Best Tikka prefit steel barrel

[Damartin95]

Who makes the best steel prefit tikka barrel? Looking for a 7prc barrel, preferably fluted or with the option to get fluted.

 

[Alex Genereux]

Tikka T3 / T3x - Prefit Barrel -1"x16P

Prefit barrels for Tikka actions

preferredbarrelblanks.com

I have heard pretty good things about this company. I don't personally have anything of theirs.

 

[slowelk]

I say often that patriot valley arms (PVA) is great, and now they offer fluting.

I am just getting into my most recent prefit from them, a 6.5prc. Pictured are the first five out of the barrel, then a couple of sub-moa zeroing groups. All factory ammo to be clear.

They have limited contours, all of mine are their 3b contour.

 

[wind gypsy]

Doubt you’ll ever find a “best”. There are lots of good smiths who can chamber up whatever you want but almost all will be more expensive than the bigger names in higher volume prefit game like PBB and PVA.

 

[Thinkingman]

If you decide to have a barrel fluted after you buy it, you are introducing a variable that pretty much voids any promise of accuracy afterward.
If you have to have flutes, I'd buy it that way from the manufacturer.
$.02

 

[Lawnboi]

Best is relative. I havnt used them all. Not many smiths making tikka prefits. You’re pretty limited, and most are using button rifled blanks, if that it matters to you.

Ain’t got no time for junk barrels anymore. But I’ll buy another tikka PVA.

Message proof and ask for tikka steel prefits. Iv been asking but there must not be the interest.


Here’s my last group from my pva 6 creed match rifle. 12 round zero/velocity check before a match.



Not sure I’d let fluting bother you if it’s a good blank.
LRI fluted and chambered this bartlein. I don’t think the barrel knows it was fluted. This isn’t even a cherry picked group out of that barrel.

 

[mt100gr.]

I say often that patriot valley arms (PVA) is great, and now they offer fluting.

I am just getting into my most recent prefit from them, a 6.5prc. Pictured are the first five out of the barrel, then a couple of sub-moa zeroing groups. All factory ammo to be clear.

They have limited contours, all of mine are their 3b contour.

Can you give an approximate example of what their 3B contour is similar to? Can it take 5/8 threads and leave a shoulder? I'm thinking around the 16.5 to 18" length. Thanks.

 

[Lawnboi]

Can you give an approximate example of what their 3B contour is similar to? Can it take 5/8 threads and leave a shoulder? I'm thinking around the 16.5 to 18" length. Thanks.

Here’s a 16.5 3b PVA osprey tikka prefit.

 

[slowelk]

Can you give an approximate example of what their 3B contour is similar to? Can it take 5/8 threads and leave a shoulder? I'm thinking around the 16.5 to 18" length. Thanks.

It's a close copy of the bartlein 3b. The prc I posted about is 20" with 5/8x24 and 0.755" shoulder behind the threads, and the other two are finished 22" with 5/8x24 and 0.7185" shoulder.

 

[slowelk]

Best is relative. I havnt used them all. Not many smiths making tikka prefits. You’re pretty limited, and most are using button rifled blanks, if that it matters to you.

Ain’t got no time for junk barrels anymore. But I’ll buy another tikka PVA.

Message proof and ask for tikka steel prefits. Iv been asking but there must not be the interest.


Here’s my last group from my pva 6 creed match rifle. 12 round zero/velocity check before a match.

View attachment 546493

Not sure I’d let fluting bother you if it’s a good blank.
LRI fluted and chambered this bartlein. I don’t think the barrel knows it was fluted. This isn’t even a cherry picked group out of that barrel.
View attachment 546494

Nice shooting. It looks like your barrel is settling in, as these groups are much tighter than some of your earlier posted groups with that barrel. How many rounds in are you?

 

[Lawnboi]

Nice shooting. It looks like your barrel is settling in, as these groups are much tighter than some of your earlier posted groups with that barrel. How many rounds in are you?

Yea the barrel has definitely turned on. It’s got around 320 rounds on it now and has been shooting well. Sped up significantly between 150-200 rounds, during a match. I’ll never break in a barrel at a match again.

I’m about to work up an ATip load as it’s better suited for the longer throat in this chamber.

Had some low pressure issues last match, trying to down load the 105s, but that won’t happen again. For anyone ordering a 6 creed from them I’d call and see what they recommend for a chamber for your bullet.

 

[mt100gr.]

It's a close copy of the bartlein 3b. The prc I posted about is 20" with 5/8x24 and 0.755" shoulder behind the threads, and the other two are finished 22" with 5/8x24 and 0.7185" shoulder.

Perfect. Thank you.

 

[SDHNTR]

Can you give an approximate example of what their 3B contour is similar to? Can it take 5/8 threads and leave a shoulder? I'm thinking around the 16.5 to 18" length. Thanks.

Yes. No problem.

 

[Harvey_NW]

10 shot group from a 20"x.75" taperless fluted PBB prefit in 25 Creed. I paid a little extra and sent the barreled action in for them to crack the factory barrel loose and gauge this one. Not even 100 rounds on it yet, it's a shooter.

 

[crich]

Yea the barrel has definitely turned on. It’s got around 320 rounds on it now and has been shooting well. Sped up significantly between 150-200 rounds, during a match. I’ll never break in a barrel at a match again.

I’m about to work up an ATip load as it’s better suited for the longer throat in this chamber.

Had some low pressure issues last match, trying to down load the 105s, but that won’t happen again. For anyone ordering a 6 creed from them I’d call and see what they recommend for a chamber for your bullet.

How much did your speeds increase and over how many rounds

 

[Lawnboi]

How much did your speeds increase and over how many rounds

Between 100 and 200 rounds. Around 100fps.

Havnt chrono since 200 rounds but my drops lined up my last match all day.

 

[TheViking]

My stock Tikka 6.5 PRC has jumped up in speed at the 150-200 mark - about 50-60fps nothing crazy, but I’ll take it

 

[darrenk75b]

If you are after a lightweight hunting barrel, the problem with most prefits is they leave a long cylinder before they start the tapering. This can affect the weight and balance quite a lot.

Proof used to make steel prefits that matched a lite contour but stopped making them.

PVA 3B contour prefits are rather chunky - more of a light varmint. A few years ago they used to list a factory lite contour as one of the Tikka prefit options. I bought one, and they sent me something like a CTR contour. I notified them and sent it back. It was contoured to match the lite contour after I provided them with the measurements. Shortly thereafter they removed the tikka factory contours as options from their prefits, and have standardized them across the actions they make barrels for. Smart move from a business perspective.

 

[wind gypsy]

Agreed that none of the listed PVA profiles are attractive for typical sporter weight rifles.

 

[HGL]

I've got a PVA Osprey barrel blank at the house in their 3b and here are the specs on mine:

6mm blank, 27" blank = 61.7 oz.

I got them to contour the shank down to the "Tikka" OD and it measures 1.145" at the breech end.

It measures right at 0.715" on the muzzle end (27") and an inch back its right at 0.720-0.725 (26").

I'm planning on a 6 creed at 18-20" so I'm guessing final weight will be around the 35-37 oz after chambering and threading, etc. Guess I'll see soon enough.