Tikka T3 Lite .300WM lightweight build weight questions

[wind gypsy]

I would refrain from fluting, especially spiral fluting, a factory sporter contoured barrel. A very reputable Smith spiral fluted a #3 bartlein (heavy sporter contour) on a 6.5 for me. It wouldn't shoot well and I couldn't warrantee the barrel. A 308 bore with a thinner contour and nore powder tips the odds further out of favor. I'll probably only use barrels fluted by the manufacturer if at all going forward.

 

[GKPrice]

Definitely something I'll have to look into and weigh the pros and cons of each item and decide where I want to take it. Those suckers are real pricey as well! Looks like 1k+ for the pounder option? Honestly for the 6-10 Oz savings I'm not sure I'd want to spend close to double the edge.

I suppose to be honest with myself, the fluting is more for the aesthetics of the rifle with the weight savings being secondary. I just don't really like the fluting on the superlite model. I could cut 2oz on the scope if I chose the 2-8x32 model, I'm just slightly worried about having the smaller objective for light transmission in low light scenarios.. is that going to play a role or mostly unnoticed?


Also, more honest than anything, I'm not looking to build the absolute lightest tikka, just looking to build an awesome mountain gun with weight, accuracy, and asthetics being my main concerns.

Vx3 2.5x8 - leupold rifleman rings, not pretty but they'll hold ur scope (i use them) stupid light - go with a superlight, most smiths are reluctant to flute factory tubes anyway - alloy bolt shroud - that Browns stock sounds epic -

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

 

[Clarktar]

I am going to order one of the brown precision stock! Thanks for the heads up

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

 

[jdk81]

Thanks for the advice and concerns! I will definitely have to do more serious and in depth research about the fluting of the barrel, and will talk with multiple smiths about it for sure. It makes perfect sense that it could cause plenty of accuracy problems. Whichever I eventually go with, I will shoot it some first before fluting or a brake, if I choose to do either, and get some baselines for what I will need for my specific applications. I may very well hold the fluting job, and use the extra cash towards that browns stock.. good weight savings there it looks like.

Thanks!!! Anymore pictures out there you'd be willing to post? Would love to see more builds

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

Not sure if this pic will work here, but a finished wildcat stock on a 6.5 Swede. I'm kinda going the same route as you, I have the barrel and bolt sent out right not for fluting and cerakote, looking forward to getting it back.
If I remember right, the wildcat set me back about $450 Canadian. Weighed just under 17 oz before finishing.

T3 in a wildcat - Album on Imgur

What are your impressions on the fit/feel of the stock, stiffness?

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

I am going to order one of the brown precision stock! Thanks for the heads up

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

For a tikka or different action? I didn't readily see a mention of tikka on their page, not sure if you looked into it further.

 

[Clarktar]

For a tikka or different action? I didn't readily see a mention of tikka on their page, not sure if you looked into it further.

Tikka. They don't mention Tikka, but I will get a blank stock, not a prefit one. Going to pair it with a bartlien 2b barrel cut at 22'' and try to get a surpressor.

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

Tikka. They don't mention Tikka, but I will get a blank stock, not a prefit one. Going to pair it with a bartlien 2b barrel cut at 22'' and try to get a surpressor.

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

An inlet blank or a true flat top and you or a smith will inlet it? I'm sniffing out options for the barreled action HCA is putting together for me.

 

[Clarktar]

An inlet blank or a true flat top and you or a smith will inlet it? I'm sniffing out options for the barreled action HCA is putting together for me.

Inlet blank.

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

 

[ATX762]

As mentioned above, I'm all for you getting exactly what you want, but the rifle you are describing is not going to be any lighter than the Tikka Superlights you can get from Cabelas. Both the McMillan and Manners stocks often end up on the heavier side of what they say they will be, especially once you put a decent recoil pad on them. Or all the ones I've owned are on the heavier side, just as often.

My 2017 Tikka T3X super light (the Cabelas model with the ugly came stock) in 300 win mag weighs 5 pounds 15 ounces with a really nice factory recoil pad and with the big vertical grip they make for it. It's an ugly but great stock, functionally, esp with that big fat grip--lots of palm swell and nice vertical angle. I bought it 2 months ago, I think it was $899 or something. It shoots various factory accubond load into .5MOA to .66 MOA groups. Nearly all the groups it shoots (off a bipod or bench) makes my 1" target dots look very large.

The factory stock weighs 32 ounces WITH magazine, bottom metal, big straight grip, AND that sweet 1" recoil pad. I didn't weigh the stock without bottom metal or magazine but I am guessing this means the weight of the stock without bottom metal and mag is in the 24 ounce range. Same or lighter than a Manners/McMillan. Note that a 1" pachmayr recoil pad adds about 4 ounces to the stated weight of all those ultralight stocks. I shot a 1/2 recoil pad on an ultralight 30-06 for a while...it sucks. Prepare for major collarbone bruising if you shoot it prone very much...esp with a win mag. I just sent that stock back to Manners to get a 1" pad put on.

Bottom line...you might just want to find a Tikka factory ultralight stock or maybe just pick up a TX3 super light. I say this as a guy who has a fair number of custom rifles.

 

[ATX762]

Also a 22" barrel is great but 300 WM or in fact in any belted magnum cartridge, you are really losing velocity when you go below 24", to the point that you might be better off with a non magnum caliber. Out of that 22" tube you are blowing a lot of unburned powder out the front in 300 WM.

Most folks as a rule of thumb stick with 24" ish in any belted magnum. It is just a lot of powder to burn in a shorter barrel. When you start trimming below that too much, a 300 win mag turns into a very loud, hard-kicking, expensive to shoot, 30-06. The larger bore calibers i.e. 375 H&H and 338 Win Mag are more forgiving to short barrels because of the bore diameter.

Also as you already are saying, you will need a suppressor or a muzzle brake! Even with a heavy 20 ounce scope, bringing the weight to about 7 1/4 lbs, my Tikka 300 Win mag super light kicked the same or worse than my 375 H&H.

My Tikka now wears a 7" suppressor and with the can in place (bringing total weight to just over 8 lbs) it's about like shooting a 30-06 with 180gr loads.

Just as a data point, that is the 24" factory super light barrel, now with a 7" titanium suppressor hanging off it...zero loss in accuracy, it was a half minute rifle from the factory and it's a half minute rifle with the can hanging off it.

Again...I am thinking you will save a lot of money just buying a factory Tikka super light and I doubt you will give up any practical accuracy at all (maybe like .15 MOA or less) and also, you will always get your money back out of a factory rifle and *never* get your money back out of a custom rifle you've built off a factory action. Again, coming from a guy who has a lot of custom rifles.

That said, maybe the fun is in building this rifle. Dumb question but the action holes in the blank Brown stock will work with the Tikka? Or are you looking at bedding pillars in the right spot? That's not hard but it's work and setup. Also it might be a bitch to get the bottom metal bedded in at the right height if you are not working from somewhat prefit stock. I bed a lot of rifles and getting the feeding right when you are not working with a good pre-fit stock is a biatch, sometimes, takes a couple bedding steps to get the height right, test the feeding, before you finally bed the bottom metal in. But again, if you love doing the work itself...

I hope I don't sound patronizing, because maybe you already know this shit. If so, my apologies. And take all of the above with a grain of salt. I've built a lot of rifles and lost a ton of money doing it and also put a ton of time into getting rifles to shoot well. So when i can buy an off the shelf gun that will do 99% of what I need...I very happily buy it and put the money into ammo and trips and the time into trips to the range or trips to the woods.

Regardless of my a-hole opinions...have fun with yer new project!!!!

 

[Decker9]

What are your impressions on the fit/feel of the stock, stiffness?

Honestly, I'm not real familiar with looking at the stiffness of a stock, so I can't really comment on that. As for the feel, I like it a lot over the original plastic stock for sure, I guess it does feel stiffer, or solider? Lol. I find the forend a little flatter on the bottom compared to the original plastic t3 stock as well, seems to steady a bit easier over sand bags or a pack.
One thing I did notice also tho, was my rifle feeling a bit front end heavy. So shooting off hand, it's certainly not as steady as my heavier B&C stock. But for the mountain rifle it's intended for, it fits and feels great.

Hope this helps.

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

Honestly, I'm not real familiar with looking at the stiffness of a stock, so I can't really comment on that. As for the feel, I like it a lot over the original plastic stock for sure, I guess it does feel stiffer, or solider? Lol. I find the forend a little flatter on the bottom compared to the original plastic t3 stock as well, seems to steady a bit easier over sand bags or a pack.
One thing I did notice also tho, was my rifle feeling a bit front end heavy. So shooting off hand, it's certainly not as steady as my heavier B&C stock. But for the mountain rifle it's intended for, it fits and feels great.

Hope this helps.

Yep thanks. I can imagine it being a bit fore end heavy with so little weight in the rear of the stock. But honestly I take the majority of my shots prone of a 9-12" bipod. I rarely take a true offhand shot, perhaps rested on a tree or pack or kneeling occasionally.

 

[GKPrice]

As mentioned above, I'm all for you getting exactly what you want, but the rifle you are describing is not going to be any lighter than the Tikka Superlights you can get from Cabelas. Both the McMillan and Manners stocks often end up on the heavier side of what they say they will be, especially once you put a decent recoil pad on them. Or all the ones I've owned are on the heavier side, just as often.

My 2017 Tikka T3X super light (the Cabelas model with the ugly came stock) in 300 win mag weighs 5 pounds 15 ounces with a really nice factory recoil pad and with the big vertical grip they make for it. It's an ugly but great stock, functionally, esp with that big fat grip--lots of palm swell and nice vertical angle. I bought it 2 months ago, I think it was $899 or something. It shoots various factory accubond load into .5MOA to .66 MOA groups. Nearly all the groups it shoots (off a bipod or bench) makes my 1" target dots look very large.

The factory stock weighs 32 ounces WITH magazine, bottom metal, big straight grip, AND that sweet 1" recoil pad. I didn't weigh the stock without bottom metal or magazine but I am guessing this means the weight of the stock without bottom metal and mag is in the 24 ounce range. Same or lighter than a Manners/McMillan. Note that a 1" pachmayr recoil pad adds about 4 ounces to the stated weight of all those ultralight stocks. I shot a 1/2 recoil pad on an ultralight 30-06 for a while...it sucks. Prepare for major collarbone bruising if you shoot it prone very much...esp with a win mag. I just sent that stock back to Manners to get a 1" pad put on.

Bottom line...you might just want to find a Tikka factory ultralight stock or maybe just pick up a TX3 super light. I say this as a guy who has a fair number of custom rifles.

I've used 23" barrels with 7mm RM, 300 WM & 338 WM, can say with confidence that you'll not be leaving anything that you can't easily live without - Sure, you lose a bit of MV but it's no big deal, animals die in spite of that - If you handload try a bit faster powder too, 4350's/RL17 do well without a barrel so long you need a wheel at the muzzle

 

[ElkElkGoose]

IMO you should sell it and just build what you want from scratch. I'm not sure how much all this fluting costs but I imagine it isnt cheap. You also probably aren't going to get much or anything for the parts you are taking off. You can buy a barrell and an action for what you would get for it in the specs you desire and then get your stock etc.

I carry a 12lb custom rifle in 300 WM and like anything once you carry it a bit your body gets used to it. I also shoot it extremely well because its great to practice with. I have a feeling you may not shoot a 7lb 300 WM too much outside of game time

 

[GKPrice]

Plenty of guys (and a few gals I'd wager) shoot 7 lb 300 Win Mags just fine and carry them one heck of a lot farther with less fatigue than any 12 lb rifle - 21st Century is upon us .......

 

[ElkElkGoose]

Plenty of guys (and a few gals I'd wager) shoot 7 lb 300 Win Mags just fine and carry them one heck of a lot farther with less fatigue than any 12 lb rifle - 21st Century is upon us .......

That includes scope and mounts, nothing a few more squats can't fix. Mine is dual purpose and used in long range comps as well. I'm too light for competition and too heavy for hunting, I guess I just enjoy pissing everybody off

You boys be careful going down the magnum barrel length vs velocity hole, that turns threads ugly real quick! That's just one of those convos.

 

[ATX762]

Ha! Whelp...I believe a man should get what he wants in life, but sometimes there are simpler routes than others. If someone wants a 22" or 20" belted mag...god bless! But in those barrel lengths I stick to the non-magnum chamberings. I think a lot more about efficiency than I used to, mostly because as the years pass I get more of a kick out of having rifles that are pleasant to shoot that still kill shit. I used to worry only about accuracy and energy and now I worry about those things but factor shoot ability into the mix. Yes you can shoot a 7lb 300 mag rifle well. I do it. But most folks find it easier to kill stuff and make better shots with a more "shootable" rifle. For most people, a hard kicking rifle is more of a detriment to their long range accuracy than shooting a lower energy round than has a lot less recoil and a little bit more drop. Just my opinion.

 

[GKPrice]

Ha! Whelp...I believe a man should get what he wants in life, but sometimes there are simpler routes than others. If someone wants a 22" or 20" belted mag...god bless! But in those barrel lengths I stick to the non-magnum chamberings. I think a lot more about efficiency than I used to, mostly because as the years pass I get more of a kick out of having rifles that are pleasant to shoot that still kill shit. I used to worry only about accuracy and energy and now I worry about those things but factor shoot ability into the mix. Yes you can shoot a 7lb 300 mag rifle well. I do it. But most folks find it easier to kill stuff and make better shots with a more "shootable" rifle. For most people, a hard kicking rifle is more of a detriment to their long range accuracy than shooting a lower energy round than has a lot less recoil and a little bit more drop. Just my opinion.

Your opinion has merit ! we live in a "new age" world where bullets are concerned (one that improves near daily) Today's premium 6.5 / .277 / .284 bullets will do far more to game than the .30 and larger from days of old and THAT is why I am playing (and delighted) with 6.5 CM and 270 WSM's - 30.06 AI is as big as I go in my "advanced" age, and that not as readily as I did 5 years ago
Concentrate on your shooting rather than ability to carry that "thumper", you'll likely be happier

 

[Trogon]

I had a 7.5 lb T3 300wsm. It was such a hammer that I simply never shot it, so I sold it. If I was ever going to go down the magnum road again Id be looking at a bart#3 contour barrel in a 9lb rifle. Just me.

For reference, my McM Hunter, edge fill (not "Hunters edge" but "Hunter" with edge) weighs 1.711 lbs bare.