Cutting a Barrel Ruins Precision?

[kswaterfowl]

It’s a CTR barrel (Tikka), so hammer forged.

I've had 5 tikka barrels cut and threaded, and they have all shot just as good or better afterwards. Like DangerRanger said, pick a good gunsmith and you shouldn't have a problem.

 

[UpSideDown]

Go for it, you'll like walking with a shorter barrel. Don't worry about accuracy. Choose a good gunsmith and a smart length for whatever your cartridge is and go for it. You said you have a CTR so you're using regular sized cartridges, so cutting it down as short as 16" is going to be fine.

Guys who handload will always tell you that changing barrel length is likely to change accuracy - because they dialed in their load for that barrel, and then they're going to dial their load in for the new barrel length. These guys are squeezing out all they can get from the barrel. You're starting and ending with factory ammo. You are just as likely to get better accuracy as you are to get worse accuracy, but most likely you will see no discernable change.

Go for it, it really isn't that big of a deal, and you aren't going to ruin the gun.

 

[cjdewese]

Alright, that right there convinces me. I guess I’ll be stuck at 30” with the can. It’ll be my open country gun lol.

Or just use it to get your stalking and brush navigation to ninja level so you can feel invincible if you ever get a shorter rifle.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

Alright, that right there convinces me. I guess I’ll be stuck at 30” with the can. It’ll be my open country gun lol.

Have fun with that. I bet you take it on one trip and change your mind.

 

[armedhiker]

I just had a Tikka T3 cut to 18" and it shoots the same ammo it shot before just as good but also shoots a different one good too which it didn't before. Just received the can yesterday so I'm excited to try it out.

 

[rayporter]

over the years there is one thing i have learned-----if its working great, dont screw with it!

but the likely chance of it shooting worse is low.

 

[MTMeatHunter]

Have fun with that. I bet you take it on one trip and change your mind.

You could be right about that! But here’s my CTR next to my shotgun that I’ve owned since I was 15. I can’t tell you how many Ptarmigan that shotguns killed, how many miles it walked, and how many alder patches it’s been through. Grew up in Fairbanks. The strap was an addition this last fall. I might just be stubborn and dumb enough to do it!

But I know shorter is handier, no doubt.