Build me a new Tikka

[honestcomrade]

Sniper-typers,

If you'd allow me to enlist the armchair ballisticians/gunsmiths of The 'Slide, I'm looking to build a new lightweight backpack friendly Semi-custom Tikka.

I've got my eyes pretty well set on a cartridge swap to something that meets the following criteria:

• Premium brass, powder, and projectile availability (something other than only H1000/Varget/RL17)
• Sane recoil for spotting shots (somewhere below 270 wsm?)
• Sane barrel life, for my bank account (1500+ rds?)
• Can kill an elk or deer at <600 yds (yes yes I believe shot placement and external ballistics is the key here, not ft/lbs)

I have two potential donor actions:

• An older, mostly stock T3 stainless in 7mm-08. It's an OK shooter. No idea round count, but it is a pretty slow barrel. Best I can do with book max on 140gr monometals (barnes, hdy, or nosler) is 2800 fps. Sub moa with some hand loads, but I've always had a strange issue with pressure signs (ejector marks, flat primers) at almost any charge. Some knowledgeable grey-hairs at the range have suggested the chamber's a bit long and it be slamming the bolt, or I'm bumping brass back way too much. I've tried to really dial in my sizing to .001" and it has helped a bit with the signs but I still almost always need to trim after a resize on anything but really tough brass
• A brand new T3x (basic nitride-ish coating) in 270 WSM. This was meant to be a donor action, but it's not as smooth as the stainless. Might just need breaking in on the bolt finish, or the raceways. Only has 20 rounds through it, but hasn't impressed me so far. I don't have dies or brass (except some spent junk brass from factory ammo) or powder for this setup, but did pick up some .277 projectiles just in case

Due to various constraints, this will be a longer-term project. If I can finish it before the summer, that would be great but it's not guaranteed funding and gunsmith-lead-time-wise that I can complete the ultimate rig by then, and these are my only two rifles. So keeping the 7mm-08 in action this year might be necessary.

I have enough cash in my pocket for a barrel, and maybe, a ream/prefit install fee.

I'm looking for guidance on:

• Barrel manufacturer
• Prefit or not
• Cartridge
• Carbon wrapped or not (I really don't know if it's better than it is cool, this will be dedicated hunting and load development only)
• Competent gunsmith within driving distance of Boise, ID
• Which donor action to use
• Can I clean up the gritty action on the T3x with a blast+cerakote

I don't have a suppressor, and doubt I'll get around to it anytime soon, but I wouldn't mind keeping the bbl on the shorter side (22" or less) for that potential.

Other, lower priority decisions about chassis/stock, bipod, optics are also on my radar, but only if they directly impact this first decision of barrel and cartridge selection.

Right now, my basic, mostly underinformed dream list looks something like this:

• Proof carbon sendero-lite prefit 22" in 6.5 PRC
• MDT HNT26
• Maven RS1.2

Thanks in advance!

 

[Ikmclean]

Sell the 270wsm, and buy a stainless t3x in 6.5prc, eurooptic.com has them marked down

Tikka T3x Lite Stainless 6.5 PRC 24.3" 1:8" Bbl Rifle JRTXB319

Tikka T3x Lite Stainless 6.5 PRC 24.3" 1:8" Bbl Rifle JRTXB319 For Sale

www.eurooptic.com

 

[honestcomrade]

Sell the 270wsm, and buy a stainless t3x in 6.5prc, eurooptic.com has them marked down

Tikka T3x Lite Stainless 6.5 PRC 24.3" 1:8" Bbl Rifle JRTXB319

Tikka T3x Lite Stainless 6.5 PRC 24.3" 1:8" Bbl Rifle JRTXB319 For Sale

www.eurooptic.com

I'm looking for something a bit more premium, mostly the barrel. So this would only gain me swapping donor actions, right?

 

[Ferrulewax]

I'm looking for something a bit more premium, mostly the barrel. So this would only gain me swapping donor actions, right?

What would premium entail other than more expensive? In field conditions the proof barrel won't be noticeably more accurate than a factory tikka- or at all, and it will be heavier. Just chop and thread it if you want. Throw it in the stock of your choice

 

[Brandon.miller.4]

Tikka barrels are premium. They shoot just as good as any prefit for the most part. For what you're asking of it, I'd get a 6.5 prc stainless like the above poster mentioned. Leave as is until you buy a Suppressor. Then purchase a stock of your choosing. Along with good rings and scope.

 

[honestcomrade]

What would premium entail other than more expensive? In field conditions the proof barrel won't be noticeably more accurate than a factory tikka- or at all, and it will be heavier. Just chop and thread it if you want. Throw it in the stock of your choice

I've found my stock tikka barrels to be slow when using near max-book loads, and not super accurate in both the 270wsm and the 7mm08. Those are the reasons I'm looking to upgrade.

 

[renagde]

My suggestion is buy the factory 6.5 PRC and put it in a Rokstok or similar. Save the money from not buying the "premium" carbon barrel and the expensive MDT stock and buy a suppressor.

 

[Brandon.miller.4]

I've found my stock tikka barrels to be slow when using near max-book loads, and not super accurate in both the 270wsm and the 7mm08. Those are the reasons I'm looking to upgrade.

Are you seating near the lands or staying within spec? Throats are notoriously long on most tikkas and I've found when I seat the bullet closer to the lands and load up near max they have all shot well.

 

[TaperPin]

I've found my stock tikka barrels to be slow when using near max-book loads, and not super accurate in both the 270wsm and the 7mm08. Those are the reasons I'm looking to upgrade.

A top tier custom barrel will be much less fussing around - it’s worth changing even if you stick with the same cartridges.

Although, an accurate 270 WSM would be nice - it throws a 140 gr bullet faster than the 6.5 PRC. Nothing wrong with the PRC, it’s just not all that different from many of the cartridges in the category, regular old 270 included.

 

[Ikmclean]

I'm looking for something a bit more premium, mostly the barrel. So this would only gain me swapping donor actions, right?

It would get you into a stainless tikka. For a longish term build I'd suggest getting a good scope, then suppressor, then stock. In that order, then look into a premium barrel if you need more or burn down the factory barrel.

 

[Macintosh]

Have not heard many people call a tikka “gritty”—does not sound normal to me. I might be leery of investing in that action without a clear reason why it feels that way and a clear answer on how to fix it.

 

[ResearchinStuff]

My tikka ejector beats up the case head even just with cycling factory ammo through the chamber, but its a complete non issue in actual use.

Everything you want can be accomplished with a Tikka 6.5 creed. Factory or rebarreling your 7-08 should leave you enough $ to buy a can.

 

[honestcomrade]

Have not heard many people call a tikka “gritty”—does not sound normal to me. I might be leery of investing in that action without a clear reason why it feels that way and a clear answer on how to fix it.

It feels very different from my well-seasoned T3 Stainless. If I side load the bolt at all, I can feel it bind. It always powers through, and is definitely better than a Ruger American or something like that off the rack, but it feels like it's not broken in, or the finish is a bit coarse and needs seasoning.

 

[Brucebarker024]

It feels very different from my well-seasoned T3 Stainless. If I side load the bolt at all, I can feel it bind. It always powers through, and is definitely better than a Ruger American or something like that off the rack, but it feels like it's not broken in, or the finish is a bit coarse and needs seasoning.

My blued tikka 223 is similar to this. Only 100ish rounds in so far so I’m sure it’ll break in. Stainless is much smoother.

For the original question, I built my dad a 6.5x284 on a tikka with a preferred barrel prefit and that’s a cool cartridge. Shoots really well too. He uses retumbo but h4831sc would work really well too.

 

[honestcomrade]

My blued tikka 223 is similar to this. Only 100ish rounds in so far so I’m sure it’ll break in. Stainless is much smoother.

For the original question, I built my dad a 6.5x284 on a tikka with a preferred barrel prefit and that’s a cool cartridge. Shoots really well too. He uses retumbo but h4831sc would work really well too.

I mistakenly referred to it earlier as nitrided. But it's the cheaper factory blued finish. Let me know if yours ever breaks in. It feels to me like the raceways are just a bit coarse and sticky on the bolt. I even put the bolt from my stainless in there and it felt the same.

 

[rogerdoger]

Sell the 270wsm, and buy a stainless t3x in 6.5prc, eurooptic.com has them marked down

Tikka T3x Lite Stainless 6.5 PRC 24.3" 1:8" Bbl Rifle JRTXB319

Tikka T3x Lite Stainless 6.5 PRC 24.3" 1:8" Bbl Rifle JRTXB319 For Sale

www.eurooptic.com

I just got that in the mail a week ago, my Trijicon scope just arrived (on sale at OpticsPlanet) just waiting on a victory cheek riser, SRS arca pic rail, and then see how she shoots! If you are wanting to put a break or suppressor on I heard that the 2025 tikka lite and hunter will com with a threaded barrel, won’t be as cheap as they are now!