Dolphin Modular F/TR Rifle

[Parabuteo]

I Picked my baby up yesterday, and spent a soggy morning on the range getting aquainted.

The Rifle was built by Mik Maksimovic of the Dolphin gun company using their own brew modular stock.

There rifle is superbly built, in this case specifically for F/TR class (in .308 Win).

The modular stock is Miks answer to the Gemini and AICS. It aint as smooth as the AICS, and it aint as complicated (or as expensive) as the Gemini, but it ticks as many boxes as I would need ticking.

It has an AR type pistol grip, lower bag rail (adjustable up and down), Manners adjustable butt pad (up and down but no cant, you dont want cant in something shooting long range), Length of stock, seperate length of pull on the grip.

The rifle was built using the Barnard SM action. I realise the purists will scream blue murder that this may compromise stiffness with the mag housing taking away a piece of the receiver, but the thing is built like a tank and those I have asked suggest that for F/TR if there was any flex (which is unlikely) it would be the least of your worries.

Why a mag? Because I want one rifle that will let me compete in F/TR and possibly some of the practical/tactical type coms, hence the magazine feed.

Mik tells me that they laboured hard and long getting the mag fitting and feed just right for the various actions (The chassis system can be purchased for a range of rifles, circ £600). It works and fed and ejected faultlessly. far smoother than my M67 Kongsber and No4.

There are several choices of barrel. I let Mik pick mine as, being Mr F Class, he would know the best way to go for F/TR.

I ended with a Lilja 30" 1 in 13 as this keeps the weight sub limit, launching Factory RUAG .308 match at over 3000fps, and my own preffered home loads (155SMK Palma 2156c, 46gr N140 and Lapua brass) at about 2915. This suits me as I want the barrel to last a while, so dont fancy burning it out too quickly with double base powders.

The rifle actually held 1/2MOA elevation easily in the foul windy/wet weather yesterday, and produced a single ragged hole in tests at 100 with the rounds not optimally loaded (for seating).

I intend looking at Bergers for the long ranges (800-1000) but at £40 per hundred thay will be long range only.

Initially I found the Jewel trigger a bit of a shock, but you rapidly get used to the crisp let off, it is one I wont be messing with any time soon. Light yes, but very predictable an dyou soon forget it.

My own scope was mounted perfectly using third eye alloy mounts and a 20MOA rail.

Mik tells me that rust wont be an issue as the rifle has been designed with foul weather in mind...I will have alook later then

Only time and tinkering about with COLs will show it's full potential, but given the nasty wind yesterday, and my lack of experience in the wind, I was pleased with the results. Far better than my earlier shooting in fair weather, particularly when I sorted my position out (cheers Tim..remember..Bren gun..right?).

One of the things that is telling is that I never expected to be able to shoot, both eyes open, with a .308, and see the target throughout, with the rifle falling nicely back onto aim. The only thing messing things up was my position, which I sorted...thanks to a South African boot

The beast was also supplied with a long tracker bipod. It is obscenely light and easy to adjust for elevation. I have some reservations about the tensioning (like 2 podlocks either side) but it works extremely well, and my reservations are probably down to my lack of understanding (Mik tells me it can be locked down 100%, but it is better to have some movement (tight) particularly at longer ranges so you can adjust if the pod digs in a bit, which even with its rocker type feet it will....it did, and that makes sense)

So that's the rifle, superb, Mik warned me that he did not want me sending him an email saying I had lock jaw due to the permanent grin I had stuck on my mug

So what of the Customer service...well he says he is selling 4 guns a week so something is right.

Apparently one gent wandered into Dolphin desperate to have a barrel fitted, Mik told him how much and he nearly choked on his coffee...."Oh Sh*t" said Mik, "I thought it was too high a price". The gent was shocked as Mik had beaten his nearest quote by £300, and had been told 6-9months...Mik could do it in 2 weeks.

This is one of their strengths in that they keep quite a large stock of barrells and actions in house. My rifle I could have had next day, but was not going to Lincs to collect it. He actually had several poofed actions/barrels ready to go.

On pickup day I met Mik (who swore at me...he always does that, cracking lad with a great SOH and generousity, but tells it how it is), and we waded down to the range. He had a Gazebo set up (which had no effect as the rain was horizontal with the ground most of the time) and someone sorted some coffee...Tim again, cheers bud

The rifle was provided with full paperwork including cleaning/run in advice (He had run mine in testing ammo in it), trigger manual, invoice, chrono print outs, letter to his constabulary, and test target.

It also came with a full set of allen keys, and was presented in a Flambeau hard plastic case...which threw me a bit as I had ordered and AIM drag bag for it.

That said, the hard case will be useful for RFD to RFD courier etc should it need it, and I do prefer the drag bag.

He also supplied me with a short tac front end, a carbon fibre cleaning rod and jag, and a can of wipe out foam as part of may package. These were extras, along with the Bipod.

The wipe out is really clever stuff. Clean the barrel with carbon remover first, then sqirt this stuff down the bore and leave it (anywhere between an hour to 24). The foam will change colour depending on what has been removed (in streaks) and you dont need much...I would leave the bore guide in place and put a towel under it as it is a bit like the quatermass experiment!!

An hour spent sizing that days cases...and bingo, very slight brown staining (went after 3 patches) and the jobs a goodun.

To cap it all, when I got home the rifle just popped into the cabinet with about 2" to spare....bonus. I had measured it and was expecting to collapse the stock a bit to get it in, but clearly those figures were for a very long stock setup

Mik has been very helpful and is a very knowledgeble and approachable bloke, and his wife (Tina) is also very good, they work together with Pete brilliantly (Apart from when Mik sold Petes rifle just as he was about to use it in the McQueens)

He has put up with my bonehead emails, counting sleeps etc...well, we are all kids really

If you are after that one off, "I wont be able to afford to do this again for a bit" type rifle, have a look at the Dolphin Gun Company.

They use top quality components, and produce top quality products, without a chronic price tag

Mik shoots all sorts (and has a pssion for 50 cal) so I doubt anything much will phase him, but take any advice given if you can

http://www.dolphinguncompany.co.uk/

http://www.dolphinguncompany.co.uk/i...=87&Itemid=167

I was actually recommended Mik and Dolphin GC by other F/TR and F Open class shots, so he must be getting it right