Tikka with Carbon barrel vs CA Ridgeline

[TimberHunter]

Hello all,

Wanting a 20” carbon barrel rifle, most likely 308, to use with a suppressor as a hunting rifle.

After crunching the numbers of buying a tikka T3 and getting a carbon barrel installed, it puts me at or even slightly above what I can get a Ridgeline on sale for (with a 20” barrel). Tikka would have the factory stock for a while and which would need to be shaved down to fit the carbon barrel

Which would choose and why?


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[elkguide]

From my experience, you're comparing grapes with watermelons. While the Tikkas are usually good shooters their quality of stock, trigger and general fit isn't anything near what a Christensen is.

Christensen Ridgeline all the way.

 

[tdhanses]

Go with the CA unless you are ok waiting 3+ months to get the barrel and another 2+ months for a gunsmith to install it.

Also I did what you are thinking with a shot out Howa I bought for $300. I got A McMillian stock, carbon 6 barrel and Timney trigger all on great sales but I still ended up spending more than a CA Ridgeline in the end. Now that Howa is a shooter and was well worth it. Guess only you’ll know if your ready for a project rifle or not.

 

[nrh6.7]

Curious where you're finding the sale on the CA rifles. Considering one myself.

 

[tdhanses]

Curious where you're finding the sale on the CA rifles. Considering one myself.

Don’t they sell for $1899?

 

[Lawnboi]

I had a Christensen. I now have 3 tikkas. I’d do the tikka thing but the stock would be the first thing I replaced.

That said I’d take the tikka stock over the CA one.

 

[TimberHunter]

Tikka is approx $600 for a stainless 308, pre threaded on both ends carbon barre $750 plus shipping, local gunsmith is 250 to install barrel.

With tax, FFL transfer fee and estimated shipping I’m just about at $1800 for a factory tikka with a carbon barrel


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[tdhanses]

Cabela’s has the 26 nosler in the CA Ridgeline on sale for $1609

 

[Middleofnowhere]

Ridgeline is American made, tikka isn’t.
ridgeline is based on remington 700, lots of upgrade options should you choose in the future.

 

[tdhanses]

Tikka is approx $600 for a stainless 308, pre threaded on both ends carbon barre $750 plus shipping, local gunsmith is 250 to install barrel.

With tax, FFL transfer fee and estimated shipping I’m just about at $1800 for a factory tikka with a carbon barrel


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If you go with the Tikka I would wait on the barrel, Mike is putting together a package for Tikka owners, he’ll post the details in Jan I think he said. Go to the Hells Canyon Rokslide barrel buy thread.

 

[TyrsTestament]

Christensen Arms QC has gone steeply downhill the last year.

Tikka's QC and accuracy has been repeatedly successful time and time again. Just because the stock is plastic, doesn't mean it's bad. The stock is engineered for the action (CA stock is not).

Personally, I'd go with the Tikka, smoother action, will ALWAYS feed as long as stock is installed correctly, and the price is better.

IMO, the price to quality ratio just isn't there anymore with the Ridgelines.

I work with rifles all day every day. We build custom rifles day in and day out. I've seen the problems CA can have and dealing with them is a nightmare.

That's my opinion on CA.

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[tdhanses]

Here you go https://www.rokslide.com/forums/threads/2018-2019-hells-canyon-armory-group-buy-build.114139/page-4

 

[TyrsTestament]

Also, since the shank on a proof carbon barrel is 1.2" it'll be almost the same OD as the Tikka action. Just something to know.
Also, the carbon barrel will not shoot twice as good as the steel barrel will, generally.

Carbon barrels do not possess many advantages over a steel barrel other than being lighter than a steel barrel of the same diameter. Also, carbon barrels DO NOT cool faster than their steel brothers. Carbon barrels are more rigid of course and have less deflection.
Also, if you accidentally get something in your barrel while hunting and bulge the barrel, the entire barrel is toast. You cannot cut a carbon barrel past it's crown unfortunately.

A carbon barrel will never be lighter than a lightweight steel barrel contour. But a carbon barrel will be more rigid.

But carbon barrels sure do look badass.

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[TyrsTestament]

That's what I've been finding. Found a LH at EuroOptic for $1,775 but that's the cheapest I've seen.

I ordered a Tikka t3x lite in 6.5cm last night and was having second thoughts and thinking about canceling the order and buying a Ridgeline instead. Think I'll stay with what I have. Not sure the CA is that much better for a hunting rifle.

They really truly are not better in any sense for a hunting rifle

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[rhusby28]

Get a Proof Research carbon prefit for a Tikka and do it yourself. I plan to do on in 300 WSM. Hopefully in the near future.

 

[TimberHunter]

I need either 9/16 or 5/8 threads at the end of the barrel for my suppressor which is why I was thinking a new carbon barrel


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[TyrsTestament]

Get a Proof Research carbon prefit for a Tikka and do it yourself. I plan to do on in 300 WSM. Hopefully in the near future.

I would personally advise against that. Just my opinion. If you do have any headspace issues, you won't be able to fix it yourself.

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[tdhanses]

I would personally advise against that. Just my opinion. If you do have any headspace issues, you won't be able to fix it yourself.

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Exactly and to buy the head spacing tools costs the same as most smiths charge to install and headspace a barrel, which is cheap if it’s already threaded and chambered. It’s the chambering that gets more expensive.

 

[rhusby28]

I would personally advise against that. Just my opinion. If you do have any headspace issues, you won't be able to fix it yourself.

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It’s not as big of a deal as you make it to be. Also Proof offers a 1.13 shank barrel for their Tikka carbon prefits and certain carbon barrel blanks.

 

[TyrsTestament]

Exactly and to buy the head spacing tools costs the same as most smiths charge to install and headspace a barrel, which is cheap if it’s already threaded and chambered. It’s the chambering that gets more expensive.

Correct. "Head spacing tools" are not The correct way to fix them either. A skilled gunsmith with a lathe is the best. For a barrel blank, no chamber of threads, we charge 300 CAN to install the barrel. $300 gets you better tolerances as the barrel is fit to your action. Not threaded with a generic size.

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