D9Firearms

This week I was finally able to get to the range to test out our own Horus Vision Hawk 3-12×50 optics. (However, I had to remove a ceiling fan & dining room light fixture and install new ones prior to receiving a get out of work pass from Mrs. D9. So I invited some of my local friends from the KCMOFD and my BMCD colleagues for a little range time.

I mounted the Hawks on my Tikka 595, 22-250 and my Remington 700 .223 VSF both varmint vaporizors. After my first review of the scopes I thought these two rifles would be an excellent choice to try them out on. I suspect the third one will be mounted on my Remington 700 .243 VLS. Now, most of you know I’m a big IOR advocate and still am, but they are not an end all means for every rifle or shooter. Additionally, one of our goals is to provide solid recommendations in different price ranges.

For this test I just wanted to test clarity, focus, operation, eye relief and general quality when shooting 1” dots. Another benefit of this test was that it was conducted over a span of 2 ½ hours which took me well into dusk.

I started with the Remington 700 .223 VSF and took a few shots to dial it in. (I was also testing a few hand loads as well.) My impression on the range was the same as when I first looked at it, very clean and crisp optics. I tested it at several magnifications and again I settled in on the 7 – 9 power range. Since this is First Focal Plane (FFP) optics the reticule is proportional to the magnification.

After shooting the target for a while I started observing some of the benefits of the reticule, even without having read the instructions (Don’t tell Mrs. D9, because she accuses me of this all time, but I did look at the cool pictures in the manual.) At first it did seem a little busy but part of that is just getting acclimated and learning how to use it. It will take another range setting where I can stretch out to 300yd to test more of the reticules benefits. This test was more for sighting in and seeing if I liked the glass as much as the first time.

While I was testing the VSF, Eric one of the FD guys was testing the Tikka out and was totally impressed with the quality of the glass and really liked the reticule as well as the rifle. (He is in the market for a target rig and is considering the Tikka T3 tactical, so this worked out nicely for him to help test it out and give us his opinion.)

After shooting for a while I determined that my opinion of the glass did not change and decided it was time to read the instructions on how to use the reticule. After reading the instructions on how to properly sight in and use the reticule I was equally impressed at how amazingly simple scope is to use and understand (I guess that’s why they provided instructions).

Basically, you sight the rifle in at 100yd on 12x, they are very adamant about the exact distance and confirming the shot multiple times before confirming it’s sighted in. (Having known target loads helps.) Once it’s sighted at 100yd, the rest is up to the shooter and the reticule.

The reticule is in the shape of a Christmas tree, and is graded in mils, 1mil = 3.6” @ 100yd and has an “L” bracket reticule for range finding on the left hand side (horizontal and vertical range finding). They also provide some ballistic charts for common rounds to compensate for BDC & wind. Their software allows you to create you own custom ballistic charts as well.

Another benefit of this reticule is the ability for a follow up shot, which on a low recoil rifle or one of our D9 customized DPMS rifles with a compensator on it, (eliminates most muzzle lift and recoil for fast follow up shots) would be instantaneous. The key is seeing where the bullet impacts and knowing your aim point of the first shot, if the situation remains static it’s very easy to determine your aim point, your new aim point becomes the hack mark of where the bullet struck.

Like I said, at first it seems really busy, but once you understand the reticule system it’s very easy to range find and pick your shot. So from my perspective and opinion these scopes will remain on the rifles and will be put to more tests and will become a recommended optic.

If you’re interested in a Horus Vision Optic please contact us here at D9firearms.

We’ve been very busy building DPMS rifles since Christmas and again had a great time doing it and built out some really cool rifles. Additionally we also developed some new friends out of the deal and plan to expand on one of those friendships in about two weeks when we take a trip down to Texas for a little hog hunting.

Shown above DPMS “Pigs-in-a-blanket” LR-308 TAC20.

The first is the TAC20, which we setup for our new friend Sterling, who has a menacing feral hog problem and has invited D9 down to help communicate his dissatisfaction with their behavior. The TAC20 comes standard with a 20” heavy barrel, extended 4 rail hand guard, flash hider, and carry handle. We the upgraded the flash hider to a Miculek and replaced the A2 stock with a Command Arms (CAA) 6 position collapsible stock, added a Hogue rubberized grip, and installed the bipod adapter and Harris Bipod. This seems like it will be a very versatile rifle for eliminating confrontational feral hogs and for deer and coyote hunting as well. I think this will be an excellent gun shot off of a bipod or rest for medium and long range, but will still serve well in quick free hand shot. (We plan to have some photo’s from this little exercise and are ready for action.)

DPMS LR-308 SASS w/JP Miculek topped off with an IOR Valdada 3×18x42. (You won’t need Cialas with this.)

After working with Sterling he told one of his friends who just bought a DPMS LR-308 SASS, (before he knew about D9Firearms) and asked us to help him out with some optics. He was looking for something commensurate to top off this long ranger and naturally we recommended IOR. Johnny was familiar with IOR and was able to get to a store and look through some of their glass. He decided to go with the 3×18x42 w/a 35mm tube. What a smoker optic. Johnny sent his upper here to us and we mounted, aligned, and bore sighted it for him and shipped it back down. We also installed a JP Rifles Miculek style compensator. He will also be joining us for a little pig roast down in Austin.

Another rifle we built was for a coyote hunter up in Michigan near Detroit where we setup a LR-260H. One of the concerns was the weight because he will be packing it but once on site will be shooting from a bipod. The LR-260H (hunter) model fit the bill perfectly for the weight requirements and shooting conditions combined with the .260 bullet it will be an excellent long range coyote hammering machine. This rifle was outfitted with a OD Hogue rubberized grip, JP trigger and speed hammer, Harris bipod, Burris XTR 2×12x50 (30mm tube) with Warne rings, and a Bulldog rifle case. Plans for this rifle include camo paint job to go with the OD optics and grip.

Another really neat rifle we enjoyed building was for a work colleague of mine Ray, who’s also going down to Texas with me to send a clear message to these loud-mouthed hogs who are molesting Sterling’s deer population. However, Ray cooked up this idea after checking out a couple of different rifles we had on hand and decided on a real unique configuration.

Ray liked the look, feel, and operation of the standard slick side upper receiver (without forward assist & dust cover) but wanted it in the 16” AP4 carbine barrel. Since the barrels and bolts are gauged and head spaced by DPMS changing out the receiver doesn’t cause any loss of accuracy or feeding so we changed it out the A3 receiver. We then added a carbine length 4 rail and replaced the A2 post site/gas block with a standard Koelbl gas block to eliminate any interference with his optic. We upgraded the standard CAR stock with a CAA collapsible, added a Hogue rubberized grip, installed a JP adjustable w/speed hammer, and added the tactical bolt and carrier release. To crown this little swineinator Ray chose our favorite optic manufacture IOR and put a 1.5×8x32 w/illuminated MP-8 reticule, and 35mm tube. He chose this for the larger field of view. I can say as I was bore sighting it for him I found this to be a perfect match for the rifle, his targets, and the distances he would be operating at.

DPMS LR-308B w/A3 receiver/fluted/threaded/Extended 4 rail/CMMG micro gas block/Miculek, Panther grip, Harris bipod & adpater, IOR Valdada 10×42, JARD 2 stage trigger.

We also cooked up a couple of LR-308B’s A3 w/fluted/threaded rifles we had special ordered. This is an excellent platform and modified this with several configurations. Within about 1 week we received orders for three of these rifles all with varying configurations. We outfitted one for a local paramedic, which in his line of work he needs a couple of them, and another for a fellow down in Huntsville who replied that even his wife was impressed. The final one we will be hand carrying down to a fellow in Austin (transferring it through a local dealer) and he went with an extended 4 rail, JARD two stage, and Hogue grip.

DPMS LR-308 w/A3/fluted/threaded/Miculek/Burris 4.5 -14×44.

DPMS LR-308 w/A3/fluted/threaded/4 rail carbine length/ACE Ltd collapsible/JP adjustable w/speed hammer/CAA G27 grip/Harris Bipod & adapter/IOR Valdada.

DPMS LR-308B w/A3/fluted/threaded/Miculek/JP w/Speed hammer/Harris bipod. Brandon outfitted this when he received it with a Magpul and Bushnell 3200 Elite. Very nice.

We received this follow up comment from Brandon:

Darrel,

Brandon

DPMS LR-308 24″ SS fluted bull w/steel receiver. We sold this at the gun show to a local fellow and we are in the process of loading some David Tubb Final Finish bore preserving bullets. Rifle shown with D9’s Night Force.

The DPMS LR-308B shown above and below. D9 dreaming up idea’s. Lower rifle shown with SASS 4 rail. I thought it was pretty cool.

Our next project which we are in the process of organizing and laying out is a customized DPMS AR-15 lower. We ordered only the springs & pins, but can provide all the standard DPMS parts, and combined it with CAA, Badger, JP, JARD, Jewell parts without buying all the entire kit.

If you’re interested in a DPMS LR-308, LR-260, LR-243 or AR-15 customized lower please contact us here at D9Firearms. Thanks again.

We recently built up some DPMS LR-308B rifles and before we had a chance to test one out for a review 3 of the 4 were out the door. The fourth was almost out the door, when DPMS came through and delivered us a LR-308 24” w/SS, fluted, threaded bull barrel for one incredible patient and understanding client of ours. So I decided to build this one out with everything that would make this the ultimate PD-SASS (Prairie Dog – Semi-Automatic Sniper System).

I basically striped it down to the receivers and installed all tactical latches (carrier release, bolt release, magazine release, and safety), I put in a JP adjustable with speed hammer, 4 rail free float hand guard (carbine length), Miculek compensator, Command Arms SRS adjustable stock, Harris non-swivel bipod, mounted an IOR Valdada 10×42 w/MP-8 reticule using Warne QD 30mm rings, and packed it in a Bulldog aluminum double rifle case. (Rifle package as shown $3000) Also, shown is a Bushnell 15×45 spotting scope. ($280)

Unfortunately, it sat on my bench for about 2 weeks before I got caught up on all the other things my wife had planned for me. Finally, I had enough and told my wife to get in the kitchen cook me dinner, get the laundry done, mow the lawn, scrub the floors, and be ready for me when I get back from the range. Well, it didn’t all go quite like that but I still got a couple of hours of range time.

I loaded up my PD-SASS in a new Bulldog case and brought out my new Blackwater drag bag. Typically when getting a rifle with optics that we mount, align, and bore sight, which we have to ship we will use one of these cases for extra protection and to complete the rifle package. The case has 2 key locks and two combination locks, has an aluminum shell and lined with eggshell foam. This case is rated for airline travel and will protect your rifle. (A good case like this will run about $85.)

I also brought out my new Blackwater drag bag, which is way cool. You can latch your rifle in position, has compartments for ammo, accessories, and more ammo. You can strap it to your back like a backpack, and once you get into position and setup, it folds out into a shooting mat for you prone shooters. (There are several variants on drag bags and can range from about $90 - $180 for a decent bag. This one we bought at a local store for $90.)

Photo looking down range at Mill Creek Rifle Range at the 100yd, 200yd, & 300yd. This is an excellent range.

Upon grasping the rifle by the four rail free float tube, which is made from T6 aluminum, has a totally industrial rated look and feel. It adds a little wait to rifle, but you know when you grab its solid. (These are not necessary and add about $170 cost to the rifle, but if you plan to put a light or laser, or just want the in your face attitude type of rife they are nice.)

I decided to setup first on the bench just to site the rifle in after having only bore sighted it. I had a guy I work with develop some D9Firearms targets for me which are laid out for a sight in large center target and then 4 smaller accuracy targets. We then printed it out on a 17×27 white target which makes easy for seeing bullet holes. We hope to start offering these in the next month. We are also developed these for 300 yd and on the center dot we put a 1” solid black line and then had ¼” wide lines spaced a ¼” apart until they reached 3” so you could see the bullet hole breakup on the lines.

The first shot was completely astounding. I’ve only shot the DPMS LR-308AP4 w/Miculek and was impressed, but this was totally awesome. The Miculek takes the recoil and muzzle lift down to that of a 223. Compared to my DPMS LR-308 24” SS bull, I would guess it removes 70% of the recoil and lift. I could probably have my 5-year-old daughter behind the trigger on this rifle.

Close up of a Miculek compensator.

After about 5 rounds of sighting in, I decided to try my Blackwater drag bag/mat out. It took a few minutes to get setup and into position. Here is where I can say some of the options I installed on the rifle became apparent as to why they were developed.

The whole effort took about 10 minutes to get the rifle positioned and the bipod and monopod set. Now that the stock is setup, I estimate it will take half that time to get into position. One issue that I feel is important is the bipod adjustment. I don’t use a swivel and each leg can be adjusted in any increment. (As a note, I will be adding a level to optic next.) This allows you to tweak each leg without locking into set increments and having to dig out some rock or dirt.

Notice each leg can be adjusted to any position.

I then setup the stock to get the right eye alignment and adjusted the pull and the butt plate. These are super cool features. One issue on the collapsible portion of the stock adjustment I didn’t like was a lock down torx setscrew, this should be on a thumb screw. If you were always needing this position, that’s good, but it’s a collapsible stock. However, it still works fine and there is no noticeable movement without it locked down.

I was a little skeptical at first of the monopod, but compared to using your fist, or a sock with sand, or media, it was very beneficial. It has two separate adjustments to get you out to about 6” or 9” and then you just tweak it by twisting either direction. This was very nice and was very solid and had no noticeable flexing on the stock.

At this point, I had the rifle already charged, but as you can see from the picture, the tactical carrier release makes charging the rifle considerably faster since you can charge it without reaching over the stock and getting around your optic. (This is a $20 adder and is well worth it on all of these rifles regardless if you’re using an optic or not.) I had also added the tactical bolt and magazine release are nice features for fat fingering and not having to look at your rifle to drop the bolt or magazine. (These both cost $20 and are nice but not as important as the carrier release when it comes to operation.)

Next was the Panther tactical grip, not only does it look cool, but the swollen grip fits nicely in your hand and the floor rest allows you to rest your hand in place. Next the tactical safety switch, (we can also install an ambi as well) with its oversized lever was very easy to reach with the thumb and didn’t have to look at my rifle and take my eyes off the target to get me into the firing position.

The first couple of shots were to get acclimated and setup in the prone position. I had to adjust the bipod and monopod before getting it where I wanted it. Next time, I will have a better idea of the comfort height for the prone position. I then decided to go for an accuracy test on the rifle.

I picked the upper accuracy target and went for a 3 shot grouping. The ammo I was using was our hand-loaded bullets using 168grn SM HPBT. We’ve written about the ammo before, but it has now been tested in several manufacturer’s rifles and with the exception of the Springfield Armory M1-A it delivered anywhere from .3” to .7” @100yd. (I’ve tested it out to 300yd in my Tikka Varmint and was 1.5” with on flyer out of 5 rounds.)

In roughly a minute time frame for 3 rounds I had two overlapping and one flyer that put me at about .5”. I decided to finish off the last 4 rounds in a speed test which lasted about 20 seconds. What is totally impressive about the rifle is the follow up shot capability (although I’m a former Marine “One shot One kill” this is very beneficial when a platoon of crazed prairie dogs are coming right for you.) The compensator does an excellent job of keeping the muzzle lift and recoil to a minimum and didn’t have a significant compression feel, like a 50BMG has. As I recall the 16’ seemed a little more aggressive but I was standing up and directly under the canopy.

Overall, and I’m not saying this because I built it and want to sell lot’s of these guns, which I do, but when I compare the cost of a high end bolt action that I can get .25 to .5” accuracy and the cost is twice or more as my DPMS I’m hard pressed not to recommend this rifle. I’m not disparaging the bolt guns and some may say I can get as many off in the same amount of time, but for a guy who doesn’t use it for business purposes; it almost makes you feel like one of the guys who do. It just seems at some point the diminishing returns on accuracy. However, to juxtapose this, another friend of ours brought over his GA Precision rifle and I can say he did get what he paid for.

As a supporting comment to this, I was speaking with Earl from Reno, one of our friends (most of our clients seem to become our friends and we like that) who purchased one of the first of these rifles, made the comment to me on the phone the other night that “I would trust my DPMS with my life.” I agree.

The two photo’s above were provided by our friend Earl, who obviously puts the author’s skills to shame.

These two photos are of a DPMS LR-260 24″ fluted & threaded SS bull barrel with Miculek.  We also added the JP trigger and speed hammer, tactical carrier release, Harris bipod, Panther tactical grip, and Burris 6.5×25 w/ballistic plex packed in a Bulldog case.

If you’re interested in a DPMS rifle and would like it factory standard or delivered with options we would be glad to provide it for you. If we have the rifle and options in stock, we can generally turn it around in a week to 10 days. Thanks for interest.

D9.

We recently sold a good friend of ours Kyle Remington 700 SPS Varmint in 308. I’ve written about this rifle before covering the new X-Mark Pro trigger. You can never go wrong with a Remington 700 but the older models including the varmint rifles all had heavy unrefined triggers. I was frustrated with the two 700’s I purchased in the VLS and VSF, both of which I had to replace the triggers at about $100 a shot. This combined with the cost of the rifle turned out to be quite expensive.

As a firearms provider, part of my responsibility to my clients is finding a gun and optics that I can recommend and stay within their budget. Unfortunately, cost is generally the first issue to consider. (I live in the real world with a mortgage, kids, and a wife, so I understand.) So when I look at the VLS & VSF at $800+, and then have to add a trigger, and have money left over for a decent optic, most people are going to bulk at that cost. I have and still do. And as we’ve discussed before and committed to the ATF we are in the business to make a profit and cover our cost.

So when Remington came out with the new 700 SPS Varmint my wholesaler called me up told me it’s worth a look. Naturally, being a varmint/target shooter the trigger action is very important to me. That was the first thing I tested out and thought for a factory trigger this is comparable to my Tikka. It has a very smooth 700 action, heavy varmint contoured barrel, and a synthetic stock. The vented the forearm which also adds to the ascetic appeal of the rifle even though it is synthetic (but this helps keep cost and weight down). And finally, the cost was very reasonable and left room for the shooter to spend a little more on the optics that will compliment the accuracy of the rifle. (If you can’t see it, you can’t shoot it. Also, a poor scope on a good rifle, will still give you poor shooting results.)

Since we weren’t able to fire it, it worked out great that Kyle purchased the rifle and we were able to have him out to the range with us. Prior to going out though, Kyle needed an optic. We had a Sightron 4×16x42 w/mil-dot reticule that we suggested. You will not find these optics on every street corner but they are very good optics for the money. I consider them a base line optic when recommending an optic to someone asking for my advice. As a side note, I also like the Nikon Buckmaster series for a slightly lower cost option and consider it a very good value for the quality and cost. However, Sightron doesn’t do much marketing and they have what I consider exceptionally crisp & clear optics, good construction, but at a slightly higher price. But when you get this optic mounted and sight down through it, you will see you got what you paid for.

After shooting the rifle, we asked Kyle if he would give us an honest opinion about each aspect of the rifle and scope. I know Kyle well enough that if it didn’t perform he would have not provided us with the feedback and secondly we were with him and saw for ourselves how the rifle performed. Thirdly, we offered Kyle the option to take the scope back if he didn’t like it.

Hey,

I finally got the .308 out to shoot. First lets talk about the rifle, it is a Remington 700 SPS Varmint. This is my second Remington 700 first was a deer rifle in 30-06 and man this blew that gun out of the water. The trigger is also a lot better then the high end rifles that Remington does make. Second, I started out by mounting some Leupold rings and bases and the only problem I had with them was that I wish I would have bought the double dovetail series. Then came the part I thought I would never get put on so soon, the scope. I mounted a Sightron 4-16×42 with mil-dot. I have not heard of Sightron before and was concerned if I would like it, but guess what it is crystal clear and the eye relief was fantastic. The first couple of rounds sent through the gun were sighting the gun in and then the first real three shot group. Two bullets almost through each other, then I pulled the next one, it was less then an inch to the right. Needless to say the rifle performed great and would defiantly consider one in .223.

We appreciate Kyle’s time in providing us feedback on the rifle. Here at D9Firearms our goal is to provide you with quality and proven firearms and optics to make your shooting experience more rewarding. If you’re interested in a Remington 700 SPS Varmint, please contact us.

As we stated before we always like to post feedback especially on firearms that we recommend. As you can tell from the site Tikka is by far my most favorite rifle. It is not an easy rifle to sell to people like a Remington or some other well known name. Most people haven’t heard of Tikka and that’s why I always take pride when I get feedback on these rifles. Once you put one in your hands and operate the smooth bolt and adjust the trigger to your liking it’s all over but the explaining you have to do to your wife. Regardless, of the explaining you have to do it will be worth it. Our good friend David sent us his feed back on the Tikka T3 Deluxe he purchased from us. (As a side not, we shot together the first day he had it out and I had my Tikka T3 Deluxe 270Win. and mine delivered 3/4″ with factory ammo. I’ll let David tell his story.)

Tikka T3 Deluxe - Review
by David Boone

It’s been almost a year since I first handled a Tikka T3, having been turned on to them by friends at D9 Firearms. This past week it was my turn to become a proud owner of a Tikka T3 Deluxe in .308 Winchester. Tikka rifles are made in Finland and Tikka’s parent company is Sako, known for their world class rifles. For the uninitiated, Finland is the country that gave the world Simo Hayha, a sniper with 505 confirmed kills against the Russians, using open sights. Obviously, the Finns take the accuracy of their rifles seriously and the new Tikka T3 is no exception.

My initial impression of the Tikka T3 line was that of a light to moderate weight rifle, with a slick, bolt throw and action, easy to shoulder and easier to point. The T3 Deluxe sports a higher grade hardwood stock than the hunter model and has slightly different checkering in the grips. A hand rubbed oil finish on the Deluxe suits the traditionalist in me, and she is not so lovely as to worry about taking her hunting. I haven’t taken any measurements on the geometry of the stock, but she feels much more comfortable to shoulder and better balanced than my Browning A-bolt. Whether it is this geometry or the well fitted recoil pad (one of my pet peeves is poor fitting recoil pads on mass production firearms) the recoil of the .308 Tikka is well moderated and putting a couple boxes of ammunition downrange does not leave me reaching for the ibuprofen.

My first trip out to the range left me scratching my head, questioning my mounting of a new Nikon Buckmaster scope, a model which I have had good results with before. I was shooting handloads of Reloader 15, and the groups were running just under 2” at 100 yards and the point of impact was shifting on me. After a remount of the scope and a follow-up to the range with handloads of two different powders and 4 different powder charges behind them, the Tikka finally came into her own with 43.9 grains of IMR 4064 behind a 150 grain Sierra spitzer. Her last 3 shot group of 1” with this load after 25 rounds through a hot barrel with no cleaning was almost as good as the 3 shot cloverleaf fired from a cold barrel.

Would I recommend a Tikka? Without a doubt. And as others have said before, shoot a variety of bullets and powders through your rifle whether they be factory or handloads until you find one that suits your rifle and needs best. It really does make a difference. The Tikka T3 Deluxe will be my hunting rifle this fall – a good looking, well balanced rifle, light enough to pack deep into the woods and capable of all the accuracy I will ever need.

We appreciate the feed back and we appreciate your trust in D9Firearms. Please contact us if you are interested in a Tikka rifle. (Picture shown above are from D9Firearms personal collection.)

About 2 months ago we received a call from a fellow interested in a modified LR-308 AP4. This turned out to be a very interesting client and awesome rifle request. First the call came in from Sierra Leon and knowing a little about the region I was thinking he probably needs a dozen LR-308s, some rocket launchers, and machine guns. However, Don is a US citizen working for our government doing great work for the peoples of Africa on behalf of all of us. (I got to know Don quite well over the next six weeks and he really believes in and loves what he does. You would have to do this work in that environment and be away from your family. We appreciate Don’s service.)

Don was looking for the AP4 with a 4 rail hand guard, picatinny gas block, and Miculek compensator to start with. We had the standard AP4 on hand and since time line was short to have it ready for him when he came home we decided to have DPMS rework the upper for us by replacing the free float hand guards and A2 gas block. He also wanted a flip up front (to mount on the picatinny gas block) and rear flip up sites, along with optics with quick release capability.

Speaking with Don I recommend several upgrades like the Hogue grip, tactical carrier release, tactical bolt release, and a trigger upgrade. Don already had a DPMS .223 with a two stage trigger and it just made sense to put the same in this one. (My personal opinion is I like the two-stage better on the action or tactical style rifles and JP with speed hammer on the target/hunter rifles.) So we outfitted the lower while we were waiting on the upper.

The next challenge was the optics, which invariably seems to be case. Don was looking for something that would work for tactical and deer hunting and I naturally recommend my favorite optic the IOR Valdada 2×12x32 w/MP-8 illuminated reticule in a 35mm tube. The low zoom gives a reasonable field of view for faster shooting close in tactical shooting, but the quality of optic at 12x makes it excellent for mid to long range shooting. (I use mine interchangeably between 3 different rifles.)

Since a decision wasn’t required immediately, Don did a little research, and even made a call to our friends down at USAOptics.com. Don jumped off the proverbial cliff and decided to go with the optic along with a quick release see through rings. Don was already spending a few dollars on the rifle and to couple it with this optic was a total winner. I have to say Don went on a lot of faith on several fronts with this project, and the optics was just one of them and we were the other.

As the parts started to arrive, I kept Don updated via email and he would occasionally give us a buzz from the African continent to check on progress as well. Unfortunately not all the parts arrived together and I incurred some minor glitches in the design. First, the rings we ordered turned out not to be available, and so a temporary substitute was supplied. However, this was not what Don was paying for, he wanted a rifle that when it arrived it was out of the box ready to meet his expectations.

We continued to work with USA to try and get the quick release see through rings. Typically this would be easy, but when dealing with 35mm tube, there very few manufacturers. We kept Don up to date and did some searching ourselves and kept coming up with an inferior option of having to use a riser. It’s never a good idea to mount optics on a secondary platform because of reliability.

We ordered in a riser from IOR and mounted the riser, optic, and flip up rear site. Even with the riser the optic sat to low and the flip up couldn’t be used until we got the quick release high see through rings. Although a higher riser would have worked the scope elevation would have been impractical. I let Don know that we would have to go with this option until the see through rings came in and to use the flip up’s he could remove the riser. Don was not pleased and I was struggling to get something to work out but it just wasn’t happening and he reluctantly agreed to go with the operation until I could get the see through rings in.

So the day before Don is to arrive we got it put together and ready for shipment. It looked totally impressive and would strike fear in the heart of any insurgent or deer. As part of the project Don had ordered several hundred of our hand loaded .308 rounds for shooting and hunting. The deal wasn’t over just yet, at the UPS center they informed me we couldn’t air freight ammunition, and we had to ship the ammo by ground. Since I packed all the accessories with the ammo some quick repackaging was done.

I have to admit once the rifle went out I was relieved because things just hadn’t quite worked out to perfection, but the rifle was delivered on time only for Don’s plane to be delayed by a day.

Prior to shipping Don’s rifle, with his approval, we put 10 rounds of the game load we loaded down range. (I temporarily put my IOR on it without the flip up site.) That day I also brought my DPMS M4 .223 to test out the new EOTech and 2 stage I installed in it. Naturally I tested Don’s out first and wow talk about a concussion it was almost like shooting my Barrett 50. However, the recoil was reduced to less than that of the .223, it was unbelievable. After 10 rounds though I think my teeth seemed to be coming loose. (After speaking with a couple of others they bought replacement flash hiders for the Miculek to change it out when they were shooting out at the range. After Don was able to shoot he did the same as well.)

Don called back a few days later to give me an update on how it shot. The results were both good and bad. He was stunned with the first shot as well from the concussion. The second shot, the riser was jarred loose. I had torqued the riser down solidly with a nut driver but didn’t loctite it so it could be removed to access the flip up rear site. Don couldn’t tell if the nuts had worked loose or if the riser popped off because of the breaking action of the muzzle break. Don told me when he tried to put the riser back on that it wouldn’t fit back in until he had loosened the screws. I also remembered the riser did not fully clamp under the rail for example like a Burris Zee ring or even the IOR rings themselves. No damage was done, but it is critical if you are going to use a riser get one that clamps solidly around the picatinnay rail.

We understand here at D9 the review of how this project unfolded was not an exemplary model of perfection we strive for but I thought it more important to share with you some of the problems we encountered and hopefully prevent it from happening to anyone else. Although some of the circumstances were out of our control we offered Don a discount on our services because I felt it did not meet my expectations.

The rifle was shipped in a Winchester aluminum double rifle case.

 (Thanks for working with us Don.)

About 2 months ago I received a call from a Texan who was inquiring about the DPMS LR-260 w/24” stainless bull barrel I had advertised.  He stated he had never shot or owned an AR style rifle and didn’t much care for them.  However, the .260 caliber intrigued him and with a battalion of hell raising, trench digging, belligerent, feral hogs he needed some semi-auto (full-auto would have been better) fire suppression.  His decision to go with an AR rifle was not an easy decision, but with all those hogs raising hell and violating his private property rights, the AR was an obvious choice.

I spoke with him for about an hour, not all necessarily discussing the DPMS and gained a lot of knowledge myself.  He had a variety of rifles and had done some hunting in Africa, which was a story in itself.  We also discussed optics which he had experience with a variety of optics ranging from cheap to expensive.  This is one area I always like to find out from rifle shooter’s what their thoughts are.  He was of the opinion don’t skimp on optics because you will pay for it some early morning or late evening.  He also made an interesting comment about one brand and the glare from normal daylight shooting.  My opinion is along with some others is “you get what you pay for”.  I told him about IOR and how I had inadvertently stumbled across them and could solidly recommend them.

Accuracy also came up in our discussion since he was a bolt action shooter.  It took some time to somewhat convince him that the DPMS would deliver sub MOA accuracy.  I also told him though, with the DPMS rifles, the accuracy is definitely enhanced by going with the JP Adjustable trigger.  Even DPMS says their number one upgrade is the trigger.  But sometimes it’s a matter of just getting the rifle first and then doing some upgrading.  And this ties right in with buying the right optics.

However, we covered the issues and I really enjoyed the conversation.  I would like to say that these guns and optics sell themselves, but when you’re from Texas, and you’ve never heard of DPMS, IOR, or much less a guy from D9Firearms who is also a northerner, you’re going to be skeptical.  I don’t know if it was the thought of the hogs taking over or my belief in the products that sold him, but he chose the DPMS LR-260, with a 6×42 IOR Valdada, and a JP adjustable trigger.

I then proceeded to get everything moving.  Since I had the rifle I just needed to order the optics.  I use this group out of Georgia called USA Optics to get my IORs from.  Unfortunately we had some delays getting the optics from IOR, but true to from Fred and his daughter Laura came through.  I installed and tuned the JP trigger and had about a 3lb pull and then mounted, aligned, and bore sighted the IOR.  Through the course of this I made a few calls down to Albert to keep him posted and let him know I hadn’t absconded with his hard earned dollars.  Put it this way, it was a faith-based program on his part, and we sincerely appreciate that.

About two weeks after shipping the rifle, I get a call at my office and Albert is on the other end.  He proceeds to tell me about his excursion to the rifle range.  He didn’t come right out and say this thing is the best thing since sliced bread and my family and I have been dining on roast hog ever since.  He provided me with a faith-based story on how he progressed through 4 rounds of shooting, by starting off saying the first round was a hard 3” right and was barely holding a 3” pattern.  Faith paid off, because each progression of his four round four shot test inched closer to the bulls and closer to the sub MOA.  During his final round, Albert said he had fired 3 shots and could barely tell the difference and was debating going for the fourth shot so as not to throw the last round.  But being a real man, he did it.  Now we all know those guys who say, yea my shots all fit under a dime, all the while we know “BS” you couldn’t hit a fricken barn, but not here.  You can hear honesty and combined with the products he was using I knew when he said I could fit all four rounds on a nickel he was telling the truth.
Thanks for your interest and if you’re interested in a DPMS please contact us here at D9.

We’re always pleased when one of our clients provides us feedback on a rifle package we provided. I have copied the email I recieved from Gary who we outfitted a T3 Varmint a Zeiss optic.

I finally got a chance to sight in my Tikka/Zeiss package with your hand loaded 168 grain bullets and the results were fantastic. The first shot at 100 yards was about 3” to the right and 3 or 4” down. It took a total of six shots to get the round in the bull. I then proceeded to shoot two different 3 shot 100 yard groups. Both groups had all three bullets touching and one was considerably less than 1moa … this was during a fairly brisk wind and less than “ideal” shooting conditions. I’m certain the rifle will also perform at yardages well beyond 100 yards. These results are phenomenal

As I told Kyle, this rifle will be able to shoot anything (even something as small as the head of a squirrel) at 100 yards and has a round large enough to cleanly take most North American animals. Combine that will very manageable “low” recoil and you get a true “killer” combo.

Gary

We hope this feedback assists you in making a decision if you are interested in a Tikka. Please contact us here at D9 we will be glad to provide you with an outfitted package of your choice.

Thanks and we look forward to hearing from you

One of the toughest choices to make when purchasing a rifle is deciding on which optic to chose.  Our goal is to evaluate as many as practical and without bankrupting ourselves to help provide you some insight in helping make that decision.  Optics are always a tough choice especially when trying to decide in the store if will it look right on your rifle, how is the light transmission, reliability, quality and performance when looking through it at something less than 100yds and in very bright light.  At this point they can all look good.  However, take it to the field some early morning or late afternoon and the real test begins.  One of the products we personally have been using for a couple of years now is the IOR Valdada.

IOR Valdada scopes are manufactured in Bucharest, Romania and use premium glass manufactured in Schott, Germany.  They have a hunting and tactical line, which only vary in the reticule and tube diameter selection.  The quality of optics is the same in both.  We have four variations of the tactical scopes that we currently use on our personal rifles and have been very pleased with each one.  When buying a scope of this quality one expects to pay but also demand more.  We have covered some of the manufacturer’s points and added a few of the benefits we have seen.

The first and obvious point is robust look it has.  The scope construction is constructed from a single piece of mil-spec alloy.  The elevation and windage turrets that adjust easily by finger, with positive tactile and audible clicks are clearly marked with white numbers to easily keep track of adjustments.  The turrets sit on a square portion of the scope adding to its industrial strength.  The scopes we use have side focus which makes for quick adjustment in a target rich and dynamic environment.  Another feature is the ocular adjustment for eye relief which allows perfect eye sight alignment for any shooter who would like to test out this piece of hardware.  IOR also provides industrial rings for mounting.  We use them as well as the Burris Signature Zee on our bolt gun.

When looking through the lens the first thing you notice is the MP-8 reticule and target clarity.  We have it in illuminated and non-illuminated.  The reticule is photo engraved on the glass and comes with several choices.  By engraving the reticule on the glass it eliminates the possibility of the cross hairs breaking lose from shock or any other mishap.  The MP-8 reticule has ½ and 1 mil engraved markings.  The optical glass is made in Schott, Germany, which is considered a leader in premium glass.  The Carl Zeiss T-3 system is used to coat the optics to reduce glare and maximize the light transmission.  This type of glass-manufacturing is also critical for the accuracy of the tactical reticules which are used for range finding and windage and elevation compensation.  This allows the IOR to follow the mil and 1/2-mil reticle marks to virtually perfect tolerances.  There is also a Lock Support System on the reticule mechanism that requires no adjustment.  Another important feature of the engraved reticule is the “cross hairs” will always appear to be the same size.

We have mounted our scopes on a variety of rifles.  Depending on the application we have chosen different magnification and tube diameters.  For our DPMS Sweet 16 Panther Bull in .223 we chose the 2×12x35 Illuminated w/MP-8 reticule.  This was a perfect choice for close in shooting or doing a little prairie dog shooting.  The 2x gives an a very wide view for close in shooting while dialing out to 12x allows us to see the beady little eyes of the bubonic carrying fur balls prior to seeing a red vaporous mist.  The 35mm tube is something very different and not widely implemented and will cost significantly more for the rings.  (Don’t go cheap.)  The 35mm definitely offers more light transmission and combined with the optics it’s awesome.  The illuminated reticule is very neat and definitely lends it’s self to very low light shooting conditions.  I’ve tested it.

We also have the fixed 10x mounted to two of our .308 rifles (of course they are a Tikka T3 Varmint and DPMS LR-308) which is an all around good choice for 100yd + shooting and the .308Win round.  We also have the 6-24×35 illuminated w/MP-8 reticule mounted to a 50BMG and all we can say is “It doesn’t matter how far or fast you run”.  (Point intended.)

Overall we feel IOR produces a very solid scope with excellent optics.  We would recommend IOR for certain applications and rifles.  The tactical scopes are very robust and seem well suited for AR style rifles and heavy bull barrel rifles that are going to be subjected to some abuse.  We haven’t tested the hunting line but we would expect the same performance only in a 1” tube.  This line of optics is not for everyone or rifle.  The economics are substantial but are justified by the quality.  However, if you are considering a tactical style optic from a more common manufacturer for a few dollars more we would recommend buying an IOR.

As always we hope the information provided assists you in your decision.  If you are interested in IOR for your rifle please contact us here at D9Firearms.  Thanks and we look forward to hearing from you.

Here recently optics has become a hot topic at D9.  We recently updated one of our web pages covering optics.  What I thought would be a quick review on some issues to consider when purchasing optics turned out to be more like a dissertation.  As we discussed earlier when considering a rifle the optics should be part of the decision if not the first decision, since poor optics on a good rifle will still give you poor results.

However, one of our clients really took the long road to getting a top shelf high quality optic.  This client, we’ll only refer to as Gary, is somewhat a perfectionist and rightly so when it comes to outfitting one of our favorite rifles the Tikka T3 Varmint in .308Win.  He started with the Leopold 4×14x40 with the Boone & Crocket reticule.  After a field test he brought it back in.  There were two main issues; the mounting and the scope in general.  We had originally used the low aluminum rings that Tikka provided with the rifle and it just didn’t give him the look he wanted or the robust mounting.  Secondly after the field test, where he used it to shoot a doe, the scope didn’t quite meet his expectation.

So he went back to evaluating scopes and we went to solving the bases and rings problem.  Gary called back a few days later with a new selection, the Nikon Monarch UCC.  We in the mean time came up with a new mounting and went with Burris bases and Burris Signature Zee Rings.  By the time we were ready to reschedule Gary he called back and had changed courses.  This time he was pumped and could barely contain himself and confessed he blew the budget (we don’t know if he told his wife) and went all out on a Zeiss 4×14x44MC Conquest scope.

I knew some about Zeiss and have only looked through them in the big box stores and was always impressed.  Well he brought it over on Sunday afternoon and I was very impressed especially once we got in on the rifle.  We went to work getting everything mounted, leveled, aligned, and sighted.  The scope, rings, and rifle were a perfect match.  Gary was very pleased with the outcome and so were we.  We then proceeded to do a little sighting with it in the neighborhood and boy was it impressive.  This setup will deliver.  Before leaving we set Gary up with some hand loaded 168grn rounds.  We will provide a follow up to this when he gets out and range tests his new rig.

We hope he enjoys it as much as we did getting it setup. He was glad to allow us to provide you with some photo’s.

If you are interested in a complete rifle package please contact us here at D9 and we will be glad to configure a scoped rifle package of your choice.