201 Level Tikka Rifle Build

[Jaden Bales]

3/4/21 Update. Jaden submitted a final review on this rifle. We thought it was worthy for publication on our home page, so here it is:

A Rok Solid Western Hunting Rifle

A Rok Solid Western Hunting Rifle could mean many things. Jaden explains how he built his western hunting rifle for big game.

www.rokslide.com

I figured you Tikka fans might appreciate this little setup I just did. It includes Mike's new short mag billet magazine, which is sweet!

I retired my great grandpa's .270 in Rem 700 this summer and was wanting to replace it with kind of the next step in a rifle system. I wouldn't classify it as semi-custom, but it's not just a rifle I got at the pawnshop and started firing rounds through, either.

Rung the gong at 450 on my 3rd shot. Never shot beyond 300 yards before, so I was pretty stoked.

Here are the details:
Tikka T3X Lite Stainless Steel in 300 WSM ($798)
Maven RS.2 Riflescope ($550)
Hells Canyon Armory Beast Muzzle Brake ($210) and New Billet Magazine ($90)
Low Talley Rings ($48.95)

Total Cost = ~$1700

Check out the YouTube video I did for The Rich Outdoors here:

 

[Wapiti1]

Nice. That should put some steaks on the grill.

How do you like the Maven scope? I've been looking at one of those, but don't have a need to fill....yet. So, I haven't bought it.

Jeremy

 

[Jaden Bales]

Nice. That should put some steaks on the grill.

How do you like the Maven scope? I've been looking at one of those, but don't have a need to fill....yet. So, I haven't bought it.

Jeremy

Agreed! You should find a need. Lol.

So it's definitely the highest quality scope I've ever looked through and I love how easy it is to figure out the SHR reticle to poke out a ways out there. Night and day better than my old 3x9 Weaver scope, but that's not saying much.

From the research I did, overall I think it edges out the Leupold VX-3i on a lot of specs while being roughly the same size and weight. Love that 2-10 power range on it. Seems super versatile.

The 3.5-10 by Leupold with the Boone and Crockett reticle, which seems similar, goes for $712 MSRP (I know you can find them cheaper though) and this bad boy goes for $550 MSRP.

 

[Jaden Bales]

Update on the meat-getter: Finally whacked my first critter with this rifle! Shot this bear at 323 a couple of weeks back. Shot it as it was eating grass on a steep downhill and friggin 12-ringed it. Dropped like a sack of potatoes. I can only say positives about the set up based on my limited experiences.

 

[jeffminokla]

Congrats!

 

[Jaden Bales]

Congrats!

Muchos gracias.

 

[Blaw]

man such a great post, and your article on a great do it all set up that is quality but not a crazy fortune!

how far can you ethically shoot big game with let's say minor winds with your holdovers? I am dialing now but love the simplicity.

 

[Jaden Bales]

man such a great post, and your article on a great do it all set up that is quality but not a crazy fortune!

how far can you ethically shoot big game with let's say minor winds with your holdovers? I am dialing now but love the simplicity.

Man, I appreciate that so much. This is a great question. Unfortunately, I think I have an answer based on personal experiences with it in the field. If there are any variables like angles, not a great rest, or wind I'm keeping it like 300 and in. I can ring a 12" gong out to like 550 with no wind on my belly consistently, and 405 yards is the first dash mark. I think a guy can get comfortable to 400 on critters if you're a better rifleman than me.

My shot on my bear at 323 was right where I wanted it with a 10-15 mph crosswind, but I made a turd shot on an antelope doe at 310, and another poor shot at 340 on a muley buck this year. Both were undoubtedly bad shot choices I won't make again, so just knowing that factor will make a difference in your ethical shots question.

 

[Blaw]

Man, I appreciate that so much. This is a great question. Unfortunately, I think I have an answer based on personal experiences with it in the field. If there are any variables like angles, not a great rest, or wind I'm keeping it like 300 and in. I can ring a 12" gong out to like 550 with no wind on my belly consistently, and 405 yards is the first dash mark. I think a guy can get comfortable to 400 on critters if you're a better rifleman than me.

My shot on my bear at 323 was right where I wanted it with a 10-15 mph crosswind, but I made a turd shot on an antelope doe at 310, and another poor shot at 340 on a muley buck this year. Both were undoubtedly bad shot choices I won't make again, so just knowing that factor will make a difference in your ethical shots question.

awesome great response, thanks!

 

[Jaden Bales]

awesome great response, thanks!

You bet man! Glad it was helpful.

 

[BrushyHillGuide]

Great build and solid advice. I’ve got a Tikka CTR in .260 REM that I bought years ago to get into shooting longer ranges and it’s a great rifle and a fantastic base for a future semi-custom project. Just thought I’d point out one positive and one negative, in terms of customization, to Tikka short actions that you didn’t mention:

Positive: The Tikka “short action” is actually more like a ‘medium’ action as it’s stretched out a tiny bit; and the Tikka magazines accommodate a longer COAL than any other short action. This is a HUGE advantage if you want to try and use longer bullets (i.e. Berger 156gr EOL) in something like a 6.5cm, .260rem, etc that would, otherwise, require you to manually feed those longer bullets. That little bit of extra length sure does come in handy!

Negative: Tikka is notoriously ANNOYING for not selling replacement bolts and finding a spare Tikka bolt is harder than finding you favorite ammo on a store shelf these days. So, you’re pretty much relegated to ONE bolt face, limiting your options for future caliber changes. The only way to get a spare bolt is to purchase a second donor rifle and, at that price, you are in the cost range of almost any custom action. So, when picking out which caliber to purchase, just keep this in mind - there won’t be any running to Midway for a spare bolt on a Tikka. That’s why my .260 is still a .260 instead of a 6.5PRC (which it would be PERFECT for) - my fickle a$$ is to indecisive to have the bolt face opened to a magnum because the rifle is an absolute tack-driver. Haha! One day maybe I’ll shoot out the barrel and it’ll make the choice a little easier.

Hope these points help someone out!


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[BrushyHillGuide]

Update on the meat-getter: Finally whacked my first critter with this rifle! Shot this bear at 323 a couple of weeks back. Shot it as it was eating grass on a steep downhill and friggin 12-ringed it. Dropped like a sack of potatoes. I can only say positives about the set up based on my limited experiences.
View attachment 183122

Congrats on the bear and the rifle! What barrel length do you have and what velocities are you getting out of it with your loads? I’m getting ready to build a custom 300wsm and I’m still debating on barrel length. I’d like to get something like a 166gr or 177gr hammer up around 3k. I don’t think that’s going to be any problem with a 24” bbl on a custom but I wonder if I could do it with a 22” bbl if I have a reamer designed for a specific load. Your thoughts/experience?


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[Sadler]

Negative: Tikka is notoriously ANNOYING for not selling replacement bolts and finding a spare Tikka bolt is harder than finding you favorite ammo on a store shelf these days.

Long Rifles Inc should have tikka drop in bolts available soon. I asked them last month and they said they’re just waiting on ejectors to come back from heat treat.

 

[Jaden Bales]

Great build and solid advice. I’ve got a Tikka CTR in .260 REM that I bought years ago to get into shooting longer ranges and it’s a great rifle and a fantastic base for a future semi-custom project. Just thought I’d point out one positive and one negative, in terms of customization, to Tikka short actions that you didn’t mention:

Positive: The Tikka “short action” is actually more like a ‘medium’ action as it’s stretched out a tiny bit; and the Tikka magazines accommodate a longer COAL than any other short action. This is a HUGE advantage if you want to try and use longer bullets (i.e. Berger 156gr EOL) in something like a 6.5cm, .260rem, etc that would, otherwise, require you to manually feed those longer bullets. That little bit of extra length sure does come in handy!

Negative: Tikka is notoriously ANNOYING for not selling replacement bolts and finding a spare Tikka bolt is harder than finding you favorite ammo on a store shelf these days. So, you’re pretty much relegated to ONE bolt face, limiting your options for future caliber changes. The only way to get a spare bolt is to purchase a second donor rifle and, at that price, you are in the cost range of almost any custom action. So, when picking out which caliber to purchase, just keep this in mind - there won’t be any running to Midway for a spare bolt on a Tikka. That’s why my .260 is still a .260 instead of a 6.5PRC (which it would be PERFECT for) - my fickle a$$ is to indecisive to have the bolt face opened to a magnum because the rifle is an absolute tack-driver. Haha! One day maybe I’ll shoot out the barrel and it’ll make the choice a little easier.

Hope these points help someone out!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

This is awesome info man! Thanks for chiming in!
I will say, I saw a buddy self-install a bolt from Anarchy Outdoors the other day and it looked like one bad mofo. It’s new to me, so I don’t know much else about it but check it out!

 

[Jaden Bales]

Congrats on the bear and the rifle! What barrel length do you have and what velocities are you getting out of it with your loads? I’m getting ready to build a custom 300wsm and I’m still debating on barrel length. I’d like to get something like a 166gr or 177gr hammer up around 3k. I don’t think that’s going to be any problem with a 24” bbl on a custom but I wonder if I could do it with a 22” bbl if I have a reamer designed for a specific load. Your thoughts/experience?


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Thanks man! I really appreciate it.
I’m still learning the technical sides of this world, so I’m likely not your ideal candidate for the question, unlike Mike at HCA.

I will say I’m getting 3.1k speeds with GMX 180’s (a test I am doing) with the standard 24” Tikka barrel.

 

[Jaden Bales]

Thanks man! I really appreciate it.
I’m still learning the technical sides of this world, so I’m likely not your ideal candidate for the question, unlike Mike at HCA.

I will say I’m getting 3.1k speeds with GMX 180’s (a test I am doing) with the standard 24” Tikka barrel.

As I think about this more and remember what Mike said on a Rich Outdoors podcast, you lose like 30-40 fps per inch of barrel. If you handled I don’t see why you couldn’t get those over 3k at 22”.

 

[Headed_West]

3/4/21 Update. Jaden submitted a final review on this rifle. We thought it was worthy for publication on our home page, so here it is:

A Rok Solid Western Hunting Rifle

A Rok Solid Western Hunting Rifle could mean many things. Jaden explains how he built his western hunting rifle for big game.

www.rokslide.com

I figured you Tikka fans might appreciate this little setup I just did. It includes Mike's new short mag billet magazine, which is sweet!

I retired my great grandpa's .270 in Rem 700 this summer and was wanting to replace it with kind of the next step in a rifle system. I wouldn't classify it as semi-custom, but it's not just a rifle I got at the pawnshop and started firing rounds through, either.

Rung the gong at 450 on my 3rd shot. Never shot beyond 300 yards before, so I was pretty stoked.

Here are the details:
Tikka T3X Lite Stainless Steel in 300 WSM ($798)
Maven RS.2 Riflescope ($550)
Hells Canyon Armory Beast Muzzle Brake ($210) and New Billet Magazine ($90)
Low Talley Rings ($48.95)

Total Cost = ~$1700

Check out the YouTube video I did for The Rich Outdoors here:

Thanks for posting this Jaden. It’s great info. I’m deciding between a similar build in 300WM and 300WSM (but leaning towards the WM) and now I’m more undecided.

 

[Jaden Bales]

Thanks for posting this Jaden. It’s great info. I’m deciding between a similar build in 300WM and 300WSM (but leaning towards the WM) and now I’m more undecided.

There's a relative pile of 300 WSM shells on shelves of sporting goods stores here in Wyoming, if that helps at all!

Granted 300 WM will be cheaper and more available if we get over this shortage/supply/demand issue.

 

[Jaden Bales]

I honestly went WSM because the action is a little shorter/lighter, I am working on reloading now, and because it was kind of unique. Not sure I'd lose sleep over that decision. Haha.

 

[Headed_West]

Yea, it seems like the WSM may be the way to go on a Tikka platform because of the COAL restrictions, but I’m an Eastern guy who has grown up thinking the Win Mag is the ultimate western hunting caliber.