It has been a little over a year since I got my Tac Ops Kilo 51. I understand the pressure to get reviews and pics out the door as soon as we get our hands on the equipment. I posted a 5X5 and gave a brief description of the rifle ( here and here) and got flamed instantly for not posting pics... you know, the one where Gunny is yelling at you for not posting pics of your rifle.
Anyway, I thought it was time to revisit Tac Ops after a year behind the trigger. We'll start with the obligatory 5X5...
I was extremely happy with this target and I will say that it is unusual. My gun was on, I was on, and my load was on. This is a handload that features 43.0 grains of Varget under 175 SMK's in Lapua Palma brass (small rifle primers). It was actually the very first load I tried with the rifle and after hours and hours wasted in load development, it is still the most accurate load at 100 yards. Not enough juice for 1,000, but it is my go to for Smack the Smiley.
A couple things about this target... the middle group was shot first, I made adjustments and shot in the following order: top left, top right, bottom left, and bottom right. I obviously overadjusted on the vertical, so all my patterns were low. Here is the kicker... I pulled my 21st shot about a half inch to the left. Lucky for me, it was the first shot of the group, so I just held over and laid the remaining 4 shots on top of that first errant shot. Only in the world of group shots do 5 wrongs make a right.
This target aggs out at .259 MOA... OK, that is no quarter MOA, but the Tac Ops guarantee is for 3-shot groups, not 5, and I am here to tell you, what I have managed to learn is that if I miss, it is me and not the rifle.
Another question comes up a lot... can a Tac Ops shoot at 1,000 yards? Yes it can. Here is a pic of an F-class target I shot this weekend with the rifle. Not five shot groups, but it gives you a pretty good idea.
No, this is not quarter MOA at 1,000 yards. Nor is it half MOA. I actually shot a couple of 5-shot targets and for some reason, my phone camera showed a blank when I went to upload the pics. I don't know what happened there. I didn't break out the ruler, but given that the F-class 10-ring is about 1 MOA, I think the groups averaged about 1.5 MOA. No, the Tac Ops rifle will not read wind for you. I am sure that better distance shooters than I could hold most of those shots in the 10-ring. This is my first time shooting a load consisting of 185 gr Berger Hybrids and 43.8 gr of Varget. I am ok with the results, but I do need to move up in bushing size as the long bearing surface of these bullets leads to increased neck tension for the same neck diameter as 175 SMK's.
As for reliability of the Tac Ops... well, that 1,000 yard target was shot in the rain and I am still alive to tell the tale... but seriously, here is a comprehensive list of all issues I have had with the rifle / system:
1. Accuracy fell off after a month of shooting (around 200 rounds). Mike R helped walk me through troubleshooting the rifle and we found out that it was the scope. We sent the scope back to Premier, they polished a spring, and accuracy was back.
2. Accuracy fell off again at 6 months (at about 1,200 rounds). It turns out that in the process of diagnosing the issues the first time, I backed out the front base screw, breaking the locktite. It was torqued to about 10 pounds. I couldn't feel it move, but lo and behold, when I torqued that screw down, accuracy came back.
3. I bought some of the Hornady Superperformance Match Ammo and it started blowing primers. I shipped it back to Hornady and they sent me a new lot of it. I took that out and started blowing primers on it. I switched to my handloads and started piercing primers. I guess that I should mention that I was shooting during a record heat wave. It was 115 degrees in the shade. At one point, it actually burned my hand to touch the cartridges I was putting INTO the rifle (not the brass coming out). At any rate, a flake of brass got caught in the ejector and it stopped working. I bought the Sinclair bolt maintenance kit, gave it a thorough cleaning, and I was back in business again.
A note on this... Tac Ops chambers are tight... I think Mike R trying to push the limits of performance combined with Hornady pushing the limits of performance with their ammo... they fired some of the rounds and said they were getting pressures below SAAMI, but just on the edge (on the warm side for a manufacturer, for sure). In fact, there is another thread here showing similar issues with this ammo and another custom rifle (presumably with tight chamber).
4. At 7 months (about 1,500 rounds), my trigger started getting rough and creepy. I attribute it to some of the carbon that leaked into the trigger groups from when I was blowing and piercing primers the month before. I flushed the trigger group with some Ronsonol and the trigger crisped up again. I should probably have flushed the trigger anyway at 1,000 rounds. I am adding this to my maintenance procedure.
5. Accuracy fell off again at 11 months (about 2,700 rounds). I had a scope ring screw back out. Tightened it down and accuracy came back. I now check the torque on all scope screws before major matches or big shooting occassions (e.g., load development).
I am right around 3,200 rounds with this rifle and it is as accurate today as it always has been with the difference being that <span style="font-style: italic"><span style="font-weight: bold">I</span></span> am more accurate with it now.
I will admit that I don't ride this rifle as hard as many on this forum ride theirs. That said, it has seen a little bit of sand, dirt, and mud and has never failed to go boom. I used to keep it cleaned and oiled, on the outside, but with the Birdsong Finish, I basically stopped doing that. I haven't cleaned the outside in months now.
Overall, I am more than satisifed with the rifle and I am thankful for the time Mike R has spent with me trying to troubleshoot the issues that have come up (mostly related to the optics). <span style="font-style: italic"><span style="font-weight: bold">They</span></span> said a rifle this accurate would not be reliable. <span style="font-style: italic"><span style="font-weight: bold">They</span></span> were wrong. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend a Tac Ops to anyone who needs tack driving accuracy and can accept a 4 + 1 cartridge capacity gun. And I understand that Mike is working on a DBM for those who need to fire more than 5 shots at a time... that should really add something to the lineup.
Anyway, I thought it was time to revisit Tac Ops after a year behind the trigger. We'll start with the obligatory 5X5...
I was extremely happy with this target and I will say that it is unusual. My gun was on, I was on, and my load was on. This is a handload that features 43.0 grains of Varget under 175 SMK's in Lapua Palma brass (small rifle primers). It was actually the very first load I tried with the rifle and after hours and hours wasted in load development, it is still the most accurate load at 100 yards. Not enough juice for 1,000, but it is my go to for Smack the Smiley.
A couple things about this target... the middle group was shot first, I made adjustments and shot in the following order: top left, top right, bottom left, and bottom right. I obviously overadjusted on the vertical, so all my patterns were low. Here is the kicker... I pulled my 21st shot about a half inch to the left. Lucky for me, it was the first shot of the group, so I just held over and laid the remaining 4 shots on top of that first errant shot. Only in the world of group shots do 5 wrongs make a right.
This target aggs out at .259 MOA... OK, that is no quarter MOA, but the Tac Ops guarantee is for 3-shot groups, not 5, and I am here to tell you, what I have managed to learn is that if I miss, it is me and not the rifle.
Another question comes up a lot... can a Tac Ops shoot at 1,000 yards? Yes it can. Here is a pic of an F-class target I shot this weekend with the rifle. Not five shot groups, but it gives you a pretty good idea.
No, this is not quarter MOA at 1,000 yards. Nor is it half MOA. I actually shot a couple of 5-shot targets and for some reason, my phone camera showed a blank when I went to upload the pics. I don't know what happened there. I didn't break out the ruler, but given that the F-class 10-ring is about 1 MOA, I think the groups averaged about 1.5 MOA. No, the Tac Ops rifle will not read wind for you. I am sure that better distance shooters than I could hold most of those shots in the 10-ring. This is my first time shooting a load consisting of 185 gr Berger Hybrids and 43.8 gr of Varget. I am ok with the results, but I do need to move up in bushing size as the long bearing surface of these bullets leads to increased neck tension for the same neck diameter as 175 SMK's.
As for reliability of the Tac Ops... well, that 1,000 yard target was shot in the rain and I am still alive to tell the tale... but seriously, here is a comprehensive list of all issues I have had with the rifle / system:
1. Accuracy fell off after a month of shooting (around 200 rounds). Mike R helped walk me through troubleshooting the rifle and we found out that it was the scope. We sent the scope back to Premier, they polished a spring, and accuracy was back.
2. Accuracy fell off again at 6 months (at about 1,200 rounds). It turns out that in the process of diagnosing the issues the first time, I backed out the front base screw, breaking the locktite. It was torqued to about 10 pounds. I couldn't feel it move, but lo and behold, when I torqued that screw down, accuracy came back.
3. I bought some of the Hornady Superperformance Match Ammo and it started blowing primers. I shipped it back to Hornady and they sent me a new lot of it. I took that out and started blowing primers on it. I switched to my handloads and started piercing primers. I guess that I should mention that I was shooting during a record heat wave. It was 115 degrees in the shade. At one point, it actually burned my hand to touch the cartridges I was putting INTO the rifle (not the brass coming out). At any rate, a flake of brass got caught in the ejector and it stopped working. I bought the Sinclair bolt maintenance kit, gave it a thorough cleaning, and I was back in business again.
A note on this... Tac Ops chambers are tight... I think Mike R trying to push the limits of performance combined with Hornady pushing the limits of performance with their ammo... they fired some of the rounds and said they were getting pressures below SAAMI, but just on the edge (on the warm side for a manufacturer, for sure). In fact, there is another thread here showing similar issues with this ammo and another custom rifle (presumably with tight chamber).
4. At 7 months (about 1,500 rounds), my trigger started getting rough and creepy. I attribute it to some of the carbon that leaked into the trigger groups from when I was blowing and piercing primers the month before. I flushed the trigger group with some Ronsonol and the trigger crisped up again. I should probably have flushed the trigger anyway at 1,000 rounds. I am adding this to my maintenance procedure.
5. Accuracy fell off again at 11 months (about 2,700 rounds). I had a scope ring screw back out. Tightened it down and accuracy came back. I now check the torque on all scope screws before major matches or big shooting occassions (e.g., load development).
I am right around 3,200 rounds with this rifle and it is as accurate today as it always has been with the difference being that <span style="font-style: italic"><span style="font-weight: bold">I</span></span> am more accurate with it now.
I will admit that I don't ride this rifle as hard as many on this forum ride theirs. That said, it has seen a little bit of sand, dirt, and mud and has never failed to go boom. I used to keep it cleaned and oiled, on the outside, but with the Birdsong Finish, I basically stopped doing that. I haven't cleaned the outside in months now.
Overall, I am more than satisifed with the rifle and I am thankful for the time Mike R has spent with me trying to troubleshoot the issues that have come up (mostly related to the optics). <span style="font-style: italic"><span style="font-weight: bold">They</span></span> said a rifle this accurate would not be reliable. <span style="font-style: italic"><span style="font-weight: bold">They</span></span> were wrong. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend a Tac Ops to anyone who needs tack driving accuracy and can accept a 4 + 1 cartridge capacity gun. And I understand that Mike is working on a DBM for those who need to fire more than 5 shots at a time... that should really add something to the lineup.
