The Rokslide effect- First Tikka build

[Feral Jared]

Feeling like the cat who caught the canary tonight after picking up my first Tikka! Since my first job at a gun shop 20 years ago, I’ve always wanted a tikka (SS/ gray Laminate specifically). Fast forward to today, after a whole two months here, I’ve got my grubby mits on a used .270 T3 for a donor action at a very reasonable (imo) 450. Big thanks to the previous owner that spray painted the stock and tanked the resale value haha!

Last week I got a great deal here on a take-off 7mm-08 barrel that I’ll have shortened to 20” and threaded for a can. I haven’t decided if I’ll swap out to a SA bolt stop and bottom metal yet because the final final plan is to rebarrel it to .284 Win, which will benefit from the LA setup.

Eventually I’ll source a SWFA 3-9 for it, but I might go with a fixed 10x in the meantime. For the immediate future, I borrowed a friends 270 dies and loaded up some 150sst to see how it shoots “out of the box” with a cheap vortex I have on the shelf.

I’ll use the factory stock for now, but I think it’ll end up in some shape of Stocky’s CF soon enough.

 

[Marbles]

Nice find for a great price.

It is worth spending the money for the tools to change the barrel yourself in my opinion. I certainly like having mine.

 

[43.6N]

Sounds like you got yourself pretty well sorted out!
I’ll echo marbles advice above. Invest as you can in your own tooling.

About your long action bolt stop: it sounds like you’re already in business with a gunsmith to cut and thread a 7-08 barrel at 20 inches right? You might ask about reaming the chamber with a 7mm-08 Ackley reamer, and throating it for longer bullets. Then you can make full use of your long action, and be 90% of the way (performance wise) to your ultimate goal of 284win.

Or he might even be able to ream the 7-08 chamber out to 284win from the get go. Never hurts to ask.

Looking forward to seeing some groups from ya!

 

[Feral Jared]

Nice find for a great price.

It is worth spending the money for the tools to change the barrel yourself in my opinion. I certainly like having mine.

Do you have a recommendation for a good barrel vise and action wrench? I hear the factory barrels can be a bear to get off. I definitely prefer spending money on tools to be able to do a job I'm capable of over paying someone else to do the work. If I still had access to a lathe, I'd cut and thread it myself.

I’ve gone back and forth on the idea of 7-08AI. The research I found said that the datum line between the standard 7-08 and AI are different by about .005." I have to read a little more to see if thats enough to require a set back on the shoulder and also compare performance bet ween the 7-08AI and 284.

 

[Marbles]

Do you have a recommendation for a good barrel vise and action wrench? I hear the factory barrels can be a bear to get off. I definitely prefer spending money on tools to be able to do a job I'm capable of over paying someone else to do the work. If I still had access to a lathe, I'd cut and thread it myself.

SAC makes the nicest barrel vises https://shortactioncustoms.com/product-category/barrel-vises/

I have a Bug Holes internal action wrench.
https://www.bugholes.com/product-p/t-bug-aw.htm. But, PVA and other companies make ones that look nice too.

PR Precision looks to have nice internal and external action wrenches. https://www.prprecisionrifles.com/products-1.

I have an external wrench I got off Ebay along with a barrel vice as I was on a budget at the time. Both work, though I cannot remember who made them and can't find them again.

I’ve gone back and forth on the idea of 7-08AI. The research I found said that the datum line between the standard 7-08 and AI are different by about .005." I have to read a little more to see if thats enough to require a set back on the shoulder and also compare performance bet ween the 7-08AI and 284.

My understanding as AIs need a slight set back as they should be a crush fit with non-AI cases to avoid issues when fire forming. The slight set back should be pretty easy.

I think a .284 should just be reaming the chamber (but don't know for sure).

 

[bpitcher]

Do you have a recommendation for a good barrel vise and action wrench? I hear the factory barrels can be a bear to get off. I definitely prefer spending money on tools to be able to do a job I'm capable of over paying someone else to do the work. If I still had access to a lathe, I'd cut and thread it myself.

Buffalo Creek Machine make an awesome and very affordable vise. I'm still using the Wheeler wrench, but the BCM one looks great as well.

Buffalo Creek Machine

Buffalo Creek Machine designs and manufactures precision gunsmithing tools for professional rifle builders and gunsmiths. Our USA-made action wrenches, barrel vises, and barrel bushings are designed and tested to deliver the best performance for your build.

buffalo-creek-machine.myshopify.com

 

[nm.otter]

Security Measure | eBay

www.ebay.com

 

[Marbles]

Security Measure | eBay

www.ebay.com

That is it.

 

[feanor]

A used .270 tikka t3 was my first tikka also. Great deal and I still use it for killing elk
( although the 6CM is on the list for this year). I never knew how many rounds went through it, but it’s shot everything I’ve given it with great accuracy.

 

[MT762]

If you don't want to Ackley the 7-08, you can also have the gunsmith cut the throat long and run 2.90-2.95 COAL in regular brass (M+ mags, I would guess). Basically creep the 7-08 toward a medium length cartridge. With the throat cut for a 2.95-ish COAL you get a pretty solid velocity pickup, I see another 100 fps with 162 ELDMs for instance. Feeds well and does not require different brass or dies: just a different setting on the seating die.

Anyway that is how I run mine. But I am also very lazy.

A 162 ELDM at 2700 from a 20" bbl might keep you satisfied for a while.

 

[Feral Jared]

If you don't want to Ackley the 7-08, you can also have the gunsmith cut the throat long and run 2.90-2.95 COAL..

…A 162 ELDM at 2700 from a 20" bbl might keep you satisfied for a while.

Now there’s a good idea. I could definitely be happy with that setup for a while. I see 4d rents a 7mm throater kit.

 

[IChaseCoues]

Just a bump for the 7-08 pushing a 162 ELDM at 2700.
It’s really easy to shoot.

 

[Feral Jared]

Just a little update on this project. I sent the 7mm-08 barrel and barreled donor action to Kampfeld Customs to get the barrel chopped and threaded. I'm having a flared shoulder put on the sporter barrel so it can be threaded 5/8-24, and then it'll be installed for me. Had a little USPS drama that was making me sweat for 2 1/2 weeks. The tracking hadn't updated from package received by my local PO. Luckily it landed safely and I should have it back sometime mid-late May.

Not much to do but wait for now, so I stripped the layers of paint off the factory stock. Fun fact- Tikka synthetic stocks hold up fine to aircraft stripper. No effect whatsoever. I'm not sure what route I'll go for a stock yet, and I might stick with the factory. It seems pretty decent for a plastic stock, the only downside since its an older T3 is that it wont accept the factory tikka VG, but I might be able to figure something out for that.

I was able to get ahold of a SWFA 3-9, which was my top choice for this rifle and am keeping my eyes open for the UM rings I'll mount it in.

Other parts I'm considering for this rifle are a superlite bolt shroud, and potentially some metal bottom metal.

 

[Oldffemt]

PM me if you want a t3x stock to try out. I have a few around collecting dust that I’d send you if you cover shipping.

 

[coast range]

Yeah I was gonna say just buy a t3x stock, probably just have to pay for shipping from someone on here. Thats a no brainer

 

[Feral Jared]

Exciting day! I got my action back with the shortened, threaded 7mm08 barrel installed. The barrel work looks perfect thanks to Kampfeld Customs. I took the recommendations to pick up a newer T3x stock and ordered a vertical grip for it. I did end up getting a few dress up parts and a trigger spring kit from Lumley. I'm pretty close to having this thing ready to shoot, just waiting on a set of UM rings to arrive.

I found around 50pcs of Lapua 308 brass that I resized to 7mm08. While I wait for the rings to arrive, I'll load them up with some 110gr TNT that I have a bunch of. Should be shooting this weekend!

For now, I'll be using my Griffin Armament Recce7 to suppress it, but I did get in on the Airlock preorder for a 30 that will really compliment this rifle. I was going to go Airlock 7, but I plan to suppress a 30-30 down the road, and I saw Airlock say their 30 is slightly quieter than the 7.

 

[cal30_sniper]

Here’s a vote for the 284 Win. It’s a big step up over 7mm-08. 7x57AI is also a great option depending on what brass you do or don’t have available.

Kampfeld could easily rechamber you to either of those options.

 

[Feral Jared]

Yep, I'm definitely intrigued by the 284, and will probably go that route down the road when I need more horsepower.

 

[cal30_sniper]

280AI is also a great choice, but you’ll be limited in seating depth with some bullets. Then again, if it’s a 1:9.5 twist barrel like the earlier 7mm Rem Mag Tikkas were, you won’t be shooting those big slippery bullets anyways.

UM’s bottom metal and mag opens mag length up to 3.54”. That’s what I’m using on my 7 Rem Mag. They make a standard mag of the same length that would be great with 280AI.

 

[Feral Jared]

280AI was my first thought, but I found the same in my research, that I'd run into potential COAL issues with longer bullets. That's why I'm sticking with the LA bolt stop and magazines on the SA cartridges. The most I'd do with this barrel is throat it for a longer bullet. If/ When I go to 284, I'll have a new barrel turned.