which tikka t3x for 6.5 prc & proof prefit build

[davsco]

i'm a lefty so can't just buy a 6.5 prc tikka. so which lefty-available tikka caliber do i need to buy to slap a proof prefit barrel on it and have the factory bottom medal/plastic and factory magazine work? or would i need to perhaps get one in 300 win mag or wsm and also get another magazine and/or bolt? thanks!

 

[Antares]

You'll want something with a magnum bolt face (300 WM, 300 WSM, 7 RM, etc.), that's the biggest thing.

Depending on what you get you might need to change the bolt stop or get a new mag, but that's a lot easier than trying to find a different bolt.

Good luck with the build, sounds fun. I just started putting together a lefty 6.5CM Superlite for my brother.

 

[davsco]

yeah i've done this for 6.5 creed and 300 wsm, bought the base tikka rifles in those exact calibers and just spun on proof prefits and the mesa stocks with the wider barrel channels. hoping like you said above i can just get a 300 mag or 7 rm with no bolt, magazine or bottom metal/plastic changes needed.

 

[Dreeko]

One benefit to buying a base tikka in a long action magnum caliber (300 mag/7mm mag) is that the longer factory magazine will give you a little more flexibility with bullet seating depth if you reload. I found this to be a benefit when helping a friend convert a 7mm to a 6.5 PRC.

 

[mtnwrunner]

I feel your pain.
I bought a left handed 6.5 creedmoor superlite and sent it to Shaen Magan of Shaens rifles. He rechambered it to a 6.5 prc and enlarged the boltface. All I had to do then was change out the bolt stop and use a long magazine. Shoots very well and cycles like butter.
In your case, any magnum bolt face will work but you'll have to change the bolt stop on a short magnum and get a long mag.

Randy

 

[SouthPaw]

Going through this right now myself, rebarreling a lefty tikka T3 300wm to a 7saum proof prefit... going to keep factory bottom metal. It seems that I'll need a new mag since the factory mag for the 300wm cant fit/cycle the fat SAUM cases. Is this true? Can I modify the mag to work?

It looks like HCA and Mountain Tactical make mag drop in replacements for the factory bottom metal for SAUM/PRC but both are out of stock....

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

 

[TheAngler]

I feel your pain.
I bought a left handed 6.5 creedmoor superlite and sent it to Shaen Magan of Shaens rifles. He rechambered it to a 6.5 prc and enlarged the boltface. All I had to do then was change out the bolt stop and use a long magazine. Shoots very well and cycles like butter.
In your case, any magnum bolt face will work but you'll have to change the bolt stop on a short magnum and get a long mag.

Randy

What was the turnaround time with Shaen?

 

[Ucsdryder]

Going through this right now myself, rebarreling a lefty tikka T3 300wm to a 7saum proof prefit... going to keep factory bottom metal. It seems that I'll need a new mag since the factory mag for the 300wm cant fit/cycle the fat SAUM cases. Is this true? Can I modify the mag to work?

It looks like HCA and Mountain Tactical make mag drop in replacements for the factory bottom metal for SAUM/PRC but both are out of stock....

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

False. As long as it’s a long action you’re good to go.

 

[davsco]

never got this done so re-visiting:

buy a tikka t3x lite in 7rm or 300wm (ie, long action magnum), replace barrel with 6.5 prc. the factory magazines & bolt stop and everything else (feeding etc) will work fine with 6.5 prc with no changes or mods needed, right? i will most likely just use factory hornady 143 eldm @ 2.945 oal. thanks!

 

[nobody]

never got this done so re-visiting:

buy a tikka t3x lite in 7rm or 300wm (ie, long action magnum), replace barrel with 6.5 prc. the factory magazines & bolt stop and everything else (feeding etc) will work fine with 6.5 prc with no changes or mods needed, right? i will most likely just use factory hornady 143 eldm @ 2.945 oal. thanks!

Correct. There's actually a local gunsmith around here who buys brand new long action Tikka's by the pallet, strips them down to just the action, and sells the barrels and bottom metals and stocks on eBay. He builds EVERYTHING he does off of a long action. If he builds you a Creedmoor, it started life as a 270 or -06. If he builds you a 6.5 PRC, it probably came to him as a 7 Rem Mag or 300 Win Mag. He's of the opinion that it's always better to be a little bit long than it is to be a little bit short, and I can't say I disagree. He will build on a short action if you bring one in to him and doesn't have any issues with them necessarily, but if you're buying the whole rifle from him (receiver included), it'll be a long action.

 

[Sled]

Correct. There's actually a local gunsmith around here who buys brand new long action Tikka's by the pallet, strips them down to just the action, and sells the barrels and bottom metals and stocks on eBay. He builds EVERYTHING he does off of a long action. If he builds you a Creedmoor, it started life as a 270 or -06. If he builds you a 6.5 PRC, it probably came to him as a 7 Rem Mag or 300 Win Mag. He's of the opinion that it's always better to be a little bit long than it is to be a little bit short, and I can't say I disagree. He will build on a short action if you bring one in to him and doesn't have any issues with them necessarily, but if you're buying the whole rifle from him (receiver included), it'll be a long action.

Correct me if I'm wrong but it's just the bolt stop that differentiates long from short action on a Tikka. A file should fix a short one and make it a long action.

 

[nobody]

Correct me if I'm wrong but it's just the bolt stop that differentiates long from short action on a Tikka. A file should fix a short one and make it a long action.

That and the bottom "metal" and magazine length. Yes, you can just file down the bolt stop, but then you're still stuck running a short action mag. So you would also need to swap for the long action bottom metal and magazine in order to effectively use the long action capabilities. That's one reason the local guy likes the long actions is the longer mags. It gives more flexibility for handloading without being restricted by magazine length. If you're running short mags in a long action, it negates any gains you get with going to a long action over a short in the Tikka.

 

[goathunter]

That and the bottom "metal" and magazine length. Yes, you can just file down the bolt stop, but then you're still stuck running a short action mag. So you would also need to swap for the long action bottom metal and magazine in order to effectively use the long action capabilities. That's one reason the local guy likes the long actions is the longer mags. It gives more flexibility for handloading without being restricted by magazine length. If you're running short mags in a long action, it negates any gains you get with going to a long action over a short in the Tikka.

I thought the bottom metal and magazine externally are the same, but the magazine just has a spacer inside to make it shorter internally?

 

[Greg1953]

I thought the bottom metal and magazine externally are the same, but the magazine just has a spacer inside to make it shorter internally?

Your right and as long as the OP uses a 7/300 donor rifle he won't have to change anything other than opening up the stock barrel channel to fit the proof profile which might be a little bit of a chore on the factory plastic stock.
The magnum L marked magazines work fine for 6.5 PRC.

 

[davsco]

Your right and as long as the OP uses a 7/300 donor rifle he won't have to change anything other than opening up the stock barrel channel to fit the proof profile which might be a little bit of a chore on the factory plastic stock.
The magnum L marked magazines work fine for 6.5 PRC.

thanks. yeah will be dropping the barrelled action in a mesa altitude stock. that config works great with my two others in 6.5 creed and 300wsm.

with the factory long magnum magazines (3.370), and the extra space if loaded with 6.5 PRC (2.945), just hoping they feed good.

 

[wirehead]

False. As long as it’s a long action you’re good to go.

You’re saying a long action magnum magazine will work with > standard COAL WSMs, SAUMs, etc? Are you doing this now?