Hey all, looking to upgrade a Tikka. Want to re-barrel to a different caliber and a few other customizations. Any recommendations on a smith who specializes in Tikkas or works a lot with them? Anywhere in the country is fine. Thanks.
Gunsmith Recommendations for Tikka Upgrade
- Thread starter Motorhead12
- Start date
Hells Canyon Armory, Mike does a LOT of Tikka builds. Shaen Rifles and Kinport Peak do great work, as does Lane Precision Rifles. All these guys have done tikka work for me in last 5 years and they shoot well Steer way around Oregon Mountain Rifles, junk........
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Great thanks for the recommendations. Shaen isn't accepting any more work right now. Will check out the others.
Any one have experience with Preece Precision out of Utah?
Any one have experience with Preece Precision out of Utah?
One can never go wrong with LRI. More great guys below:
www.snipershide.com
Respected Rifle Smiths that offer services
In Florida: Rick - Gulf Coast Precision/GCP Rifles - North Venice, FL Eric Bostrom - Myakka City, FL Dana English Rifles - Wauchula, FL Alex Wheeler/Wheeler Accuracy - High Springs, FL Gordy Gritters/Gordy's Precision - Edgewater, FL Compass Lake Engineering - Alford, FL Mike Manzella -...
www.snipershide.com
One my close friends had mediocre results from LRI. He was called an "accuracy snob" beacase he was dissatisfied with 5/8" groups after trying many powder/bullet combinations with his rifle, and he's a competent shooter. I will not recommend a shop who talks that attitude to a customers face. A $4k dollar rifle better have the ability shoot quarter moa.
How much of the "4k rifle" was LRI?
You give LRI a factory drop and they take a 1.25 or 1.0 MOA rifle and make it a 5/8 rifle in the hands of your friend the "competent shooter" - to me that seems pretty reasonable.
There aren't a lot of 4k rifles that shoot quarter MOA.
There aren't a lot of shooters consistently able to shoot quarter MOA when ego and online bragging are taken out of the mix. More here than in the general public, sure, but quarter MOA is a high bar.
LRI has a Loooooooooooooooooong history on the 'hide with (literally, no exaggeration) hundreds of fulfilled orders across the membership here.
You may have to forgive me if my eyebrows are raising into my hairline on this one because consistently quarter MOA is a pretty high bar, and LRI's results in a particularly critical and sometimes crusty audience on this forum speak for themselves.
No one is ever 100% on execution, so maybe this was a flyer in Chad's long track record but even that its hard to say because the only thing that the context here supports is that Chad got frustrated with a customer that was delivered a rifle shooting at a great level who wanted a magic stick.
I was gonna ask what specific premium factory match ammo, or handload, was sent with the rifle for a custom throat and chambering job, and then test firing, but then I realized he isn't even the rifle's owner so it's all conjecture and hearsay. And there's ZERO context or supporting info to prove the .25 MOA expectation is reasonable.
Things that should be answered by the actual owner of the rifle:
Has the guy EVER fired consistent .25 inch groups, with what rifle, and where is the evidence?
What premium barrel was on said 'disappointing' $4K rifle and did LRI chamber and headspace it, or was it a prefit?
I don't know of many rifle builders offering in writing a 1/4 or even 1/3 MOA guarantee- especially without use of a single specified load. Most guarantees are of a half MOA three round group, usually with a specific load, for non-magnum cartridges.
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Be skeptic, that's your right, no Fs given here. Sounds as if LRI is perfect in their track record in your eyes. Action is an older rem700 that LRI put over a grand of labor into "blueprinting". Bartlein 8tw 3b, 7stw cut long freebore for hvy Bergers, McMillan game scout edge fill, hawkins bdl, and a Nightforce NX8 4-32. He's tried 195s, 190s, 184 hyb, N570, 8133, Retumbo, cci250 and 215M. This was his experience and I've been good friends with him for 15 years, I've shot the rifle. 5/8moa for best 3 shot groups with the average being larger when you pay that kind of money is a bit disappointing. He's using an Amp annealer, neck turned nosler brass, types bushing dies, v4 Trickler, good press. His system is pretty sound. If you're a good shooter/handloader and you pay several thousand for a rifle, a rifle should definitely be capable to print 1/4 moa at 100y, yes avg will be larger, but def should be under half moa. Maybe Chad would call me an accuracy snob too........
Edit- oh and he's bumping shoulders consistently to 0025-003 from fired specs. I've tought this guy's how to reload. I know I'm a nobody, but my rifles are totally capable. My prs rigs, bra, gt, 25 and 65cm shoot 10 shots in the 3s. Take a hand picked 3 shot and it's in the 0s or 1s. I believe in the law of averages and that's why I judge a rifles capabilities off a 10 shot group. A hunting magnum that consistently shoots 3 shots groups under half inch with similar poi is a sub half moa gun.
Now I know a 7stw isn't the cartridge I'd selected but he had dies and brass. This could be a small part of the problem. All I know, the rifle didn't meet the owners nor my expectations, and he was given a snarky comment when he stopped by their shop to talk about it. He's since gone elsewhere on his last build and he's happy. Everyone has a bad day and sometimes something that isn't perfect leave the door. This is just my explanation why I won't recommend LRI, I have a few for straightjacket as well, they can be found in their threads. I'm out.
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I can't imagine any top rifle smith guaranteeing under .5moa avg group size, as you said above, without requiring one specific load, especially on a hunting build.
It really pays to get an accuracy guarantee in writing on a specific build, so expectations are realistic.
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If a gunsmith can dial in to near or at 0000 runout with a quality barrel, and cuts a clean chamber/muzzle with quality tooling, does a good bedding job, or is in a good quality chassis, there is no reason it shouldnt shoot sub half moa without much difficulty. It shouldnt cost an arm and a leg either.
This a new hawkhill 6bra barrel that cost 350$ to chamber. Loaded 31gr varget in brass from last barrel, seated 5 different bullets at the same exact jump, every group at 0.4moa best in the 0.1moa range. Zero load development. Granted it's a br variant. These are the results I see every time I get a barrel from this guy, because it's repeated itself regularly.
This a new hawkhill 6bra barrel that cost 350$ to chamber. Loaded 31gr varget in brass from last barrel, seated 5 different bullets at the same exact jump, every group at 0.4moa best in the 0.1moa range. Zero load development. Granted it's a br variant. These are the results I see every time I get a barrel from this guy, because it's repeated itself regularly.
According to his website, Terry Cross no longer does builds from customer supplied components or specs.
I don't know if Mike does builds of customer supplied components.
I'm a newb and I'd love to know which rifle smiths have formal guarantees of sub half MOA on average, three shot groups, for 7 stw chambered precision hunting rifles.
But it's gotta be in the context I made my point, which is a smith who would make that guarantee on a 7stw hunting build with customer supplied components, and in the context of no single load specified by the shooter or smith.
Show target groups of a 7stw or equivalent recoil gun, in a hunting chassis, of a $4K rifle, where the smith guaranteed sub half MOA groups when the chamber wasn't cut for a specific load. All those variables have to be met in order to be a valid example.
Groups from a 6BR, or any non- precision hunting rifle, are irrelevant.
I don't know if Mike does builds of customer supplied components.
I'm a newb and I'd love to know which rifle smiths have formal guarantees of sub half MOA on average, three shot groups, for 7 stw chambered precision hunting rifles.
But it's gotta be in the context I made my point, which is a smith who would make that guarantee on a 7stw hunting build with customer supplied components, and in the context of no single load specified by the shooter or smith.
Show target groups of a 7stw or equivalent recoil gun, in a hunting chassis, of a $4K rifle, where the smith guaranteed sub half MOA groups when the chamber wasn't cut for a specific load. All those variables have to be met in order to be a valid example.
Groups from a 6BR, or any non- precision hunting rifle, are irrelevant.
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My 338 rum and 300 Norma have shot quite a few sub 2 to 1" groups on paper at 400y. They're 10-11# hunting rifles. Proper load development is important, but when a chamber is cut to zero runout at the throat and at the muzzle, it makes acquiring my acceptable accuracy, much less difficult. Said smith has cut 22lr barrels for @padom that shot half moa CONSISTENTY at 100y, no tuner just a good lot of ammo. I've found shit chambers cut with "precision" cnc machines by well known smith's, bad products happen, it's how it's handled after the matter that makes return customers.
Gentlemen, I think you're all arguing a fool's argument. I think we should just let it go, don't you think? There are too many variables here to lay blame, and while LRI's response may have not been "customer friendly" we also don't know the full context and content of that interchange. It's all speculation and hearsay. Which means none of us really know the truth.
@406shootist You've said your piece, and made your point.
@Milf Dots You've expressed your point of view as well.
Let's just get this thread get back on track to help the OP find a smith to tweak his Tikka, okay?
@406shootist You've said your piece, and made your point.
@Milf Dots You've expressed your point of view as well.
Let's just get this thread get back on track to help the OP find a smith to tweak his Tikka, okay?
I’d skip HCA. He had 2 chances from me. Now I have a junk 1200$ barrel sitting in my reloading room.
I’d never send him anything again even if it was free.
Happy to share more if you need to hear. It’s more than accuracy problems.
Iv used a number of other smiths and while Iv had issues all have been made right.
If I had to send something out right now I’d probably give LRI a call first
I’d never send him anything again even if it was free.
Happy to share more if you need to hear. It’s more than accuracy problems.
Iv used a number of other smiths and while Iv had issues all have been made right.
If I had to send something out right now I’d probably give LRI a call first
Buy a prefit and screw it on yourself. What other "mods" do you need?
LRI, GAP, Cresent Customs are all good to go.
IF you can get the factory Tikka barrel off a shouldered prefit is also a viable option.
IF you can get the factory Tikka barrel off a shouldered prefit is also a viable option.
I've done a several rebarrels on Tikkas, including the ones I shoot. I do the prefits too, they're the best production actions in my opinion. I want to make some fixturing to do a basic trueing job where you can still use prefits and take offs or a full blueprint job with standardized dimensions.
They're awesome out the box but I think there is room for improvement.
They're awesome out the box but I think there is room for improvement.
Just touch up the action lugs, bolt lugs, bolt face, lap the lugs in and face the receiver enough to reset nominal head space so it's still compatible with prefits.
Or do all that plus touch up the action threads and face the receiver enough to provide better support for heavy barrels to put less stress on the action.
As for the latter, opening the threads to a set pitch diameter per a plug gauge and standardizing the headspace so it's the same from action to action so a prefits can be done.
