 2605 ft/sec
---- ---- ---- ----
<span style="font-style: italic">Day 2</span>
DA 150
˚F 55
% Hum 82.5
inHg 29.96
TacOps Delta 51 175 FGMM
Series 5 Shots: 10
Min 2590 Max 2631
Avg 2614 S-D 12
ES 41
Series Shot Speed
5 1 2613 ft/sec
5 2 2626 ft/sec
5 3 2606 ft/sec
5 4 2605 ft/sec
5 5 2613 ft/sec
5 6 2627 ft/sec
5 7 2610 ft/sec
5 8 2590 ft/sec
5 9 2631 ft/sec
5 10 2626 ft/sec
---- ---- ---- ----
TacOps Delta 51 175 Reloads 44.5 Varget
Series 6 Shots: 10
Min 2672 Max 2707
Avg 2692 S-D 13
ES 35
Series Shot Speed
6 1 2707 ft/sec
6 2 2704 ft/sec
6 3 2693 ft/sec
6 4 2688 ft/sec
6 5 2707 ft/sec
6 6 2705 ft/sec
6 7 2695 ft/sec
6 8 2680 ft/sec
6 9 2675 ft/sec
6 10 2672 ft/sec
---- ---- ---- ----
Mike stated that he has changed FGM reamers to allow a little more room for the factory 168's and that a little speed would be lost compared to previous reamers. My previous rifle was chambered with a 95 Palma reamer and from what I can tell the TacOps is about maybe 2 thousandths longer in the throat. For me this is ideal since the 175 can be seated a bit longer and I can try slightly heavier bullets.
I currently have some 185 grain Lapua Scenars to test. They are loaded at 2.112 to the ogive, and are touching the lands. I will update this thread when I get a chance to crono them.
<span style="font-weight: bold">Performance</span>
I have not yet tried to shoot for tiny groups. My first two outings were very quick and my main goal was get velocities so that I could shoot at the next local match. Whatever groups I did shoot would only shame the gun and Mike's work. I had not shot a bolt action in about a year so I was getting back into the groove of things. One thing I know for sure is that I can shoot 1 MOA or better on my absolute worst day.
My next range session was at a practice day with the Nor Cal Practical Precision Rifle Club. I checked my zero in the morning and went off to get my dope out to 1000 yards. The day was typical of Sac Valley; windy and warm. While I was getting hits on the paper <span style="font-style: italic">most</span> of the time I was a little discouraged because I was still getting back into the swing of things. I was never a great shooter, but I was really rusty and I knew I'd be lucky to place a spot higher than dead last at my first match the next day.
The match day turned out to be great. Everything seemed to fall into place that day. There were a few times after a 3 shot string that my target would come up with only one spotter. Thinking I had missed my target due to wind, the pits radioed in that my shots are under one spotter. I was surprised and even more surprised when I got the same call at 900 yards. At the end of the match I saw my target and that string was under 3" at 900 yards with two of those only 1/2" apart.
I ended up placing 14th out of 43 and the only 308 in the first 21 spots. The kudos definitely go to the rifle. Just like Frank said, "Tac Ops rifles are lasers". I am the perfect example; first match with a new rifle, and not having shot in a year
My total elevation dialed for my load of 175 SMK's with 43.5 grains of Varget was 11MILs to get to 1k.
Below is my reported group along with the proof target from Mike.
My goal is to update this thread with the following:
•Cold Bore performance. Clean Cold vs Dirty cold and how how much shift there is.
•Group performance. I want to personally improve my shooting to match Mike's target. At minimum I may test the performance using factory ammo in an F Open bench rest and bag. I'm curious to see what the rifle taking away as much of the human element as possible.
•Different ammo performance at distance.
<span style="font-weight: bold">Overall Impressions</span>
The hardest part of the whole experience was the wait. It took 16 months, almost to the day, to get my rifle from the time I gave Mike my deposit and my action. I have been asked by my friends if it was worth the wait. My reply has always been yes. Considering the accuracy of the rifle I would do the wait all over again. It is the most accurate rifle I have shot and owned. In hindsight, if I were do it again, I would not have sold my previous rifle until I received my Tac Ops. Shooting is always better than not shooting, although I did really polish up my pistol skills in the mean time.
One thing to keep in mind is that while Mike tries to keep to his promised time frame, expect it to change. Mike gives priority to LE and Military customers so their orders will always take precedence. Understanding that is key to dealing with the wait. I essentially had a "order it, forget it" attitude from the get go.
Mike did mention that he has changed the workflow of his shop in an effort to reduce wait times. His goal was to bring the wait down to 8 months or so for civilian orders. If your interested in getting one, I would call Mike now and check to see what the current time frame is for a Tac Ops. Regardless of the wait, you won't be disappointed with the rifle.
My final comment on the rifle, and in my situation the only limitation, is the lack of a detachable magazine. I figured out quickly at my fist match that I am at a significant disadvantage not having one. It's not because the rifle isn't accurate, but it's purely based on a speed factor. If I had to do any positional shooting I would have had some No Fires because of the time limits. I'm already talking to Mike about this to see if one could be added, and I'm looking for one that requires a minimum amount of inletting and no additional bedding to minimize the time at Mike's shop. So if you think you need one, tell Mike you want one from from the get go. It's not part of Mike's standard equipment, but he will install one if you ask.
<span style="font-weight: bold">Amendments</span>
•Cheek Rest Stop
•Tracking Plate
It not the end of the the review, but in the mean time I leave you with some more pics. If anyone has any questions or want to see additional photos, please asks me here.
