Tikka Build

[Brian in Montana]

I was looking around through all my random stuff in the shop/office and realized I actually have almost everything I need for another Tikka Build - minus the barrel.

I'll use a pre-fit (occasionally called a "Tikka-Age") barrel. I've had good experiences with X-Caliber Barrels, so I'll probably go with them, or maybe Criterion. My last 3 builds were .284 Winchester, 30-06, and .280 AI, so for this one I'm leaning toward something short action and smaller than 7mm. I'm kinda thinking of .260 Remington, 6.5-284 Norma, or possibly .277 Sig Fury.

Application - light weight deer/antelope gun. Secondary - something fun to handload and shoot at the range.

Thought I'd put it to a vote. And I'm always interested to hear what others think who have experience with the 3 chamberings I'm considering, especially if you built it yourself.

 

[brymoore]

I’d go 6.5-284 from your list

 

[Little Canyon Creek]

I just put in an order for a 6mm 1-7.5" twist barrel in a Tikka sporter contour. I am thinking of going with a 6mm Dasher since it seems so easy to load for, but I could go a different direction. From what I have read, you just feed it Varget with a decent bullet and the it will shoot really well. It should definitely be good for antelope and deer, and I could use it for elk. It almost seems like the spirit of the 250 Savage reincarnated into the modern era with high BC bullets that punch above their weight. The Dalai Dasher.

 

[HSi-ESi]

6.5 X 284 has my vote.

 

[BAKPAKR]

Ask @brockel about barrel choice.

 

[Wind Gypsy]

6.5x284 I dont see as ideal as an actual short action but depending on your bottom metal choice with a tikka build that doesn't much matter as it's easy to use the long action tikka mags. Honestly the 260 would probably be more optimized out of a long action mag too but would be less constrained by a short action mag.

Depending on barrel length, i might find a 260 more appealing. Just less powder, standard diameter cartidge with no possible hiccups from rebated rim on the 284 case. If going shorter barrel to use a suppressor i could understand wanting a little more powder from the 284 to keep velocity up.

Sig 277 is a hard sell. It doesn't take much for the steel/brass junction to start wearing a ridge in a barrel's chamber from the looks of it.

 

[brockel]

Tikkas are all the same action length so you’re not saving weight by going with a short action cartridge. But you are saving recoil and can run a tikka long action magazine and bolt stop and seat bullets out farther than the short action mag will allow depending on the bullet you are shooting

Light recoiling deer and antelope cartridge id look at a 6mm creed, 243, or 243 ackley.

Preferredbarrelblanks.com does an 80% prefit where they already have the barrels cut to a certain length, contoured, and threaded. All they need to do is chamber them once you order. Can have your prefit from ordered to shipped in under two weeks. Just ordered a barrel during their sale last week on the 7th and it shipped on the 15th.

Tikka T3 / T3x Lite - 80% Prefit Barrels

Tikka T3/T3x prefit barrels from our Lite Hybrid 80% program. Choose chamber, twist and length with 5/8-24 muzzle threads and fast turnaround.

preferredbarrelblanks.com

 

[Potsie]

How about we trade bolts and you do a magnum? 6.5 PRC or a 6.5 GAP would be a fun project.

 

[brockel]

How about we trade bolts and you do a magnum? 6.5 PRC or a 6.5 GAP would be a fun project.

6prc would make a great deer/antelope low recoiling rifle

 

[Potsie]

And if you don’t want a magnum faced something, I’ll sell you a .224 8tw tikka barrel. You can build a .22 creed.

 

[Keep on]

I'm currently swapping barrels on my roughtech from 308 to 6mm Creedmoor, so that would be my vote.
6.5-284 and 260 get style points though.

 

[Sheltowee]

I had a 25-6.5PRC rig built on a Tikka last year and have been really happy with it. Details in this thread: https://www.hunttalk.com/threads/developing-loads-for-the-25-6-5prc.331391/