301 Level Tikka Rifle Build

[Jaden Bales]

Hey all. I'm getting ready to start an upgrade to the basic Tikka rifle build I put together a few years back. Round one of the rifle was intended as a 400-yard rifle for western hunting and around 20 big game animals later, I'd say she's done the trick.

Here's that piece:

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

Today I'm sending her off to get a facelift, new barrel, etc. with Mike at Hells Canyon Armory. When it gets back, I'll top it with the Maven RS1.2. Thanks to @sndmn11 for drop testing it for the rest of us. Haha.

I'm doing a little guiding nowadays, so I'm hoping to put together a rifle for a wide array of shooters (and be fun to shoot for myself) while still having some mustard when the bullet leaves the gun. No, I'm not gonna do the tiny calibers that have been trending on here, but am thinking 6.5 PRC would do the trick.

Look, I don't spend as much time sending rounds downrange as the top dudes on here, so the gun I put together will be more capable than the shooter in this case. Heck, half the animals I shot this year were with a bow or in an archery range, so take that for what you will.

But for someone wanting a rifle between DIY upgrades, like @Dioni A did an article on here, and a full custom rig, this will land somewhere in between.

At the end of the day, this gun is meant to be an easy-shooting modern mid-ish range hunting weight rifle. I'm excited to share more about it with everyone when it's done.

What would be most helpful to cover in the review?

6/12/24 Update: Final Review with video here:

301 Semi-Custom Tikka Build

Semi-Custom Tikka Build. Jaden talks about his Semi-custom Tikka build and all the parts he chose to get the results he was looking for.

www.rokslide.com

 

[Cameron.25]

I know you have a suppressor you're waiting on, you gonna go with a shorter barrel this time to accommodate that?

 

[Jaden Bales]

I know you have a suppressor you're waiting on, you gonna go with a shorter barrel this time to accommodate that?

Oh shoot. Yep. Forgot to include that. I've got the Banish Backcountry suppressor already. I'll be running a pretty short barrel (probably 20") for that.

 

[wind gypsy]

What are you having done to it?

 

[Jaden Bales]

What are you having done to it?

So I'll be getting:
Mike's 20" Heavy Hunter Barrel
Mesa Precision Altitude Stock + Arca Plate
Cerakote
Bolt Fluting & HCA Tikka Bolt Knob
Gen2 Tikka Magazine

 

[9.3koolaid]

Why not wait for the rokstock?

 

[Jaden Bales]

Why not wait for the rokstock?

Partly because I had chosen the Mesa Precision before hunting season, and partly because I just came out of the mountains from a season of guiding and hunting and haven't taken the time to read or listen to details on the Rokstock. I clearly should spend less time in the woods and step up my UM/Rokslide discipleship.

 

[Jaden Bales]

Why not wait for the rokstock?

In all seriousness, I do have the Mesa Precision already ordered. I spent some time looking at the Rokstock thread, and maybe I'll one day I will regret not waiting, but I am certain the Altitude will do everything I'm going to ask of it.

 

[Ram94]

Just one guys opinion having owned an Altitude, I would cancel that order if I was in your shoes. The Altitude made muzzle jump much more pronounced than the factory Tikka stock. I ended up selling mine and putting it back in a factory stock. The Rokstock does look promising from a functionality perspective.

Would save you some cash too.

 

[Jaden Bales]

Just one guys opinion having owned an Altitude, I would cancel that order if I was in your shoes. The Altitude made muzzle jump much more pronounced than the factory Tikka stock. I ended up selling mine and putting it back in a factory stock. The Rokstock does look promising from a functionality perspective.

Would save you some cash too.

I’ve already got the stock, but when I shoot it I’ll be paying attention to that. Certainly would make an important addition to the article if I switched. Thanks for the intel!

What caliber was that and did you have a can or brake on your Altitude stock when you got that muzzle jump?

 

[Ram94]

By no means do I mean to smear your build plan, just wish I had known that detail up front when I had gone through it. It was a mighty 7-08 without a brake, shooting 162 ELDMs at 2750 fps. Definitely serviceable, but If I was spending coin on a stock, I wanted to increase function, not decrease it. Slummed through with the factory stock and holding out for a Rokstock now. Good luck with the build, whichever direction you decide to go!

 

[wind gypsy]

Partly because I had chosen the Mesa Precision before hunting season, and partly because I just came out of the mountains from a season of guiding and hunting and haven't taken the time to read or listen to details on the Rokstock. I clearly should spend less time in the woods and step up my UM/Rokslide discipleship.

That is a fair dig at those like I that spend too much time on the internets reading about hunting and too little time out doing it!

I'd advise against cerakoting the bolt and inside of a tikka action. Best case, it looks pretty and matches your barrel. Worst case, you lose that signature tikka smoothness.

 

[Jaden Bales]

That is a fair dig at those like I that spend too much time on the internets reading about hunting and too little time out doing it!

I'd advise against cerakoting the bolt and inside of a tikka action. Best case, it looks pretty and matches your barrel. Worst case, you lose that signature tikka smoothness.

Haha. I mean, I’m one of those disciples when it’s not hunting season.

Regarding this topic, I’ve been planning this upgrade since before season and really, I’m just impressed with the in-depth gear and conversations here that push the envelope the past few months. I also understand everyone just wants to be helpful, and I appreciate that.

Noted on the cerakote. Thanks!

 

[Jaden Bales]

By no means do I mean to smear your build plan, just wish I had known that detail up front when I had gone through it. It was a mighty 7-08 without a brake, shooting 162 ELDMs at 2750 fps. Definitely serviceable, but If I was spending coin on a stock, I wanted to increase function, not decrease it. Slummed through with the factory stock and holding out for a Rokstock now. Good luck with the build, whichever direction you decide to go!

It’s all good man! Comments like yours make the reviews/articles better and more detail oriented. Appreciate it.

 

[Drenalin]

Haha. I mean, I’m one of those disciples when it’s not hunting season.

Regarding this topic, I’ve been planning this upgrade since before season and really, I’m just impressed with the in-depth gear and conversations here that push the envelope the past few months. I also understand everyone just wants to be helpful, and I appreciate that.

Noted on the cerakote. Thanks!

Nitride might be an option, in lieu of cerakote.

 

[Lawnboi]

Oooof I hope you have better luck than I did.

 

[MidGAHunter]

I am certain the Altitude will kick the shit out of me and make sure I can't spot my impacts from most field positions

FIFY.

The Altitude is a well-made but poorly designed stock. Shooting a suppressed 6.5 Creedmoor isn't hard to spot impacts typically...that stock made it way more difficult that it should be. Muzzle rise was crazy. It may work great for you but I'd also recommend a different stock to allow for better control.

Also...when you gonna give us another data point and drop that Maven?

 

[robby denning]

6/12/24 Update: Final Review with video here:

301 Semi-Custom Tikka Build

Semi-Custom Tikka Build. Jaden talks about his Semi-custom Tikka build and all the parts he chose to get the results he was looking for.

www.rokslide.com

good work Jaden

 

[MEdude]

@Jaden Bales

Could you help me out with what is meant by,

301 semi custom vs standard 201-level rifle build

 

[Jaden Bales]

@Jaden Bales

Could you help me out with what is meant by,

301 semi custom vs standard 201-level rifle build

Yeah man. So like the 201 build (that I wrote about here: https://www.rokslide.com/a-rok-solid-western-hunting-rifle-build-by-jaden-bales/) has minimal gunsmithing. The only thing I had someone else do was I had the barrel threaded and a brake put on it. I did the tweaking with the trigger, drilled my own holes in the stock for the arca plate, and stuff like that.

The 301 level is basically like the next step that is still not a true fully custom build where you pay a gunsmith to do it all, but it's pretty close.

Hope that clarifies that a bit.