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

Creature,
Then whoever CTS is made the brake as an aftermarket part to fit our guns. We don't engrave anything on our brakes at all. Does it look like the same brake to you?
DTA SRS Muzzle Brake - Suppressors - Desert Tactical Arms

You're right, I found the company who made it:
CORETAC SOLUTIONS - Desert Tactical Muzzle Brake

Looks like I need to sell it and buy one of your brakes. Sorry for the mix up. Your customer service department was awesome and as a new owner of one of your rifles I find that very encouraging. Thanks!
 
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On the topic of muzzle brakes, I'm now trying to decide between your QD brake and your Standard brake. Does the Standard offer any advantage over the QD? Is there a difference in performance? I might be interested in a DTA .338 suppressor but it will be a ways down the road. Are the titanium ones even available? If so, where?
 
I've been reading this thread for a long time and I've always been a fan of the DTA platform. Finally decided to pull the trigger and put a deposit on the rifle with a 22' .308 and a 26' .338 conversion kits. Still have a couple of questions that I couldn't find answers to in the thread or online and was hoping someone for DTA or on this forum could help me. How accurate is the 22' .308 barrel comparing to the 16' .308? I remember reading about Russ saying some of the best groups they shot were from the 16' barrel, is there a real advantage in terms of accuracy for the 22' at longer distance? has anyone here tried and used both of them? The most popular combination seem to be the 16' .308 and 26' .388 here, how come no love for the 22' .308?

Also having a hard time deciding on the chassis, standard vs. covert, I know you could always get the hand guard and switch them out and plan to do so but it's not something you could do easily in the field. I was wondering if the short distance from the bi-pod to the receiver on the covert can be a factor that results in less accuracy? Or is that a none issue? does anyone have both configurations and willing to share their opinion?

Going to place an order with eruooptic soon and looking forward to join the club, I will be on the wait list for at least 6 months and will be even longer if I order directly from DTA...was told by the end of the year.... Guess good things come to those who wait! : )
 
I've been reading this thread for a long time and I've always been a fan of the DTA platform. Finally decided to pull the trigger and put a deposit on the rifle with a 22' .308 and a 26' .338 conversion kits. Still have a couple of questions that I couldn't find answers to in the thread or online and was hoping someone for DTA or on this forum could help me. How accurate is the 22' .308 barrel comparing to the 16' .308? I remember reading about Russ saying some of the best groups they shot were from the 16' barrel, is there a real advantage in terms of accuracy for the 22' at longer distance? has anyone here tried and used both of them? The most popular combination seem to be the 16' .308 and 26' .388 here, how come no love for the 22' .308?

Also having a hard time deciding on the chassis, standard vs. covert, I know you could always get the hand guard and switch them out and plan to do so but it's not something you could do easily in the field. I was wondering if the short distance from the bi-pod to the receiver on the covert can be a factor that results in less accuracy? Or is that a none issue? does anyone have both configurations and willing to share their opinion?

Going to place an order with eruooptic soon and looking forward to join the club, I will be on the wait list for at least 6 months and will be even longer if I order directly from DTA...was told by the end of the year.... Guess good things come to those who wait! : )


I have limited experience but the groups i shot yesterday with my .308 22" barrel are one ragged hole. They were definitely half moa, maybe less. I don't think one barrel would be anymore accurate than the other. What you're going to be gaining with the longer barrel would be velocity. This has no bearing on "accuracy" per say. It just gives you a flatter trajectory. The only point where it might effect bullet performance is when your bullet goes transonic sooner but from what i understand the use of heavier bullets(with shorter barrel's faster twist) kind of mitigates this. If I was putting my name on a list for a new rifle I would get the Covert. Not that it would perform any better, I just like the smaller, lighter setup. Having your bipod further out on a weapon isn't going to effect "accuracy" what it will do is extend the weight-bearing surface. This could give you more control over the rifle when using longer barrels. No effect on the rifle's performance. Again, I have very limited hands-on experience with the system compared to others in this thread.
 
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Just bought a 16" 308 and a covert hand guard for my SRS, Is the handguard left or right handed thread before I put the tool on it and is there a need for any anti-seeze on the threads since I assume it's aluminum on alluminum?
Sully
 
Noroar1
I had the same question a while back, I did a lot a research and talked to some barrel makers. What I found was that while not popular (YET)!!! the 1-8 twist rate that the covert uses is faster than the 1-10 in the longer barrels. The studies that the guys at DTA shows that you are only losing about 100 fps vs the 22" barrel, this seems like a lot but it is not really when you consider what you are gaining with the 16" barrel.

The shorter barrel is stiffer and has less harmonic instability, what this gives you is faster bullet spin with less harmonic effect on the bullet means your groups and long range stability will be better. This is why the covert has no problem reaching out to 1000yds and beyond, think of a football when its thrown with a nice tight spin the ball goes further, faster, and more accurately to it's destination. Now the 100fsp loss will cause you to have to hold or dial a little more at longer distance, but that's all.

Now just think what would happen if they made a 22" 1-8 twist barrel what you could achieve. There is a great article on this very subject in the latest issue of (Sniper Magazine) starting on page 68. Over the last few decades barrel twist have progressively gotten faster 1-12 to 1-11.25 to now standard 1-10 for most 308 cal barrels and now 1-8 with the covert, I really hope that the experts at DTA will study this more and maybe offer 1-8 in their longer barrels. I hope this helps you with your decision, I have and would go again with the 16" covert and have had a 26" 308 barrel all shoot sub .50moa.
 
1-8" twist 30 caliber barrels are generally meant to fire very heavy, 220-250 grain bullets, often subsonic. I'm really surprised to see this twist rate as a standard offering.
 
300LW
You are correct, the 1-8 twist will support the heavier bullets. But it will shoot lighter bullets as well very well in fact. As I said in my earlier post, if you have the time check out the article in the current issue of SNIPER magazine it is very informative.
 
Thank you for the input, Creature, I think I will get the covert too. I'm glad that you have the experience using the .308 22'' barrel and half moa is excellent at any standard. I'd definitely be happy with that. I too like the compact setup of the covert, since I have small car...a two seater...most precision rifles won't fit in the trunk but the covert will with ease, especially when you can take the barrel off and put it back together at the range later without having to worry about losing zero. Which bi-pod are running on yours? I'm leaning towards to the atlas because it looks cleaner and overall smaller than the harris bipod, which would be advantageous when installed on the smaller hand guard of the covert.
 
Razor74, you know the hardest part of buying the DTA isn't spending the money, for me it's making the decision on what I should get since there are so many choices with the different combinations of conversion kits and chassis, color, bi-pod, etc. The DTA is such a wonderful platform with so much versatility that I'm a bit lost with making the decision on what to get. I'm glad your 16'' covert .308 can do sub .50 moa, and I think you are on to something here with a 22'' or even a 26'' 1-8 twist barrel, I'd be interested to what it can do. Thanks again for your input, I think I probably couldn't go wrong with either the 22'' or 16'' .308.
 
Noroar1
I know what you mean, this is the only time I think so many options are bad because they are all so good it's hard to choose. I have a Harris now but I will be getting the atlas soon. it is a very versatile system.
 
I know what you fellers mean, I have an atlas but just ordered an amd mount so I can use my Harris. I think it may be quicker to deploy on some timed stages.
 
Which muzzle brake do you guys prefer? Standard or QD mount?

Going from the standard brake to the QD brake on my .338LM was a noticeable difference. If you don't plan to run a suppressor, stick with the multi-port old-style brake.
 
As for covert or full length SRS I'd say the decision depends more on what you want to do with the rifle than any accuracy question. There isn't any difference I can see as far as that goes. I started with an SRS and bought the shorter Covert handguard later so that I could use shorter barrels. With the full size handguard you need about 22" of barrel to get it outside the handguard and leave enough to put a can on it. With the Covert handguard a 16" barrel gives you plenty. I've got a couple shorter (16" and 17") barrels and a couple 26" barrels and while the short handguard works fine with the long barrels the long handguard won't work with the short ones. The bipod sitting further back doesn't seem to affect anything and the only real problem comes up if you want to use a night vision or thermal sight in front of your scope. With the short handguard you are limited in that respect.


Just my opinion


Frank
 
I took my SRS out today and it shot great. I did have a problem with light primer strikes though. Out of 25 rounds I had probably 7-8 that failed to fire. I reset the trigger and pulled it again and it would fire but still kind of concerned me. I wonder if i need a new firing pin spring. Anyone ever have this problem? I'm using Winchester primers which from my understanding aren't that hard.

It was SUPER accurate though today. Using my load that I use for another rifle it was 1/4moa and 150fps faster(with only two extra inches of barrel). I'm pretty happy with the fact I can just use one load for both rifles. Now if i can just find some 178gr Amaxs...
 
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Thank you for the input, Creature, I think I will get the covert too. I'm glad that you have the experience using the .308 22'' barrel and half moa is excellent at any standard. I'd definitely be happy with that. I too like the compact setup of the covert, since I have small car...a two seater...most precision rifles won't fit in the trunk but the covert will with ease, especially when you can take the barrel off and put it back together at the range later without having to worry about losing zero. Which bi-pod are running on yours? I'm leaning towards to the atlas because it looks cleaner and overall smaller than the harris bipod, which would be advantageous when installed on the smaller hand guard of the covert.

I'm using an Atlas Bipod and am very happy with it. I like being able to fold it to the rear so it isn't sticking out by the muzzle.
 
While we are on the subject of bipods, is there a reason why DTA sells the Harris, other than they probably got a hell of a deal ordering 1000 at a time? I have an Atlas on my gas gun, and the Harris came with my DTA. Should I swap them? I love the Atlas, and its so much lighter too. I have no complaints on the Harris though.
 
While we are on the subject of bipods, is there a reason why DTA sells the Harris, other than they probably got a hell of a deal ordering 1000 at a time? I have an Atlas on my gas gun, and the Harris came with my DTA. Should I swap them? I love the Atlas, and its so much lighter too. I have no complaints on the Harris though.

We don't order them in that large of quantities Mike. That said, they are more popular than the rest. Some people, like myself and Nick, like them better than the Atlas for a number of reasons. They are much smaller than the LRA, less money and easier deployed and adjusted than the Atlas. My shooting partner on here, Enfield, likes the Atlas. So does our sales manager Mike. Completely up to the shooter in the end. I have them all, I prefer the Harris.

As a side note. I can't remember the EXACT circumstances, but I know Nick had the Atlas on his rifle in freezing rain or snow then it melted and refroze.....something like that. Anyhow, his Atlas was non-deloyable. The legs were frozen up and the detents would not retract allowing the standard adjustment. None of the Harris bipods did that. He went back as we shoot in those conditions on the norm. Nick, correct me on the facts......
 
The Atlas Bipod is a good bipod I do not like the release buttons to fold the legs down it is slow and unergonomic. I also do not like the ball bearing release mechanism it is slow and less ergonomic than the Harris. With the Harris's spring loaded legs and push button it is much faster and more ergonomic to use. During a weeklong artic warfare training course then we had multiple atlas bipods freeze up, the ball bearing mechanisms would not release some were stuck open some were stuck shut, on my rifle then the left leg was frozen open so the leg would not lock and it freely slid in and out and my right leg was frozen shut with the leg fully extended so I had to put a pack under the left leg for an entire day of shooting because the bearings remained seized up until the bipod was allowed to thaw. Our monopod uses ball bearing release mechanism too and not a single one of our 16 monopods froze up which I attribute to our shielded sleeve that prevents water and debris from entering the monopod ball bearing mechanism. The Harris bipod may be old and simple and lack the sex appeal but it is light weight and very fast to use, that is why it is my preferred bipod choice. We have actually ran Harris bipods on our HTI's, it works very well, it is a bit undersized for the 50 BMG platform but for the 375CT it works just fine.
 
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Yeah i love my atlas too, its really not that much slower once you know how to open both legs with one hand. Maybe you should try putting some eozox or some kind of anti freezing dry lube on them. You never said, but did any of the harris's freeze up?
 
The Harris bipods did not freeze up. The Atlas is a good bipod and the one i would go to if i didnt run harris bipods. The freezing weather was the only time we encountered issues with the Atlas. As far as the locking mechanisms they could be easily improved to be more ergonomic and quick maybe future versions will be time will tell.
 
Good deal. I am waiting for an A1 as well. i ordered as soon as they were announced so hopefully I will get one in a few weeks.
 
Yeah it's been a long wait. Did you order yours through euro optics? They said I was very high on the wait list, I don't want to be on the second batch because DTA said that's a month delay.
 
I ordered through another dealer (Primal Rights) the next day after the A1 was announced. Hopefully mine comes in one of the first batches as well.
 
Is there a recommend barrel break in process for DTA barrels?
 
As for covert or full length SRS I'd say the decision depends more on what you want to do with the rifle than any accuracy question. There isn't any difference I can see as far as that goes. I started with an SRS and bought the shorter Covert handguard later so that I could use shorter barrels. With the full size handguard you need about 22" of barrel to get it outside the handguard and leave enough to put a can on it. With the Covert handguard a 16" barrel gives you plenty. I've got a couple shorter (16" and 17") barrels and a couple 26" barrels and while the short handguard works fine with the long barrels the long handguard won't work with the short ones. The bipod sitting further back doesn't seem to affect anything and the only real problem comes up if you want to use a night vision or thermal sight in front of your scope. With the short handguard you are limited in that respect.


Just my opinion


Frank

Thanks Frank, that makes me feel much confident in my purchase decision making. I just ordered a convert chassis from eurooptics and they told me it's gonna be a minimum 6 months wait. I ordered a 22'' .308 and a full size 26'' .338, I'm also thinking about getting the 6.5x47 Lapua as well.
 
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Buttpad upgrade?

Any word on upgrade deals to the A1 buttpad for those of us tired of being bruised by the original hard-rubber version?
 
I haven't heard anything about that, but I would venture to say over 2 months. They said their still trying to fill orders of non A1's
 
Anyone have a link to a thread where people are sharing their DTA .338 lapua loads? If anyone here would share their DTA load data for that caliber I would greatly appreciate it. What bullets do DTAs prefer? Heavy? Light? Both?

Also, anyone ever try real light bullets with their .308 DTA? I was thinking about slinging some 110gr ...
 
I just got the 308 & 338 gen 1 kit, talked with Mike at DTA and he said for about $500 you will be able to convert it to A1. He did say its only a cosmetic changeover. I hope I can get to the range today and see the target. I hope letting the OBR go was worth it.
 
Your gonna love it. First few times out with it will feel a little strange but once you get used to where the bolt is your gonna love it

Also you will see that you don't need a cheek piece. I plan to get the A1 butt pad but that's it
 
Yep the buttpad is a cool upgrade but the cheek piece is really not needed never has been. I really wish more people would give DTA a shot their system really is amazing if you want a small compact system with ability to shoot just about any popular caliber.
 
I just got the 308 & 338 gen 1 kit, talked with Mike at DTA and he said for about $500 you will be able to convert it to A1. He did say its only a cosmetic changeover. I hope I can get to the range today and see the target. I hope letting the OBR go was worth it.

I just got the same setup. I'm not worried about converting it to an A1 but will also probably get the butt pad when it's available. I would definitely take a DTA over an OBR. AR-10 type rifles are a dime a dozen, DTAs are not. I love mine so far. It didn't take me that long to get used to the bolt throw. I have caught myself trying to put the mag in in front of the trigger guard though. :D
 
As long as your a righty. ;)


Or a lefty.
I've never had any issues with my rifle shooting either left or right handed. Shooting right handed you have to take your strong hand off the pistol grip to operate the bolt. Shooting left handed you have to lift your head to operate the bolt. I don't see a problem either way. Never needed a cheekrest or a buttpad either but I suppose some can't handle the rifle and need crutches. (said sarcastically).


Frank
 
I just got the same setup. I'm not worried about converting it to an A1 but will also probably get the butt pad when it's available. I would definitely take a DTA over an OBR. AR-10 type rifles are a dime a dozen, DTAs are not. I love mine so far. It didn't take me that long to get used to the bolt throw. I have caught myself trying to put the mag in in front of the trigger guard though. :D

"AR10s are dime a dozen" so can I say all bolt rifles are the same. NOT the same thing, sorry.
 
Shhhhhh!

I really wish more people would give DTA a shot their system really is amazing....
That's easy to say for someone that already has one. ;) It seems like everyone is giving them a shot, which is why I'll likely be waiting several months to take delivery of mine.
 
"AR10s are dime a dozen" so can I say all bolt rifles are the same. NOT the same thing, sorry.

Tomaato tomato. You posted looking for reassurance with your "I hope letting the OBR go was worth it" comment and that was all I was offering. If you find it isn't worth it there are probably 1000 people on a 6 month+ waiting list that will take it off your hands.
 
Tomaato tomato. You posted looking for reassurance with your "I hope letting the OBR go was worth it" comment and that was all I was offering. If you find it isn't worth it there are probably 1000 people on a 6 month+ waiting list that will take it off your hands.

I got you, and yes I was looking for reassurance. I will let you know how it goes, for now I do have to say its a F...ing nice gun!