Recently taken interest in the quarter bore with some of the new high bc projectiles on the market. Also in the works of getting set up with a can, so I figured why not build a lightweight shorty that will be a pretty optimal setup. My criteria was good component availability, easy to load for, mostly factory stuff so I can hand it off to my buddies for their kids to shoot if they need a reliable and accurate mid range rifle. So I burned my Cabela's points on a discounted Tikka (go down there and handle them all and find the display with a scratch on it, if they don't have a NIB they have to discount it 
).
Next I starting looking at barrel options. I decided I would spend a little more to customize it since I saved some on initial investment. I went with Preferred Barrel Blanks, and I have to say it was nothing but a good experience. I asked them some questions and got a quick response, they were dead on timeline, cost wasn't above average for what I had done. Barrel is a 20" x .75" taperless 1:7 chambered in 25 creedmoor/BJ, fluted, and threaded with protector. Finish is top notch.
Once I got the barreled action back (I sent it in for them to time the flutes and gauge it) I immediately switched out the grip and went at the stock for some inletting with a carbide cutter and a dremel, opened up the channel with some sandpaper and a socket, and slapped some paint on.
Before the build I picked up a couple hundred 133 Berger Elite hunters, Peterson LRP brass, and some H4350. Was hoping it would have a little more freebore, but the picture is the 133 seated at .010" off the lands, and fits well within the Tikka SA mag. I prayed that it would like .010" off so I would have plenty of life and room to burn it forward. It put all the clean bore break in shots into a sub group, and the first fouled bore group at .010" off printed a damn near 1/4" 3 shot. I'll be doing a load development thread in the reloading section once I get some data. So far, I love this little thing!
).Next I starting looking at barrel options. I decided I would spend a little more to customize it since I saved some on initial investment. I went with Preferred Barrel Blanks, and I have to say it was nothing but a good experience. I asked them some questions and got a quick response, they were dead on timeline, cost wasn't above average for what I had done. Barrel is a 20" x .75" taperless 1:7 chambered in 25 creedmoor/BJ, fluted, and threaded with protector. Finish is top notch.
Once I got the barreled action back (I sent it in for them to time the flutes and gauge it) I immediately switched out the grip and went at the stock for some inletting with a carbide cutter and a dremel, opened up the channel with some sandpaper and a socket, and slapped some paint on.
Before the build I picked up a couple hundred 133 Berger Elite hunters, Peterson LRP brass, and some H4350. Was hoping it would have a little more freebore, but the picture is the 133 seated at .010" off the lands, and fits well within the Tikka SA mag. I prayed that it would like .010" off so I would have plenty of life and room to burn it forward. It put all the clean bore break in shots into a sub group, and the first fouled bore group at .010" off printed a damn near 1/4" 3 shot. I'll be doing a load development thread in the reloading section once I get some data. So far, I love this little thing!
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