Thinking of ordering a tikka barrel: 7-08, 284, 7-08AI, 7SAW?????

[Lawnboi]

I didn't make a decision yet fyi. Yes I was trying to acknowledge there currently is SAW brass but its future support being a niche caliber is unknown and if we were to run 7-08AI at high pressures like SAW (with SRP brass) we'd probably out run it right? Just talking here, pros/cons.

Take it with a grain of salt because I don’t have a 7 anything.

Small rifle primers don’t handle pressure like large do. Primer pockets might last longer, it ime on small primer brass in the 40 grain range, primer cups on smalls exhibit signs of failure way before large do.

Another thing to keep in mind is hang fires in cold and weather. I have had srp even magnums have hang fire issues in cold temperatures.

I don’t buy into the too short for too big of case thing. I think for the most part it’s bologna. If the suppressor will handle it shoot on.

For that reason I’d probably do a 18” 284 and not look back. No fire forming, no BS, dies up the wazoo.

 

[jimh406]

Bullets are easy to sell, but if 7mm-08 works for you, I'd probably stick with that caliber and keep your dies, etc.

I'd also think hard about whether you want to go for something different as you make this change. I don't know if it will be cost effective to buy the barrel and pay someone to remove/install the new barrel. Also, you have to find someone willing to do the work.

I'd also think about changing guns entirely. For instance, Howa makes the Superlite with a 20 inch threaded barrel that weighs sub 5 lbs. They can be had in 7mm-08.

Otherwise, maybe it's time to go with 7 PRC.

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

Bullets are easy to sell, but if 7mm-08 works for you, I'd probably stick with that caliber and keep your dies, etc.

I'd also think hard about whether you want to go for something different as you make this change. I don't know if it will be cost effective to buy the barrel and pay someone to remove/install the new barrel. Also, you have to find someone willing to do the work.

I'd also think about changing guns entirely. For instance, Howa makes the Superlite with a 20 inch threaded barrel that weighs sub 5 lbs. They can be had in 7mm-08.

Otherwise, maybe it's time to go with 7 PRC.

Sure, but I also have another 7mm caliber so don't need to rush to sell bullets. Mainly saying I wasn't starting from scratch so unless there was a STRONG reason to change caliber I felt 7mm would do nicely for this still.

If I order a barrel it'll be a few months till its made so I'll keep shooting the 7-08 stuff I have on hand and likely won't sell my dies. Also I'd wait till I had all supplies on hand to make the change. This should be a tikka prefit so I'd do the work on it vs a smith.

Selling guns in CO is kinda a pain in the rear (ALL sales require a FFL) and it would require selling this gun plus throw in more cash to pay for one of those superlites. I have multiple tikkas so that provides some perks of the platform: can easily move scopes between guns, share some mags, share stocks in some cases, etc. Vs one gun as a howa.

7PRC would probably be way more muzzle blast than a 284win I'd think and then there are barrel length minimums to keep in mind for the suppressor.

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

@Anschutz thanks for bringing GRT to my attention, been playing around on that for a bit. I realize its just a simulation but does help look at what powders are likely to combust or not (with a 139 or 145LRX something like H4350 is a tad slow in a 18" where as varget solidly burns completely). Also in most powders I played around with the difference in moving between 18"-20" is more like 40fps per inch. But again its grain of salt, but fun.

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

Circling around I pulled the trigger (pun intended) on a 284WIN light contour hybrid 19" 5/8-24 threaded.

 

[Anschutz]

Circling around I pulled the trigger (pun intended) on a 284WIN light contour hybrid 19" 5/8-24 threaded.

That should do the trick.

Sent from my SM-S918U using Tapatalk

 

[wind gypsy]

Circling around I pulled the trigger (pun intended) on a 284WIN light contour hybrid 19" 5/8-24 threaded.

Good choice. 284 was the obvious choice to me too.

162 ELDm or 145 CEB Lazer should do you right!

 

[Bench_Talk]

For anyone interested I have a fresh 24”, Sendero Carbon Six Howa 1500 Prefit in 284Win listed for sale. Just went a different route with my build:

WTS - Carbon Six 284Win Howa 1500 Prefit.

Hey guys I have a brand new Carbon Six Howa Howage barrel (Prefit that takes a barrel nut) for sale. Barrel will work for short action or long action Howa 1500 actions. -Carbon Six Howage barrel, 24” Sendero Contour, 1-8.5 twist, threaded Muzzle 5/8x24. $700 shipped to you, The barrel uses a...

rokslide.com

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

Barrel showed up, 19" 284win 1:8, 2lb-3.9oz with the thread protector in it. With my can on there its 24" tip to shoulder of the barrel. I dropped some bullets I had in there and took some measurements and its throated well imho, it'll fit a 180VLD ~0.05" off with the bullet boat tail junction at the bottom of the neck. I don't nessessarily plan to run the 180VLD, its just a long bullet I had to take a measurement with. I'll probably try out the 162ELDM and 139LRX initially.

8lb-9.6oz for Tikka T3 action assembly/bottom metal/mag, T3x stock with a stock pack on it, barrrel, AB Raptor 8 flush mounted, 3-9SWFA with sportsmatch rings and swfa level.

I have a rokstock on order I'll likely try out with this but that'll be a wash on weight generally (if I need to ditch the stock pack for cheek weld fitment then a bit lighter). I'm considering the UM action lightening perhaps but they haven't responded about doing it to a T3 action yet.

Now to find some range time...

 

[Bench_Talk]

Barrel showed up, 19" 284win 1:8, 2lb-3.9oz with the thread protector in it. With my can on there its 24" tip to shoulder of the barrel. I dropped some bullets I had in there and took some measurements and its throated well imho, it'll fit a 180VLD ~0.05" off with the bullet boat tail junction at the bottom of the neck. I don't nessessarily plan to run the 180VLD, its just a long bullet I had to take a measurement with. I'll probably try out the 162ELDM and 139LRX initially.

8lb-9.6oz for Tikka T3 action assembly/bottom metal/mag, T3x stock with a stock pack on it, barrrel, AB Raptor 8 flush mounted, 3-9SWFA with sportsmatch rings and swfa level.

I have a rokstock on order I'll likely try out with this but that'll be a wash on weight generally (if I need to ditch the stock pack for cheek weld fitment then a bit lighter). I'm considering the UM action lightening perhaps but they haven't responded about doing it to a T3 action yet.

Now to find some range time...

Looks awesome, what is your Cartridge overall length running?

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

Looks awesome, what is your Cartridge overall length running?

They were all rough measurements (bullet length + bottom of barrel to bullet base when in the lands + how much a piece of brass protrudes when in the barrel). But it's looking like anything under 180gr I can position optimally in the neck so the COAL will be according to the bullet, nothing so far appears that it'll need to be seated deeper reducing powder capacity. The 139LRX distance to lands looked like about 3.15" where as I believe 3.075" COAL is about where the boat tail start will be at the neck juncture, the 0.075" jump is typically just fine with a barnes. I don't have a 162ELDM on hand but I think that one would be about 3.125" (no idea on jump without one in hand).