TacOps Rifles - have Question

[Mchase]

I’m sure it’s a noob question so I apologize, but what am I missing?

I’m looking at TacOps rifles ( I think the tango 51)

I’m not questioning the accuracy or quality, I’m well aware of their reputation, but it appears to be all stock parts

So is it just a bad ass blueprint job? I mean what pushes their prices to 5-6k?

In other words if I sent a stock 700 for action/ trigger job, would it be the same +/-? What am I missing?

 

[diverdon]

I think you have got it right. For some it is exactly what they need to meet a spec required by their organization and for others it is a status symbol. Like you I don't doubt the capability of the unit but for the same money I can get an AI or a full custom on a premium action, it is an easy choice for me.

 

[brianf]

To each their own and tacops arent for everyone there are at least 1000 arguments over the years...all have our preferences etc.
TacOps and AI run in the same circles being duty/mil weapons but they are not the same animal.

Part of it is a really bad ass blueprint job, but its really really bad ass. there is a post on here from a few years ago between 2 top tier smiths got into it, after it was all said and done they both saw each side of the coin.

TacOps does hold parts to crazy tolerances (some may say its overkill) but the extra steps and time cost $.
They also time all their screws so they face the same direction, which is nothing special but my AI doesnt have that. does it matter; not concerning function, does it look great and feel great yes.

as far as accuracy, if your shooting factory ammo my sierra out shoots my AI and my TRG, but if you hand load there is not difference from all the top tier smiths. because your tuning the load to the rifle. TacOps tunes the rifle to the load. thats not saying that a TacOps cannot shoot hand loads its just a different design criteria from the start.

to be a debbie downer, if all tacops rifles shot .0## groups all the time they would be seen in benchrest competitions. and i dont want to start a war but my sierra does shoot 1/4" groups at 100 yards with federal match 168 and 175 gr ammo. and im not talking 1 out of 20 cherry picked groups. although i do find it shoots better off a bench than prone (while i shoot my AI better prone), must just be my skillset.

all that said, all rifles are just a pile of parts held to tolerances. its the smith that puts them together and makes them feel like one unit working together. that means weight, balance etc.

and tacops takes their time and does it as good or better than most. but they are not known for going off the reservation with options.
when you look at one of theirs you either like the "kit" or not, there really isn't much gray area.

one good thing is that they hold their value, so if you want to sell it one day you GTG.

hope it helps

 

[M5NSX]

I would call Mike at TacOps to discuss. I have three of his weapons. They are works of art and they sure do shoot!! If you have the time to wait, the money and want a weapon that not many have then Tac Ops is for you. Once Mike retires there will be no more Tac Ops rifles so...... besides you can always find an AI rifle which are excellent rifles.

 

[Mchase]

To each their own and tacops arent for everyone there are at least 1000 arguments over the years...all have our preferences etc.
TacOps and AI run in the same circles being duty/mil weapons but they are not the same animal.

Part of it is a really bad ass blueprint job, but its really really bad ass. there is a post on here from a few years ago between 2 top tier smiths got into it, after it was all said and done they both saw each side of the coin.

TacOps does hold parts to crazy tolerances (some may say its overkill) but the extra steps and time cost $.
They also time all their screws so they face the same direction, which is nothing special but my AI doesnt have that. does it matter; not concerning function, does it look great and feel great yes.

as far as accuracy, if your shooting factory ammo my sierra out shoots my AI and my TRG, but if you hand load there is not difference from all the top tier smiths. because your tuning the load to the rifle. TacOps tunes the rifle to the load. thats not saying that a TacOps cannot shoot hand loads its just a different design criteria from the start.

to be a debbie downer, if all tacops rifles shot .0## groups all the time they would be seen in benchrest competitions. and i dont want to start a war but my sierra does shoot 1/4" groups at 100 yards with federal match 168 and 175 gr ammo. and im not talking 1 out of 20 cherry picked groups. although i do find it shoots better off a bench than prone (while i shoot my AI better prone), must just be my skillset.

all that said, all rifles are just a pile of parts held to tolerances. its the smith that puts them together and makes them feel like one unit working together. that means weight, balance etc.

and tacops takes their time and does it as good or better than most. but they are not known for going off the reservation with options.
when you look at one of theirs you either like the "kit" or not, there really isn't much gray area.

one good thing is that they hold their value, so if you want to sell it one day you GTG.

hope it helps

Great input... thank you

 

[M5NSX]

I would like to add if you find a Tac Ops Rifle that cheap $5-6,000 with no wait buy it!! Mike builds his rifles for LE/Govt agencies not necessarily the benchrest or hunting communities. He doesn’t need to advertise and can name his price. Like buying a Ferrari- you know what you want when buying and if you have to ask the price then odds are you can’t afford it!! He will build wild cat calibers if you like. All depends on what you want and how you are going to use it. I like the fact that I can shoot crazy groups with factory ammo.

 

[Mchase]

I would like to add if you find a Tac Ops Rifle that cheap $5-6,000 with no wait buy it!! Mike builds his rifles for LE/Govt agencies not necessarily the benchrest or hunting communities. He doesn’t need to advertise and can name his price. Like buying a Ferrari- you know what you want when buying and if you have to ask the price then odds are you can’t afford it!! He will build wild cat calibers if you like. All depends on what you want and how you are going to use it. I like the fact that I can shoot crazy groups with factory ammo.

What prompted my question was a TacOps listed here ?

 

[jlficken]

I've never understood it either honestly. If they'd use any of the dozens of custom actions I'd say it could be worth the money but I just don't see the value in $5K+ R700 based rifle no matter how good it shoots.

ETA: They also have the worst website I have ever seen. Normally I am a "If it works...." kind of guy but wow that website is a POS. When you have to hunt to find their products since there isn't even a menu at the top or left side of the site you have a horribly designed website.

 

[shooter65]

TacOps are worth every penny they sell for. Mike has a proven process and the results show.

http://www.snipercentral.com/300-yard-head-shot-leaderboard/

 

[Lowlight]

TacOps are tricked out rifles that flat out shoot in the same vein as custom 1911.

You can say a custom 1911 is just standard parts, yet they command 1000s of dollars. TacOps follows a similar model.

Mike does things a bit different than most folks and the fact he continues to do what works, is why he has the longevity in this business like very few others. Mike is a personable guy, I have seen his rifles on the shelf at MHSA and given him the serial numbers, he can recite everything about the rifles, the owner, etc. You don 't order a TacOps online you talk to Mike directly, and he likes to talk. LOL

 

[LRShooter101]

Mike got his "place" in the market (primarily LE Snipers) because he pretty much did the exact opposite of what everyone else was doing.

What do you do when you get a new custom rifle, you work a load up for it, and it when you find that load(s) it will shoot tiny ragged holes.
As a LE Sniper, you don't really have that option! As such, Mike took the load that most LE Snipers were shooting (FGM), and he built a rifle that shot it as best as it could. When you got your Tac Ops rifle, you threw the ammo straight out of the box into it, and it was guaranteed to shoot a very tiny ragged hole! Per the comments above, he was also a total stickler when it came to every part of the build. Back in the day (and still today to some extent), it was really one of the only rifles that a LE sniper could rely on straight out of the box.
For a LE Sniper, it is hard to beat having a rifle that is guaranteed to shoot factory ammo into a tiny ragged hole, and hence the hefty price tag.

For the “general public”, it is not really something that has the same level of demand.

Just my 2 cents from where I sit!

 

[Mchase]

TacOps are tricked out rifles that flat out shoot in the same vein as custom 1911.

You can say a custom 1911 is just standard parts, yet they command 1000s of dollars. TacOps follows a similar model.

Mike does things a bit different than most folks and the fact he continues to do what works, is why he has the longevity in this business like very few others. Mike is a personable guy, I have seen his rifles on the shelf at MHSA and given him the serial numbers, he can recite everything about the rifles, the owner, etc. You don 't order a TacOps online you talk to Mike directly, and he likes to talk. LOL

Perfect analogy re: the 1911. I get it.

 

[nexusfire]

I had a tac ops and it was so nice I couldn't bring myself to shoot it! Absolute work of art. Family heirloom.

 

[Mchase]

I had a tac ops and it was so nice I couldn't bring myself to shoot it! Absolute work of art. Family heirloom.

I had a Wilson Combat. Same thing. Lol

 

[M5NSX]

What prompted my question was a TacOps listed here ?

Yeah that Tango 51 for $6,200. A good friend of mine is strongly considering that weapon!! PM me if you want Mike’s personal cell number. I talk to him all the time he called me last night to shoot the shit.

 

[Mchase]

Yeah that Tango 51 for $6,200. A good friend of mine is strongly considering that weapon!! PM me if you want Mike’s personal cell number. I talk to him all the time he called me last night to shoot the shit.

I appreciate it Brother but a Little Rich for my blood right now. I’ve got about 3k set aside for a new toy, just waiting for the right toy to pop up.

 

[M5NSX]

I appreciate it Brother but a Little Rich for my blood right now. I’ve got about 3k set aside for a new toy, just waiting for the right toy to pop up.

I hear you. Plenty of very nice rifles on the Hide in your range!! Good luck on your search!!

 

[W54/XM-388]

Someone once had one of their rifles in 6.5x55 up for sale here some years ago that looked really nice.
The price was just too steep for me.
I'd be interested in one of his rifles, but for the money I'll just get an AXMC

 

[Jakerz]

I've never understood why people put all the custom actions up on a pedestal over a 700 action? If you can get the same results (or sometimes better in Tacop's case) why is it any different? I called Mike a year or so ago about ordering one of his rifles, some stuff came up and I couldn't afford it at the time but I will own one on day for sure! He talked to me for an hour on the phone about the process and the detail put into his work, super nice guy that knows his shit and has his own way of doing things that just works. the 1911 comment above is a 100% accurate comparison. IMO a Tacop's rifle is not just a tricked out Model 700, it's a work of art, lol.

 

[datec]

The Anschutz rail is what has the timed screws, on mine at least.

For me going with Mike's rifle (Delta51), as stated above, it will shoot crazy good with factory ammo, it will shoot the second, third, fourth, fifth etc. in the exact hole as the first shot if you are good enough and will hit on target first shot cold bore too. To do this without having to waste time tuning the round to the rifle to get the best performance from it was one of the important things I was looking for. You can waste alot of time and money fine tuning the round to the gun. The Tac-Ops in that regard is a huge plus if your looking to just have fun shooting and fine tuning your abilities and skill set. The look was exactly what I was looking for also from the stock, barrel and color (green/black) and the color choice you can change if you like, even camo has been done.

I myself see no need to change the 700 action, it works and has been proven for many years, for some exotic action, where would the benefit be in that? would it shoot better? would it last longer? get real 99.9% of the people will never wear out the action and probably don't have that much spare time or money to do it, I would think one would die of old age before the rifle would need to be rebuilt from over shooting it, and with customer posted proof targets as close a .002 how much better do you think you can get it with custom reloads?

I say if Tac-Ops is what you like then go for it, Mike makes it easy, he really does.

 

[Mchase]

I’m very impressed with the pride he puts into his work. I’d love to get one , but I think my wife would shoot me with it If I spent that much

I’ll give him a call tomorrow ?

 

[brianf]

usual wait times are in 10's of months not 10's of weeks...she might forget by then.
maybe youll get luck and get one quick

 

[datec]

Just so you know the build times can and will most likely change. You better know that going in, govt. contracts come first and like me you might wait 2yrs but I promise the time will fly by and you will receive exactly what you wanted, even more (Mike goes over and beyond with his units) you will be pleased.

Nothing leaves his shop with nothing short of perfection. Alot of time, effort and R&D went into his build designs to perform the way they do. That is where the cost comes in and like any business he deserves to earn from it. If you ever have an issue he takes it personally and to heart because he cares, your not just another customer to him like some other companies might look at you and may treat you.

When I go shooting with my buddy I told him this thing is so accurate I'll put one in his shot and make his hole smaller and it is all done off of store bought factory ammo and that is impressive to say the least. I can't name another manufacture that can do that.

 

[orkan]

I'll put one in his shot and make his hole smaller

Say what now?

 

[datec]

LOL, that's exactly what he said, LOL.

 

[MikeRTacOps]

Just for The Record gentlemen I'm not much of a talker...am I ? Is that why my long wait times exist ? LMAO...
Thank you all for the kind words I'm here if you have any ?

Mike R.
Tac Ops