whiskey hotel blog
designated marksman rifle build and gear setup
A good optic is an important aspect of every well done DMR Setup. Selecting the right one, however, can feel overwhelming. It is fair to say that every one in our group would recommend any variation of a Trijicon Credo. Still, there are many options fitting a range of budgets that work well for DMR setups. On the high end, the vortex Razor Gen 3 is an excellent MOA and MIL reticle with superior clarity. It’s price point is higher, but its performance aims to match it in full. On the budget side, the Primary Arms1x8 and 3×18 are still great contenders. These are both ACSS reticles which are great range finding tools that help determine bullet drop at the same time. We love a good range finding BDC reticle like the ACSS. These are just some of the many good reticles we recommend. There is a wide range of good optic choices and when you get down to the discipline of shooting, a good optic is more important than the rifle itself.
Rifle Builds
As with all things there is a give and take with rifle builds. The more stuff added to the rifle equals more weight; more weight equals more restrictions. It is important to remember, when you increase the range of your rifle by increasing the weight of your rifle, you decrease your capabilities with movement and near engagements.
The Builds
The following is three hypothetical rifle/optic setups with three different max effective ranges:
Max range point target 600 yards:
14.5/16 inch barrel – BCM with Trijicon Credo 1×6 BDC or 1×8 mil reticle, Blue Force sling and MRDS side optic.
Max range point target 750 yards:
18/20 inch barrel 5.56 – Seekins, BCM, or DD with Trijicon Credo 2×10, or 2.5×15 mil optic, Harris bipod, VTAC padded sling with a MRDS side mounted optic.
Max range point target 1000 yards:
18/20 inch AR10 in 308 or 6.5CM – RRA, DD, Seekins, or Aero Precision with Trijicon Credo 2.5×15, Leupold MK5 3.6×18, Bushnell Elite DMR II 2.5×21, and a Primary Arms GLx 2.5×10. Top mounted MRDS with a Harris bipod and a padded VTAC sling.
Slings – Blue Force and Vtac
Bipod – Harris, Atlas, and Tier one
MRDS – Trijicon and Holosun
Spotting scopes – Leupold, Vortex, Bushnell, and Athlon. Spotting scopes are one of those things that, in my opinion, fall into the “you get what you pay for” category. When you get into the very low end of spotting scopes, you get just that. It would be better to get a higher piece of quality gear in another area. IE range finder or binos.
Binoculars – Burris, Vortex Diamond back, or higher, Leupold and many more. We also like the Vortex Recon RT for this job.
Range finder – It appears that Sig Sauer is blowing everyone out of the water on range finders.
Weapon light – Modlight OKW and Cloud Defensive Rein.
Mounts – Warne, Arisaka, PRI, AERO and many more!
My personal DMR:
5.56 18 inch Rainier Arms Ultra Match Barrel with a Grey Ghost upper and lower
Geissele 2 stage trigger
Geissele MK4 rail
Leupold MK5 with CCH reticle 3.6×18
Holosun 509T with Arisaka Mount
Tier One bipod (the tall one)
69gr hpbt ammo
Vtac padded sling
Modlite OKW weapon mounted light
Other gear in my personal pack:
Water – Nalgene bottles and water bottles – bladders leak
Binos – Burris HD 12×50
Rangefinder – Sig Kilo 2200
Tripod – Leupold Carbon fiber
Spotting scope – Leupold MK4
Shooting bag – Whiskey Hotel Stock+aid
Dope book-write in the rain cards, range cards, pens, and markers
VS 17 panel and chem lights
I also carry a good deal of sustainment in my ruck
Water
Food
Socks
T-shirt
Batteries
Red lens flashlight
Camo netting
100 mph tape
550 cord
Poncho
Blanket
As always, you can take a small mission specific assault pack so you can hide your pack and carry a more specific lighter load.
Tacgear:
There are many good options for chest rigs, battle belts, and many other ways to carry gear. I love Esstac and Snake Eater Tactical for mag pouches. I like the AC1 plate carrier from Trex Arms, the Spiritus Systems chest rig, and the Mayflower chest rig from Velocity Systems.
This is a great site for more info:
https://www.everydaymarksman.co/equipment/lets-talk-about-load-carriage/
Don’t forget a good PT plan and training plan. Shooting competitions are a good way to get out and practice.
As it pertains to gear it would be better to have 3 or 4 high quality items than to have 10 low grade pieces of gear. I would start with a rifle (aero lower BCM upper) and an optic (trijicon). Then, I would move to LRF and binos. Next would be a spotting scope and a tripod. I believe every rifle needs a sling and flashlight – – don’t skimp on this gear. You never want to shoot at something you can’t see.
Nothing can compare to good reputations.