Suppressed Tikka 300WM?

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After 5 years of trying out several factory through semi-custom rifles, I have come back full circle to Tikka (have 4 now), and a smattering of other European rifles. I've been looking for a stainless T3x in 300WSM for several months unsuccessfully, but ended up buying a 300WM when I saw a good deal. In the meantime, I picked up a Silencerco 36M for this rifle.

My initial thought was to cut the 300WSM to 20 inches for elk hunting suppressed, using 200gr AB and Berger 200.20x bullets. I plan to use a Bushnell LRHS 4.5-18x or take a Nightforce SHV 3-10x off another rifle. But since I now have a 300WM, I was wondering If I would be happy cutting it that short and whether the 300WM would shoot those bullets without having to seat them too deeply? A couple things to note here...1) barrel is the newer 1:10" twist 2) my suppressor is rated down to 20" minimum length for 300WM 3) I am not particularly recoil shy 4) I plan to shoot this rifle more often [practice] than the average hunter, but prefer not to take a beating any more than the next guy and 5) I have experience with other magnum rifles.

I thought I might just order a McGowen barrel to my specs, but I am reluctant to rebarrel a new rifle, when I could just cut/thread a 300WSM rifle and start shooting. Maybe I'm just cheap...lol! Unfortunately, the rumors I've heard are that vendors won't receive Tikkas until middle/end of summer. Are any of you running a Tikka 300WM suppressed with a short barrel?
 
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Lawnboi

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Don’t mean to sound negative, but a few things to keep in mind.

Tikka mag length is going to limit your ability to load any of the longer bullets. Your stuck around 3.35” coal, without some half assed work arounds that I also wouldn’t recommend.

You will not be able to cut the tikka lite contour down enough to have 9/16” threaded. You can thread 1/2” but it is not recommended by most.

Were I in your shoes I’d shoot it as is, or rebarrel to a 300wsm with something that has enough meat to thread something reasonable for a 30 cal hole.
 
OP
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Shooting as is...I'm kind of regretting not picking up a 7RM instead...a very tolerable cartridge to me...and shooting 160 AB and 168 Bergers. That said...been wanting to cut a rifle down for a suppressor, seems many people have done this successfully with factory Tikka barrels. If I go the McGowen route, I would have them flare the muzzle so it will take ⅝"x24 threads.
 
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Lawnboi

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Shooting as is...I'm kind of regretting not picking up a 7RM instead...a very tolerable cartridge to me. That said...been wanting to cut a rifle down for a suppressor, seems many people have done this successfully with factory Tikka barrels. If I go the McGowen route, I would have them flare the muzzle so it will take ⅝"x24 threads.
There are supposedly smiths out there that will do it. Though 1/2” for anything 6.5 and bigger is not typically reccomend do. You can do the math on how much metal is between the bore and your thread diameter.

I have a 223 tikka lite threaded 1/2”. I have measured to where 9/16 will work and it’s something around 15-16”.
 

Gutshotem

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Interested in these responses. I just bought a T3X lite in .300wsm and plan to cut it down to 18" and thread for a 5" TB.
 

Lawnboi

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Interested in these responses. I just bought a T3X lite in .300wsm and plan to cut it down to 18" and thread for a 5" TB.
Thunder beast may thread it for a face mount, which is the direction I would go if strictly for tbac cans.

I’d like 6.5 prc tikka lite, if that happened I’d send it for a face mount
 
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There are supposedly smiths out there that will do it. Though 1/2” for anything 6.5 and bigger is not typically reccomend do. You can do the math on how much metal is between the bore and your thread diameter.

I have a 223 tikka lite threaded 1/2”. I have measured to where 9/16 will work and it’s something around 15-16”.

When you say "measured to where 9/16 will work", what diameter are you looking for? I don't subscribe to the TBAC minimum barrel diameter/shoulder width numbers. I have a couple barrels that are 0.680-0.690" diameter at the threads and are threaded 5/8-24. There is plenty of shoulder for my direct thread suppressors on these barrels.
 

Lawnboi

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When you say "measured to where 9/16 will work", what diameter are you looking for? I don't subscribe to the TBAC minimum barrel diameter/shoulder width numbers. I have a couple barrels that are 0.680-0.690" diameter at the threads and are threaded 5/8-24. There is plenty of shoulder for my direct thread suppressors on these barrels.

.662”

The tbac “spec” also seems to be generally accepted by many of the big name gunsmiths.

Not saying it does not work. Just saying I wouldn’t do it.
 

MHWASH

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When’s i had a T3 300WM I was getting 2950 with 200 gr ABs, ELDX AND Sierras form the 1/11 twist barrel.
I now have a T3 300WSM cut down to 22” threaded 1/2x28 with a thread adapter to 5/8x24.
 
OP
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Thank you...good information. I was definitely thinking an adapter would be needed if using the factory barrel.
 

Sled

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When you say "measured to where 9/16 will work", what diameter are you looking for? I don't subscribe to the TBAC minimum barrel diameter/shoulder width numbers. I have a couple barrels that are 0.680-0.690" diameter at the threads and are threaded 5/8-24. There is plenty of shoulder for my direct thread suppressors on these barrels.

I thought this way for a while too. What eventually happens is the muzzle stretches resulting in groups opening up. It seems the thin metal can't resist the pressures magnums reach. Not sure it would be a problem with subs, standard cartridges or rimfire. Maybe the tbac guys could help explain it better.
 

RussDXT

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I just had a t3 300 wsm threaded by Thunderbeast. I left it at factory length.

I put an iota kremlin stock on it and the gun went from super punishing to an absolute joy to shoot.

I am running a nomad ti on it with a tb adaptor.

Thunderbeast did a fantastic job at a very reasonable price. I think I’m going to have them do my m70 3006 as well.

I am not a big fan of removing barrel length on a magnum case.
 
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I thought this way for a while too. What eventually happens is the muzzle stretches resulting in groups opening up. It seems the thin metal can't resist the pressures magnums reach. Not sure it would be a problem with subs, standard cartridges or rimfire. Maybe the tbac guys could help explain it better.

TBAC makes their recommendations based on having enough "shoulder" to make sure the can stays concentric to the bore.
What you are referring to is what can happen if you thread a 30 cal or larger barrel to 1/2-28. The thought is that there is not enough barrel wall left and that can lead to muzzle stretch or in the case of using a heavy can, cracking in the threads.
 

Longleaf

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You may want to look at Carbon6 barrels, I have a prefit 20" 300wsm on the way for less than $800. Tikka barrels are slow anyway.

Change the barrel instead of changing the stock?
 

Sled

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TBAC makes their recommendations based on having enough "shoulder" to make sure the can stays concentric to the bore.
What you are referring to is what can happen if you thread a 30 cal or larger barrel to 1/2-28. The thought is that there is not enough barrel wall left and that can lead to muzzle stretch or in the case of using a heavy can, cracking in the threads.
that is correct. the OP is looking to thread a 30 cal in 300wsm. if he can get the custom contour bbl then he's good to go at 5/8x24. if not, he's in for a face mount or possibly 9/16 if the bbl is cut back far enough to keep the shoulder. i don't recall where the t3 profile hits .75 but i've use .725 for 5/8 threads without an issue.
 
OP
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I actually like Tikka factory stocks with the vertical grip installed, so I have no immediate plans to change to something else. But I am reconsidering chopping a factory barrel at all and just buying an appropriate aftermarket barrel of a shorter length.
 
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The T3x LITE VEIL and ROUGHTECH models are available in 300 WSM with a 5/8-24 threaded brakes. Are these barrels thicker than the standard TX3 LITE barrels or is there some magic involved?
 

Seeknelk

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I think a suppressed 20" win mag is wonderful for hunting. It's still far faster than a 20" 30/06 or 308. Who give a chit about "efficiency". If it helps you hunt, sends the bullet you desire and hits the energy levels you desire at the range you wish to reach, you've reached your goal.
And it's far more "efficient " handling a shorter barreled rifle thru alders or brush in general.

I'm going to change my 24" 300 prc to a 22, for my Tbac Dominus. It'll still deliver plenty of death to 800 plus. I'd go shorter but Tbac says NO. But 300win mag can go as short as 18" for same can!? What ? Really? I need to call em.
Anyway, Tikka can be loaded and shot with about 200 grain bergers ,on down. Yes, mag constraints suck but if it does what you need...? My buddy has same rifle he's loading 124 hammers at 3800...for a 500 and in load. And it shoots factory 200 eldx extremely well also.
 

Sandstrom

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I have three .308 cal rifles threaded for 1/2-28, one 300win mag and two 308’s. I had the work done by two different smiths that are well regarded in the area, neither was the least bit worried. All three have brakes installed, and all three will get thread adapters when the cans are finally out of jail!! I wouldn’t worry one bit about the end of the barrel stretching. For even more assurance all of the factory brakes on the CA Mesa’s are threaded 1/2-28...
Ryan
 
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