Tikka question

[mattmann]

Hello!

So I’ve never owned a tikka but in the last couple months of reading on here I’ve decided to get one. Yesterday I purchased a RokStok after hearing how great they are with a tikka t3/sendero profile. Would love to build a 280 AI for my kids to whitetail hunt with and for me to shoot at the range and possibly hunt with some. What’s the best way to go about it from here? I’ve seen the barreled actions that JA Outdoors sells and that seems to be the best deal. Is there a better/cheaper way to build a tikka 280AI? Thanks in advance!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[atmat]

There are much cheaper ways. You can simply buy a Tikka, order a barrel from your preferred company, and replace the barrel yourself with $80 in parts.

I wouldn’t order a carbon barrel. There is no benefit.

But I also wouldn’t put a kid on a 280AI either.

 

[mattmann]

There are much cheaper ways. You can simply buy a Tikka, order a barrel from your preferred company, and replace the barrel yourself with $80 in parts.

I wouldn’t order a carbon barrel. There is no benefit.

But I also wouldn’t put a kid on a 280AI either.

Let me clarify, my oldest who will be hunting most is 15. Started on a 243 and has taken several with it and is now sharing my 300wm. I don’t think the 280 will be too bad for him based on this. What barrel do you recommend? Does it take a gunsmith to do that stuff? Sorry I’m completely new to the diy gunsmithing scene.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[atmat]

Let me clarify, my oldest who will be hunting most is 15. Started on a 243 and has taken several with it and is now sharing my 300wm. I don’t think the 280 will be too bad for him based on this. What barrel do you recommend? Does it take a gunsmith to do that stuff? Sorry I’m completely new to the diy gunsmithing scene.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I would leave him on the 243, honestly. I’m mid 30’s and shooting most my life, and it’s what I use for elk.

Any decent brand (PBB, PVA, Bart, etc.) will probably be fine. PBB is probably cheapest.

All you need is a torque bar, action wrench, barrel vise, and go/no go gauges. It’s literally screw off, screw on. Or I bet a gunsmith would do it for $100.

 

[LongWayAround]

I can't help but wonder why you and your son are shooting whitetails with a 300 win mag?

I would suggest browsing the "kid's rifle manifesto" and the kill threads for the .223, 6mm, 6.5mm.

I realize that's not the question you asked, but I also don't see the point in buying a perfectly good rifle to unscrew the barrel and make it something else.

 

[Drenalin]

Go to Europtic.com and buy a complete rifle while they're still on sale. Then modify it from there to suit you. I don't know that there's a cheaper way to acquire a Tikka action than just buying a rifle on sale or used.

 

[mattmann]

I can't help but wonder why you and your son are shooting whitetails with a 300 win mag?

I would suggest browsing the "kid's rifle manifesto" and the kill threads for the .223, 6mm, 6.5mm.

I realize that's not the question you asked, but I also don't see the point in buying a perfectly good rifle to unscrew the barrel and make it something else.

I keep saying things without clarifying lol. We are leaving to Africa in 2 weeks and taking it so he’s been practicing. He has shot and killed multiple deer with my 6.5 Creedmore also and we shoot pigs with it suppressed. We aren’t necessarily deer hunting with it but I may. I absolutely love that rifle but can see it doing some major damage lol


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[MuleyFever]

Get a Tikka in 30-06 or 270 and have it rebarreled by one of the common Tikka prefit companies. I have had good luck with McGowen.

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

As mentioned get a stock tikka and you can send it to a place like (patriot valley arms, preferred barrels, or a bunch of gun smiths) and have them swap out for a barrel of your preference. I wouldn't bother with carbon.

280AI is a little stunted by the action length of the tikka t3x, IE you can't load long bullets out as long as you could on a longer action. But that is only relevant if you're reloading since factory ammo loaded to sammi specs would fit a tikka long action mag.

If you reload a 284win is nicely suited to a tikka t3x action and fit fine in a long action mag from a donor 30-06, 270win, etc.

 

[sdupontjr]

Buddy just this. Bought a SS 30-06 Tikka for a donor for about $650. Pulled the barrel and bought a 20" carbon6 7 SAUM barrel with brake for I believe $700, could be wrong. He caught them on sale. He uses the original Tikka stock (opened up the barrel channel with a burr bit and Dremel) then put a victor cheek riser on it for $45. Thing hammers with 160 Accubonds and 60g of 4831sc. Shoots about .5 moa all day.

 

[HuntHarder]

Nothing wrong with you wanting to build a 280AI. There are guys on here who can't fathom guys can shoot larger cartridges accurately. Shoot what you want, 280AI is an excellent round. Back to your original question. The easy button is buying an action already fitted with the barrel of your choice. JA offers that service. You will pay more than doing it yourself, but that is to be expected. Lots of guys on here, myself included, choose to get a donor rifle, remove the barrel and screw on one of their choice.

There is a thread on here where the tools to do the swap are being mailed to you for the cost of shipping. The process is spelled out on this site and is pretty straight forward. Donor rifles are typically $550-$750. New barrels are $500-$1000. Lots on here prefer steel vs. Carbon fiber. I like them both and have rifles that flat out shoot, in both. Lastly, is pick a stock of your choice and bolt it up. The easy button is always going to cost more than you doing the work yourself.

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

Get a Tikka in 30-06 or 270 and have it rebarreled by one of the common Tikka prefit companies. I have had good luck with McGowen.

This is the way.

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

Buddy just this. Bought a SS 30-06 Tikka for a donor for about $650. Pulled the barrel and bought a 20" carbon6 7 SAUM barrel with brake for I believe $700, could be wrong. He caught them on sale. He uses the original Tikka stock (opened up the barrel channel with a burr bit and Dremel) then put a victor cheek riser on it for $45. Thing hammers with 160 Accubonds and 60g of 4831sc. Shoots about .5 moa all day.

Something is off here. The 30-06 doesn't have the right bolt face for a 7 SAUM, so he either had a different donor caliber (7mag, 300wm, etc), swapped the bolt, or had the bolt machined. Mainly just highlighting pay attention to what bolt face you buy versus desired caliber.

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

But a Tikka stainless in 7mm mag. Send to Kampfeld in Idaho and have him rechamber (if feasible, call him), cut and thread the factory barrel for suppressor. No reason at all to not use an excellent Tikka stainless 7mm barrel until you shoot it out and buy a prefit.

Throw it in the rokstok you bought and go hunt!

For your kids, the comments advising against using a 7mm are valid.

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

But a Tikka stainless in 7mm mag. Send to Kampfeld in Idaho and have him rechamber (if feasible, call him), cut and thread the factory barrel for suppressor. No reason at all to not use an excellent Tikka stainless 7mm barrel until you shoot it out and buy a prefit.

Throw it in the rokstok you bought and go hunt!

For your kids, the comments advising against using a 7mm are valid.

7mag is the wrong bolt face. Did you mean 7-08?

 

[SloppyJ]

Buy one of the newer ones with a threaded barrel and call it a day. Get it in a cartridge that you want and shoot the barrel out. Then get a vise and change it yourself with one of many prefit barrels available.

 

[mattmann]

The rokstock is already bought guys. Did that yesterday on the sale.

It’s also made to fit the sendero profile, does that limit me to carbon barrels?

If I went the “donor” rifle route, what caliber would I want for a 280ai? 7mm-08?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

7mag is the wrong bolt face. Did you mean 7-08?

That or modifying the 7mag will work. Or swapping bolts. Karl will get him covered.

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

The rokstock is already bought guys. Did that yesterday on the sale.

It’s also made to fit the sendero profile, does that limit me to carbon barrels?

If I went the “donor” rifle route, what caliber would I want for a 280ai? 7mm-08?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

No sir. That barrel channel works great with factory sporter barrels as well. The large gap isn't an issue and can help to ensure there is ZERO contact with the barrel/stock.

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

That or modifying the 7mag will work. Or swapping bolts. Karl will get him covered.

Oh you're talking bushing down the bolt face? Its feasible I guess but seems a lot more issue prone in the big picture, not sure how far back you'd have to set a 7mag barrel to have a 280AI clean it up, probably a fair bit. Starting with a 7-08 would probably be a better fit (right bolt and smaller cartridge to start with), but yes that means swapping bolt stops and getting a long action mag as an alternative consideration.