A Radical Bullpup

DESERT TACTICAL ARMS - SRS - A RADICAL BULLPUP

GUNS MAGAZINE - 2010

By: John Fasano - Photos: Luctia Fasano

Hadji ain’t stupid. He may be fighting to keep his country in the Stone age, but on the battlefield, he knows the value of snipers. our snipers. He knows the trooper climbing out of the up-armored HuMvee carrying the long rifle bag is the one with the barrett M107 or the M-24 sniping system — making him a high value target.

Nick Young, a hobbyist gunsmith saw the problem as well. But Nick did something about it. He found a group of talented people and started Desert Tactical Arms in Salt Lake City, Utah. DTA has succeeded in creating a novel sniper rifle system giving the shooter the ultimate in performance while keeping his visibility to a minimum. The DTA Stealth Recon Scout (SRS) is an interchangeable barrel, bolt-action rifle available in .308 Winchester, .300 Win Mag and .338 Lapua Magnum.

Visually the gun is striking, with a full length Picatinney rail at 12 o’clock, and half length rails at 3, 6 and 9 o’clock for easy mounting of accessories including large day and night optics, lasers and flashlights. The Bullpup design of the rifle allows use of a free floated 22" target length barrel in a sub ten pound weight .308 giving the rifle an overall length of only 31.5" — one inch SHORTER than a 16" barreled AR with the
stock collapsed.

With the longer 26" barrel chambered for the potent .338 Lapua, the overall length of the SRS at 37.5" is only an inch longer than a 5.56mm SOPMOD with the stock fully extended. This is an incredible compression of size without a loss of performance.

Does It Shoot?

The rifle supplied for testing was an OD green finished beauty serial numbered P-2 for “prototype #2.” DTA topped the all green SRS with a green anodized US Optics SN-3 T-PAL. The T-Pal is a 3.2-17x variable power long-range tactical scope with a 30mm tube body and a 44mm objective developed for target engagement out to 1,500+ yards. I packed the supplied Pelican hard case and took the Desert Tactical Arms .308 bullpup to the Angeles Shooting Ranges in Southern California, to sight in and shoot
groups with Federal’s Match 168 and 175 grain ammo.

The Ballistic card supplied by Desert Tactical Arms got me in the black quickly. I sighted in with Federal’s Gold Medal Match 168 grain and then switched to their 175 grain load topped with Sierra MatchKing BTHP, While the 175 Matchkings leave the muzzle at 2,600 fps and the 168’s a shade faster at 2,650, at 100 yards both bullet weights printed to almost exact same point of aim — so I didn’t adjust after initial sight in.

The supplied Stealth Recon Scout came equipped with a Harris Bipod with podlock. I usually group off sandbags, but since it was supplied in what would be issue, I decided to shoot my groups using the bipod. Remember — I switched the barrels out on my kitchen table workbench, so I was trusting the system was “idiot user proof.”

I decided to skip three and five shot groups and shoot the full six rounds in each single stack removable magazine for group size. The possibility of having to use all six rounds in the field is a real one. I also wanted to see how the interchangeable barrel would shoot when it heated up.

Climbing behind the SRS feels like settling in behind other long range precision rifles — except for the location of the bolt. After a few empty chamber cycles, it became clear that the 60 percent bolt throw would be more ergonomic in action then it seemed at first look.

Ergonomics throughout the design are top notch. The DTA magazine can be dropped one handed, and the safety was positive and easy to reach in shooting position.

Fighting the onset of an irregular heartbeat — probably prompted by the racy lines of the SRS — it took me time to settle in behind the crosshairs. I swear I could feel the blood running through my veins. The DTA’s stock is designed to give you a positive cheek weld without having an adjustable cheek piece. The US Optics scope was bright and razor sharp.

It’s A Shooter

The gun has a barely one pound match grade trigger, and using the "points" on the sighter target’s diamonds as reference for the crosshairs made it easy to have the same hold. But I could tell my racing heart was keeping me from wringing the full accuracy out of the rifle. I’d get four rounds touching and then exhale wrong and throw one a ¼" left. I calmed down, decreased the length of the bipod legs so they were a little steadier, and shot some groups for pictures. Six shot groups I shot at 100 yards fell just under and just over .5 MOA. The best group measured only .3".

Once I knew the SRS and the SN-3 were dialed in, I moved the action to a private range with the metal swingers from 300 to 600 yards. I could have used the supplied ballistic table to set the scope for each range, but just using the MilDot hash marks in the US Optics scope, it was easy to hit the targets figuring holdover on the scope and working the bolt as quickly as I could. I was sold.

After several weeks with the Stealth Recon Scout I grudgingly returned it to the factory. The Navy SEALs have already placed an order, and Army Special Forces and other military units need to wring it out. By the time you read this, the production DTAs will be rolling out of the factory, and one will be rolling my way. The Desert Tactical Arms SRS proved itself to be one of the most accurate, and versatile tactical rifles I’ve ever had the privilege to shoot. Nick Young and his people did their homework. It works.