Rebarreling a Tikka LA

[AirborneEScouter]

I have a heavily modified Tikka LA in 300 win mag. I started getting crazy at the gunsmith before I realized I wish I could load longer than 3.6" so now I'm just pot committed to the action. My smith has notched the action and I have a bottom metal that accepts an aics mag capable of holding a 3.6" OAL cartridge (maybe a tad bit longer but not material). I have been using factory berger 215 ammo that has worked flawlessly but they decided to quit making it. I'd love to look at 28 nosler or anything 30 cal but am afraid my OAL limitations would not make sense with my set up. I have been gyrating on this and the best alternatives I have come up with (short of keeping it in 300 wm and simply handloading to 3.6") is to rebarrel it into a 7 remington mag (which I already have) or a 6.5 PRC. I wouldn't mind doing the 7 mag, I'd just rebarrel my dedicated lightweight 7mag rifle to a 30 cal (it's a defiance action and I'm sure I could get a wyatts box if I wanted to use a larger cartridge). My current tikka platform is heavy and not meant for western excursions but I could still lug it around in western KS without too much complaint, but it can double as a bench/competition rifle which I also enjoy.

Thoughts?

Tikka:



Defiance:

 

[Gear-Reviewer]

Make a 300 WSM work, throat it long for the 215 bergers and let er eat?

 

[Str8shtr]

300 WSM and throat it long for 215s with H4831SC. The tikka action doesn't work real good with LA cartridges and long bullets.

 

[CApighunter]

If I recall correctly 3.600 should be long enough for a SAAMI 30 Nosler and 215s. Slap on a 10 twist and go to town.

 

[Bubblehide]

Berger will be making the 215's again, just give it a little time.

 

[AirborneEScouter]

Interesting...30 nosler does sound very tempting but I don't want to limit myself to factory ammo or limit the cartridge's capability if you need to seat bullets beyond 3.6" for best results. I like the 7 mag option because I was reading somewhere that you could load 195 bergers and get great performance which is appealing given the ballistics of that round. 6.5 PRC was also interesting because this rifle is around 15 pounds so a good hybrid of target rifle and hunting if I ever wanted to kill deer with it (and I don't shoot enough to care about the additional cost of powder/brass/bullets over the 6mm or 6.5 creedmoor and couldn't shoot those in a long action anyway). 300 wsm sounds cool but if I were to load rounds to Berger's factory 215 specs, I don't see the advantage. Wish I could do 28 nosler or 300prc but those options are out

 

[fightthenoise]

If I were in your shoes I’d be looking hard at shorts, specifically a 7 SAUM. Throat it for 180 ELD-M’s or Berger’s. The Tikka action goes with the short mags like PB&J.

 

[khuber84]

If you get a bottom metal that takes 3.715 aics mags, you can load up to 3.625 max coal. I believe a 215 hybrid touching lands in a saami chamber is around 3.6, then figure 215s usually shoot 30k off lands, and I'm sure there are more jumps it will shoot seated deeper. So figure you'll find a load @ 3.56 coal, in a 3.62" mag box you'll have 60k of throat to eat up. That should last 1k or more rounds if you don't abuse the rifle. Run H1000 powder as it is the most throat friendly slower burning powder. There are many bullets that have longer bearing surfaces that will have a shorter coal length like the 210 ABLR, 208 eldm, 212 eldx, and 225 eldm.
Here's an example of what you are thinking of doing:

30 nosler

Thought I had this traded. Last post and then back into the safe. As a courtesy, Please PM with questions. got this back from the Smith a couple months back and just have too much going on. I modeled this build after a red snake build. www.redsnake-tactical.com 30 Nosler Build - Follow Our...

www.longrangehunting.com

 

[brad407210]

I had my Tikka 7mm Rem Mag rebarreled this year and was nervous about the limitations on COAL, a 0.050" jump with ELD-X's was the longest I could fit in the magazine. I did a test with 50, 75 and 100 jumps using a mid charge and again with a max charge of 4831SC and found out my rifle liked the longer jump. I've been hearing about other guys having good results with longer jumps as well, my rifle was a light weight backpacking gun and pretty much keeps everything in a 1/2" at 100 yards so I'm just going to run that load until I burn the barrel because I don't think I can shoot any better than that in a hunting weight rig. You might find that 1/4 MOA load playing around right on the lands, but in a hunting rifle I've had decent luck finding a consistent load at 80 to 120 off so now I start there on new rifles.

 

[AirborneEScouter]

You guys are awesome. Thank you! I do have the 3.715" magazine and have measured the internal dimensions of that magazine and it it might squeak by at 3.625 but those factory bergers in 300wm don't have much room but i suppose it could be another 25 thousands

 

[ID_Matt]

I agree with some of the above comments on doing some short of short magnum. The tikka's are PERFECT for some of those calibers such as 6.5 PRC, 7SAUM, 300 WSM. I think you are handicapping a 300 win mag or a 28 nosler by putting them in a tikka.

 

[Eric_F]

I'll pile on the recommendations for shorter action cartridges in Tikkas. They're perfect matches for 300 WSM, 7mm WSM/SAUM, or my plan for an elk hunting rifle is .284 Win. They're all great, accurate cartridges, and fit well with the long action bolt stop in the factory bottom metal and mags.

 

[ReddingArcher]

Not to hijack the thread, but what barrel would you guys use to rebarrel if going with a steel barrel? I’ve been debating on doing a rebarrel to a 7 saum.

 

[Frost]

Are you opposed to hand loading? If not, hand load to 3.6 and run it. If you’ve been shooting the Berger factory ammo you probably have a pile of brass already. The difference between 3.6 and 3.74 or whatever length you’re looking for isn’t that much. You could easily make up that velocity difference with a powder change. Sure, if I was building a 300 WM I would set it up for longer too. But I wouldn’t rebarrel two rifles because mine was limited to 3.6. You’ll still get better velocity out of 215s running a WM at 3.6 than you will a WSM. They typically don’t do as well with the heavy bullets.

 

[Eric_F]

Not to hijack the thread, but what barrel would you guys use to rebarrel if going with a steel barrel? I’ve been debating on doing a rebarrel to a 7 saum.

I'm cheap so I'd lean towards X-Caliber or Preferred Barrel Blanks (but only the latter chambers 7 SAUM). I've heard good things about both, but more premium would be PVA who will also sell you a cut rifled prefit if you don't want button.

 

[toughluck]

I'd lean toward a .300 PRC

 

[KChunter71]

Add a 3rd!