Preferred Barrel Blanks Insight?

[HighUintas]

Does anyone know if they use floating pilot reamers or are they all fixed?

I'm thinking I might want to have them wildcat something for me in the future that would require a separate neck and throat team from the body

 

[Rooggvc]

I know this is an old thread, but are there anymore reviews on the Preferred Barrels? Looking at possibly ordering one.

 

[Highvoltage1]

I bought a 6.5 saum tikka prefit and it shoots lights out. I would buy another. Best wishes

 

[Gila]

I know this is an old thread, but are there anymore reviews on the Preferred Barrels? Looking at possibly ordering one.

There are quite a few on here that have had excellent results. There are a few barrel makers that make a Tikka pre-fit in a fixed shoulder but the options are limited. I see Preferred is offering hand lapping as an option. Tikka test fires their barrels for the 1 MOA guarantee. With my Tikkas I have broken in the factory barrels. With both barrels after about 15 shots the groups tightened up, copper fouling decreased and they shot a little high at 100 yards, so assuming the muzzle velocity increased some. Should a custom barrel be hand lapped Then?

 

[Jimbee]

I have a tikka prefit in 6mmGT, shoots great, no complaints. Sample of 1....

 

[Harvey_NW]

I know this is an old thread, but are there anymore reviews on the Preferred Barrels? Looking at possibly ordering one.

Test target from a budget custom Tikka 25 creed prefit. Fit, finish, and CS was great in my experience. Barrel flat out shoots.

 

[Rooggvc]

This is all good to hear.

 

[Gila]

Test target from a budget custom Tikka 25 creed prefit. Fit, finish, and CS was great in my experience. Barrel flat out shoots.
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Looks like a Tikka stock....if i may ask, what is the barrel contour?

 

[Harvey_NW]

Looks like a Tikka stock....if i may ask, what is the barrel contour?

Tis indeed, I built the rifle to hand off to buddies with kids if they need so I don't care if it gets a little beat up. It's a .75" taperless contour. I was gonna do factory Tikka but PBB says in their research the taperless just tend to have a little more consistent accuracy. A little clearance work with a carbide dremel bit and she is well floated and shoots great. My best friends daughter folded 2 deer in 2 states in 14 hours with it a few weeks ago, the 133 Berger is nasty.

 

[Rooggvc]

Tis indeed, I built the rifle to hand off to buddies with kids if they need so I don't care if it gets a little beat up. It's a .75" taperless contour. I was gonna do factory Tikka but PBB says in their research the taperless just tend to have a little more consistent accuracy. A little clearance work with a carbide dremel bit and she is well floated and shoots great. My best friends daughter folded 2 deer in 2 states in 14 hours with it a few weeks ago, the 133 Berger is nasty.
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Just curious. What length of barrel are you running? and what is the rifle weight? I am considering a similar build but in 22 Creedmoor.

 

[Nhenry]

I had a 25-06 fast twist from them that shot sub-half with factory superformance 117 SSTs, but sold it recently because I got bored.

I also had a 280 AI that shot half inch all day with my handloads.

Both were tikka prefits.

Hope this was helpful.

 

[Harvey_NW]

Just curious. What length of barrel are you running? and what is the rifle weight? I am considering a similar build but in 22 Creedmoor.

20" finished length, haven't actually thrown it on a scale but it's lighter than a factory T3X. The .75" is about the avg difference on the Tikka factory sporter contour, minus a couple inches of barrel length and fluting. I'm swapping the optic soon so I'll try to remember to weigh and report back.

 

[Rooggvc]

20" finished length, haven't actually thrown it on a scale but it's lighter than a factory T3X. The .75" is about the avg difference on the Tikka factory sporter contour, minus a couple inches of barrel length and fluting. I'm swapping the optic soon so I'll try to remember to weigh and report back.

Thanks for getting back to me. Good to know it’s lighter then the factory tikka.

 

[Unckebob]

Tis indeed, I built the rifle to hand off to buddies with kids if they need so I don't care if it gets a little beat up. It's a .75" taperless contour. I was gonna do factory Tikka but PBB says in their research the taperless just tend to have a little more consistent accuracy. A little clearance work with a carbide dremel bit and she is well floated and shoots great. My best friends daughter folded 2 deer in 2 states in 14 hours with it a few weeks ago, the 133 Berger is nasty.
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You took the Dremel to the barrel rather than the stock?

 

[sndmn11]

Someone is having too much Saturday night booze.

 

[Unckebob]

Someone is having too much Saturday night booze.

Why would you need carbide tool for a stock?

 

[sndmn11]

Why would you need carbide tool for a stock?

I think nearly all of the readily available carving bits are carbide. Especially the fat round end cylinders that cut as both a mill and drum to make stock work easy.

 

[Unckebob]

I think nearly all of the readily available carving bits are carbide. Especially the fat round end cylinders that cut as both a mill and drum to make stock work easy.

Got it. I usually do that with the sander bit or a dowel wrapped with sandpaper. Frankly, I never considered doing it with a carving bit.

I will have to try it on my next stock project.

 

[sndmn11]

Got it. I usually do that with the sander bit or a dowel wrapped with sandpaper. Frankly, I never considered doing it with a carving bit.

I will have to try it on my next stock project.

It works good for when you need to enlarge areas closer to the action but want to leave the tip end the same. The shank are is a good example and with those bits it it basically like coloring with a sharpie motion to remove material.

 

[Gila]

Tikka stocks are easy to work. I have used a rasp file to quickly take out material, then follow up with a sanding block...takes only a few minutes.