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++Bighorn TL3 Builds++
- Thread starter earthquake
- Start date
No, my local smith does all my work. I am going to get PVA to do a barrel at some point. I ordered a Nucleus/barlock with 223 and mag boltface so that he can spin something up for it. Since he is so busy atm I'm in no rush. I will more than likely do a 223 first, then maybe a 6.5 PRC. I'm not sure how barrel life will be with it tho. I was thinking of waiting to see how other's barrels do first.
I actually have action wrenches/barrel vise that I have been switching out barrels on this and my Defiant. I'm hoping barlock makes it even easier. I think the TL3 is the best action to invest in on the market. While the nucleus is a bit cheaper, but I don't have it yet. Everyone should thank bighorn and ARC for making these. As shooters....between the 6/6.5's and these actions, its a great time for all of us.
Huntsman, what do you have ?
I actually have action wrenches/barrel vise that I have been switching out barrels on this and my Defiant. I'm hoping barlock makes it even easier. I think the TL3 is the best action to invest in on the market. While the nucleus is a bit cheaper, but I don't have it yet. Everyone should thank bighorn and ARC for making these. As shooters....between the 6/6.5's and these actions, its a great time for all of us.
Huntsman, what do you have ?
@Sheldon N what is your TL3 mounted in? I am having troubles (failure to pick up rounds 6-10) with AW mags in my TL3 mounted in an XLR Envy.
Well, I have everything BUT my proof barreled actions from Bighorn....grin
A TL3 and SR3, both with shouldered cf barrels by proof. Manners EH6A stocks (the creed in a gen2 mini, the prc in a bdl mini), TT diamonds, M-10 rings with LRHSI's on both. The actions and barrels should be getting close.....
I’m in an MPA chassis. Mine wouldn’t pick up rounds at first so I opened the feed lips up until the bolt face would overlap the case head by a bit when the bolt was to the rear. If you look inside the action you can see where the magazine lips track along the cutout in the action. Mine fed best when the feed lips were bent so that they followed the action cutout very closely. If you open the feedlips up too much then you get interference between the mag and the action and the mag won’t fully latch into the chassis.
MPA makes a nice tool for adjusting feed lips on magazines.
The other thing I did is adjusting the spring. Pull the follower out of the mag, then bend the spring so that the angle and torque of the spring put more pressure on the rear of the follower. It sort of gives the follower a nose down position but then when in the mag it helps get the rear of the case up in front of the bolt face so it can pick up those last few rounds.
What bottom metal is everyone running with the AW mags? Does it really matter? I told McMillan to inlet for surgeon but it will be a couple weeks before the confirmation email so I can still change it!
I know this isn’t the FS section, but if any of you guys are looking for a smoking deal on a 6.5x47 barrel for your TL3 you should check out Padom’s listing right now. I’d grab it but I’m over extended on barrels, actually should probably sell a 7SAUM barrel that I’m not going to use anytime soon.
First, @Sheldon N thanks for the info on AW mags. I’ll mess around with that today.
Second, I’ll second the endorsement of @padom. I bought some of the leftovers from his switch barrel experiments. He’s squared away. I’m glad there’s no more room in my safe, or I’d be thinking, “I have that chassis just sitting in a drawer. It’s not that big a deal to get another TL3 and a scope, and dies, and brass....”
Well, first rifle build is done. I got a little loose Friday and ordered a new Kahles 525, so just have the mount situation left to get figured out.
It’s in 6.5x47 and I’ll start off with the RDF, just since I have so many of them on hand.
Lots of help/advice on this site, whether on this build process, reloading, or general questions.
Padom, Sheldon N, SuperSneakySniper, JLR, Reubenski (still looking for someone doing shouldered profits that will do wrench flats)
Started here:
Ended here:
It’s in 6.5x47 and I’ll start off with the RDF, just since I have so many of them on hand.
Lots of help/advice on this site, whether on this build process, reloading, or general questions.
Padom, Sheldon N, SuperSneakySniper, JLR, Reubenski (still looking for someone doing shouldered profits that will do wrench flats)
Started here:
Ended here:
But c’mon... You know you’d love a 6.5x47 or 7SAUM. Barrels don’t take up any room anyway. ?
Until you have so many blanks and barrels on the shelf you have no more room
If you don't have an easy source for barrel flats, but want that capability - check the Ross Vise out.
This is sweet! Can’t wait to get my hands on one.
I think one area where this will really shine is for the guy who wants to get into PRS on the cheap with both a trainer and a match barrel. You could completely do a DIY build with 6.5x47 and a 223 prefit TL3 shouldered barrels from Keystone Accuracy (only $379 each) then use this vise to assemble and swap barrels back and forth - no action wrench needed.
I think one area where this will really shine is for the guy who wants to get into PRS on the cheap with both a trainer and a match barrel. You could completely do a DIY build with 6.5x47 and a 223 prefit TL3 shouldered barrels from Keystone Accuracy (only $379 each) then use this vise to assemble and swap barrels back and forth - no action wrench needed.
If you're local gun store is out of stock on barrel flats, I can reccomend this DIY tool for making your own...
Custom.
I figured I’d just pop it a couple times with the plasma cutter and call it goodIf you're local gun store is out of stock on barrel flats, I can reccomend this DIY tool for making your own...
Lololol!
It's a slippery slope... I think I'm at 7 barrels in the safe right now, with two more on order.
Lololol!
It's a slippery slope... I think I'm at 7 barrels in the safe right now, with two more on order.
I've got 10 at least. Haha
Great question! I was starting to get more barrels so I just added more actions. I just recently picked up my 3rd TL3 and will have 2 barrels each. Hopefully real soon I will have my Origin with 3 Proof CF barrels on a WTO switchlug for a light weight kids/hunting rifle. Living 10 miles from Zermatt/BigHorn has been hard on my wallet!!!
TL3-1: 223AI, 6x45AI
TL3-2: 308 Win, 7mm SAW
TL3-3: 6.5 Creed, 6.5 PRC coming soon
Origin: 6.5 Creed, 308 Win, 223 rem.
TL3-1: 223AI, 6x45AI
TL3-2: 308 Win, 7mm SAW
TL3-3: 6.5 Creed, 6.5 PRC coming soon
Origin: 6.5 Creed, 308 Win, 223 rem.
I'm at three actions and seven chambered barrels, with three blanks waiting for a reamer. There is a dedicated comp rifle, a backup that's a bit lighter which serves the role of a 'tweener, and a sporter weight rifle for hunting.
What tipped me in to a second was wanting the Switch by Proof and realizing I’d rather just do it myself. I didn’t want to swap the action from the XLR to the Manners.
I’m at two actions, two stocks, and five barrels, and the only thing stopping me is a full safe.
This thread is awesome. I'm really thinking about getting an origin action to get into the Bighorn game. I mostly use my guns for hunting but I shoot often. I'm thinking about doing a 6.5 Saum or PRC. I have a Mcmillen game warden ready for a bighorn short action with an extended wyatts magazine. I'm thinking a proof barrel to start. What smiths specialize in the shouldered barrels? Only PVA and Keystone?
Yeah, been meaning to.
Thinking the bbl channel will need opened to allow enough room as to not have to remove the scope.
Not enough hours in the day sometimes.
I had the same problem so I added a second safe a few months back. Biggest I could find locally. Its a monster, you should have seen the guys delivering it.
59"(H) x 55"(W) x 29"(D)*
Any competent smith who has done barrels on a TL3 before should be able to make one for you. They are basically all the same from action to action. Not everyone advertises them as “prefits” though.
I’ve got two actions and going on 9 barrels from 5 different gunsmiths. Only one of the gunsmiths has ever had my action in hand, and that was only one of the two actions. Everything else was either build to a standard TL3 spec or was chambered for someone else’s TL3 then I ended up with the barrel.
I have a TL3 and love it very much......even much more so than my defiant. I am hoping the Nucleus will prove to be a great "lego" action. After PVA gets things a bit more under control, I will start ordering more barrels. I'm one of those that did not know you could spin up a barrel without the action.
I talked to 2 different smith's and they both had to have the action there. I assume this is just a lack of knowledge on their part. If anyone is on the fence on purchasing one....just do it. The TL3 has some of the best feedback of them all.
I talked to 2 different smith's and they both had to have the action there. I assume this is just a lack of knowledge on their part. If anyone is on the fence on purchasing one....just do it. The TL3 has some of the best feedback of them all.
I only use 4 dabs of red loctite at the 12, 3,6,9 on the barrel tennon about the middle of where the barrel nut will come to rest when tightened down. Obviously care must be taken to not let any get on the tenon threads that will go into the action. I have found by limiting to just 4 small spots it is still possible to reheat the barrel nut later down the road and spin it off if I ever want to change the headspace on that barrel while at the same time creating a solid "shoulder that can be torqued down. I have never tried the set screw method.
This is my TL3 in 6.5 Creedmoor form
This is My new 6.5 Saum.....just picking her up from the smith. Its been along week waiting to get it chambered up.
This is My new 6.5 Saum.....just picking her up from the smith. Its been along week waiting to get it chambered up.
Question for my fellow TL3 owners. Does your bolt/receiver make a slight "zipper" noise when just moving the bolt forward and backwards? Mine is smooth and definitely not gritty or anything like that, but makes some noise when compared to a Stiller and a Kelblys. Is this just more of just a result of the NP3 bolt against the DLC receiver? I think the Stiller and Kelblys are nitrided, and they are almost whisper quiet when moving the bolt fore/aft.
For background, my TL3 only has about 300 rounds and I keep the bolt body very lightly lubricated. It's definitely not something I am worried about, just curious is all.
For background, my TL3 only has about 300 rounds and I keep the bolt body very lightly lubricated. It's definitely not something I am worried about, just curious is all.
I've got one that is whisper smooth, and another that does what you describe. The second one is slowly becoming like the first one the more I shoot and cycle it. Both are DLC.
Mine was like that until it had about 1000 cycles on it. Just kept it lubed up and ran it hard. The DLC and NP3 coating have worn in now and are very smooth.
Interesting, was that one always whisper quiet, or do you think its just been broken in?
I didn't want to use that wording because it sounds bad, but yes, I would say this is how mine sounds.
I figured that it would break in a bit, like I said I've only got around 300 rounds through it, but definitely over a 1000 cycles if I count dry firing and just general messing around.
Seems this is pretty normal, and obviously doesn't affect operation. I'll reiterate that its definitely still smooth and not gritty or catching on anything, just makes a difference noise than I'm used to. Maybe I'll take a video later.
I'm the original owner, so it's not a break-in thing. I think that maybe the machining or raceways were more finely finished on that one, or possibly it was polished prior to being DLC coated. I know the other one was not polished prior to DLC. The DLC coating is very hard, so any texture that the metal has will be very slow to wear and smooth down.
Like you said, it's only really a slight noise and not really resistance. On my "noisy" action, which isn't really that noisy anymore after 5k rounds + dry firing, I can hold it level on the ground supported by the bipod, and if I lift the butt of the stock by 7-8 inches (muzzle not yet touching the ground) the bolt slides closed on its own from gravity.
Retired the TL-3 from match duty.. reborn as a mid-weight killer. 6.5 SAUM.
