Unknown Munitions Tikka Clone action coming soon?

[8404]

Shoot 2 Hunt podcast had a very interesting few minutes where the guys were talking about something in the works. Sounded like they're planning on building a Tikka clone action. Possibly with a modular bolt system?

Imagine having a Tikka where you could spin off a 6mm Dasher or 6.5 Creedmoor training barrel, then spin on a 7PRC barrel and switch to a magnum bolt face to go chase elk with the same rifle... well... that would be pretty cool.

Anyone hear anything more about this?

 

[SamsonMan22]

This isnt anything new with existing tikkas. In the case above you need your training setup then to switch to 7prc a magnum bolt and a 7prc barrel. A simple barrel vise and action wrench and you can do it in your garage.

 

[mt100gr.]

Or just hunt with that standard bolt face "trainer".....

 

[8404]

This isnt anything new with existing tikkas. In the case above you need your training setup then to switch to 7prc a magnum bolt and a 7prc barrel. A simple barrel vise and action wrench and you can do it in your garage.

A Tikka bolt is not inexpensive. Don't they cost about the same as a complete Ruger American rifle?

 

[wind gypsy]

A Tikka bolt is not inexpensive. Don't they cost about the same as a complete Ruger American rifle?

A custom Tikka clone action built by BAT will likely take it past "not inexpensive" another couple notches.

 

[mt100gr.]

A custom Tikka clone action built by BAT will likely take it past "not inexpensive" another couple notches.

To the point of it'll be cheaper owning 2 Tikkas and not buying the tools!!

 

[Juan_ID]

Or just chase elk with the trainer as stated above and save lots of $$$.

 

[8404]

A custom Tikka clone action built by BAT will likely take it past "not inexpensive" another couple notches.

While that certainly seems logical, I feel like UM will want the action to be competitive with other premium actions. I just dropped $1500 on a Impact NBK so while inexpensive isn't everything, modularity intrigues me.

 

[MuleyFever]

A Tikka bolt is not inexpensive. Don't they cost about the same as a complete Ruger American rifle?

You think a custom clone is going to be cheaper?

 

[wind gypsy]

While that certainly seems logical, I feel like UM will want the action to be competitive with other premium actions. I just dropped $1500 on a Impact NBK so while inexpensive isn't everything, modularity intrigues me.

Yes, it's certainly intriguing what they are working on. Consider that UM currently charges $1970 for a vesper and BAT likely had way less development effort into that because it's on the same m700 platform as their prior existing actions. I have a hard time seeing how it all pencils out being as a guy can get a tikka donor for $500-600 right now including the trigger! They are going to have to do some things that seriously set them apart and I don't see what that could be.

I've only had one "modular" rifle, a Desert Tech with a 6.5x47 barrel and a 300 Norma barrel. I found re-zeroing was enough of a PITA that the whole concept is less enticing to me now. If a guy has 2 or 3 of the same pre-fitable actions and 4-5 barrels for them I could see a little more utility.

 

[8404]

To the point of it'll be cheaper owning 2 Tikkas and not buying the tools!!

But buying an action where you have the ability to switch between four bolt faces opens up a lot of possibilities. An action wrench is $100. A barrel vise is probably another $100.

A friendly PM here can probably have a Rokslide member loaning you some for free. That's what I did last time I had to torque a barrel before I got my own tools.

 

[8404]

Yes, it's certainly intriguing what they are working on. Consider that UM currently charges $1970 for a vesper and BAT likely had way less development effort into that because it's on the same m700 platform as their prior existing actions. I have a hard time seeing how it all pencils out being as a guy can get a tikka donor for $500-600 right now including the trigger! They are going to have to do some things that seriously set them apart and I don't see what that could be.

Agreed on all of that. Which has me curious what they might be up to.

 

[mt100gr.]

But buying an action where you have the ability to switch between four bolt faces opens up a lot of possibilities. An action wrench is $100. A barrel vise is probably another $100.

A friendly PM here can probably have a Rokslide member loaning you some for free. That's what I did last time I had to torque a barrel before I got my own tools.

I can see the appeal and my last post was admittedly an exaggeration. I'm actually in the process of rounding up barrels to have on hand for a "switch barrel" standard bolt face rifle. Not that I NEED it...

I just think it's a solution looking for a problem. With careful and calculated selection, a switch barrel rifle with a single bolt face can cover all the bases. (And that's IF a guy really believes that he needs multiple chamberings to do that....) I'm not a 1 rifle guy.....i like to tinker.

And truthfully, I already own inside and outside wrenches and I vise and I don't see myself actually switching barrels very often.

 

[8404]

I can see the appeal and my last post was admittedly an exaggeration. I'm actually in the process of rounding up barrels to have on hand for a "switch barrel" standard bolt face rifle. Not that I NEED it...

I just think it's a solution looking for a problem. With careful and calculated selection, a switch barrel rifle with a single bolt face can cover all the bases. (And that's IF a guy really believes that he needs multiple chamberings to do that....) I'm not a 1 rifle guy.....i like to tinker.

And truthfully, I already own inside and outside wrenches and I vise and I don't see myself actually switching barrels very often.

I can think of a hundred reasons it would be cool to have a modular bolt. And I can think of a hundred good arguments against it.

BUT... it remains interesting.

I guess we don't even know if a modular bolt is part of what they're talking about coming up with.

Maybe it really just will be a Tikka clone.

 

[Ferrulewax]

Cheaper… no. But (significantly) lighter? That would be freaking sweet.

 

[wind gypsy]

Reasons I can think of for folks wanting a custom action over a tikka:
- Fits existing 700 platform triggers/stocks
- Long action, heavy bullet COAL constraints
- Short action is actually a short action
- Larger tennon threads and bolt lugs
- Lighter bolt lift
- Integral pic rail
- modular bolt

It would need to have different tennon specs, lighter bolt lift, modular bolt, and built in pic rail IMO to come close to justify a cost 4x a factory tikka action.

 

[BigDog00]

Pretty sure they are jumping into the suppressor world as well. They've quietly alluded to it, and they also have and Unknown Suppressors Instagram page that I stumbled across.

 

[TxLite]

Reasons I can think of for folks wanting a custom action over a tikka:
- Fits existing 700 platform triggers/stocks
- Long action, heavy bullet COAL constraints
- Short action is actually a short action
- Larger tennon threads and bolt lugs
- Lighter bolt lift
- Integral pic rail
- modular bolt

It would need to have different tennon specs, lighter bolt lift, modular bolt, and built in pic rail IMO to come close to justify a cost 4x a factory tikka action.

Don’t forget overall lighter weight. Tikkas aren’t necessarily heavy when compared to other actions but I wouldn’t call them ultralight either.

 

[SamsonMan22]

A Tikka bolt is not inexpensive. Don't they cost about the same as a complete Ruger American rifle?

If you think UM is going to produce a tikka clone on par with tikka quality that uses modular bolt heads for tikka price you are sadly mistaken. Buy 2 tikkas it will be cheaper and you will know what you have. I wish they would just work on getting stocks in people’s hands and not try to reinvent the wheel. We have a good tikka action already produced by tikka that can interchange bolts and barrels.

The only way I see it being better is they don’t dupe it exactly and make it so it will take longer cartridges for the people who want that. If that’s the case you now have an even longer action that will be even heavier and all of those already bitching the tikka action is a long action and too big and heavy for short action rounds will hate this new “custom” even more. We have enough custom push feed actions on the market to chose from, and plenty of tikka donors out there to work with. I’m a tikka guy but this does not make sense to me, I would be way more excited to get behind the MRC shoot2hunt rifle than I would be a custom tikka copy. Part of what makes tikkas good is just what they are already, a well put together rifle for a reasonable price.

 

[ElPollo]

I have never personally understood the attraction for switch barrel rigs. I’ve spent so much time and money trying to get to a point where I have guns that reliably hold zero every time and all the time. Why would I want to sacrifice that where I would intentionally have to change my zero? Heck, I don’t even like using loads that have significantly different zeros in my guns.