Tikka chassis that utilizes OEM mags and will take a Proof Sendero barrel?

[Wild Idaho]

Spoke with KRG last week about a rumor I heard which seems to be true. Sounds like they're working on a bravo light chassis for tikkas specifically that will use the factory magazine. Sounds like the only difference is it's a little slimmer and will use a magnesium block instead of aluminum. Could weigh as much as a full lb less than the current bravo.

 

[ma smith]

KRG def. needs a medium/long action Tikka solution. The bravo/xray is such an obvious fit for Tikka users. And with PRCs in various flavours, in parrticular, more tikka folks will be wanting to use the full lenght of their action.

 

[elham]

Hey Redneck - I read and understand exactly what you are trying to do. What did you end up doing? I am looking to do the same thing with a Super Varmint in 6.5 CM and run a shouldered switch barrel set up to switch between the 6.5 CM and 300 WM stock Heavy Varmint Barrels with nothing more than a bolt, bolt stop and magazine change. SV stock to begin with, but I would love the Manners EH-1, and maybe Shaw barrels (save for the price . . . but time is my friend). Looked at Proof, but thought I might favor a steel vs CF barrel but haven't invested much research into it as of yet. Either way, it seems a good path for what otherwise seems to be a $6-10K buy-in.

 

[redneckbmxer24]

I listed all 3 of them (have one sold) because they just don't do it for me. The aftermarket support while there still sucks compared to 700 platforms, and the actions just aren't as nice as customs and the trigger isn't as nice as something like a trigger tech.

 

[ma smith]

I listed all 3 of them (have one sold) because they just don't do it for me. The aftermarket support while there still sucks compared to 700 platforms, and the actions just aren't as nice as customs and the trigger isn't as nice as something like a trigger tech.

Did you end up building a switch barrel off the r700 or did you give up on the entire project? I'd be curious to see your final rig if you kept going with it, even if you switched from Tikka to r700 custom.

 

[redneckbmxer24]

Did you end up building a switch barrel off the r700 or did you give up on the entire project? I'd be curious to see your final rig if you kept going with it, even if you switched from Tikka to r700 custom.

I’ve got a couple impacts that have changed configuration a few times. I’m on the fence about another AI.

 

[elham]

A couple of impacts huh . . . we’ll there goes my whole budget just on actions. AI you bet; that ASR-LE fills my wish list exactly, and at the low, low, K-mart price of just $20K without optics. Heck – the buy-in for AI is just about $6K for a simple AT. So, to quote Jimmy; “no marriage counselor, no trial separation. I'm going to get FN divorced, OK? And I don't want to get FN divorced”. The more I consider the switch barrel thing the more I wonder if two is better than one. A couple of nice pre-fits, tools, bolt stop, mag. face bolt and LA mags and I could buy two tikkas outright and shoot them or swap them into a Manners (either way the problem there is the 2X cost of good glass or a convoluted swap-over). I guess real problem is $$$ or rather a lack thereof.

 

[LeftyJason]

A couple of impacts huh . . . we’ll there goes my whole budget just on actions. AI you bet; that ASR-LE fills my wish list exactly, and at the low, low, K-mart price of just $20K without optics. Heck – the buy-in for AI is just about $6K for a simple AT. So, to quote Jimmy; “no marriage counselor, no trial separation. I'm going to get FN divorced, OK? And I don't want to get FN divorced”. The more I consider the switch barrel thing the more I wonder if two is better than one. A couple of nice pre-fits, tools, bolt stop, mag. face bolt and LA mags and I could buy two tikkas outright and shoot them or swap them into a Manners (either way the problem there is the 2X cost of good glass or a convoluted swap-over). I guess real problem is $$$ or rather a lack thereof.

At-x are at $4250 right now.

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[elham]

Yup; however, I believe both the AT and AT-X are short action only. Your $10K+ and into AX to swap magnum bolt face and 308 bolt face which is where I was going with the Tikka. Looking for a budget way to get ELR capability with switch barrel to save barrel and $ on practice, but Tikka is really a medium length action and bottom metal is the same SA / LA which appears to limit COAL for the long action rounds so not ideal for an ELR rig fed from mag.

 

[redneckbmxer24]

Yup; however, I believe both the AT and AT-X are short action only. Your $10K+ and into AX to swap magnum bolt face and 308 bolt face which is where I was going with the Tikka. Looking for a budget way to get ELR capability with switch barrel to save barrel and $ on practice, but Tikka is really a medium length action and bottom metal is the same SA / LA which appears to limit COAL for the long action rounds so not ideal for an ELR rig fed from mag.

It’s not really fair to compare a Tikka to an AXMC/AXSR. There’s a lot that you’re paying for with the AI. For one you get true double stack mags for both SA and LA rounds that actually work and you have CIP length mags for loading ELR stuff long which you can’t do with a Tikka at all since it’s not even a true LA. With the Tikka you’re stuck with running LA AICS mags and trying to make SA mags feed out of them (good luck, been there done that), or running the factory plastic mags if you want them to actually feed decently but then severely limited in capacity.

AI you also get a badass QC barrel system and WAYYYYY better build quality. The two aren’t really comparable at all on any level.

IMO Tikka is a solid hunting rifle and a hobbyist/entry level precision rifle platform. I don’t believe they’re serious use platforms after owning many of them. If you want that get a SA and a LA and build two rifles.

You could also buy an AT-X for about what you’ll have into a custom action and decent chassis all said and done and still have the benefits of that system and then build a custom ELR rifle on a bighorn or something.

I’ve owned multiple switch barrel AI’s including an AXMC and a PSR kit. Usually when I was switching it was between SA rounds and then rarely back and forth to a LA which was usually one. So I firmly believe someone could be completely satisfied with an ATX and then one LA custom that you can bolt together in their garage for all aspects of LR shooting.

There are going to be compromises with everything though. There is no one perfect rifle for every use, even rifles that do multi roles well still have compromises for what they do well but if I could only own one bolt gun for everything it would absolutely be an AXMC/AXSR. You pay a hefty entry fee but in the end it pretty much balances out.

Edit to add:

There is no budget way to do ELR. ELR is fucking expensive. From the components you’re burning up to the alpha level glass you need to not be wasting those components at distance. I would not even try to do ELR on a budget. I’d spend that money having fun at typical mid and long range shooting.

 

[elham]

Oh, I agree with everything you said, and as soon as I win the Powerball, I will run right up the street to Mile High and buy a brand new AXSR and all the shiny do-dads to make it fun to run because money will be no object. The Tikka idea was an intriguing look at a switch barrel 300WM to 6.5CM that; 1) looks like it might could work, 2) could be run as is and evolved over time, 3) could probably be had for less than $3K without glass, and 4) in the end would probably wind-up being a huge disappointment. I wasn't ever suggesting that Tikka apples could ever taste anything like AI oranges [but hey - I know you thought about it because you started this thread ]. You absolutely get what you pay for, the corollary to that being even truer is; you can only get what you can afford. (In the end, it may be the nicest Volkswagen you ever saw, but it's still a Volkswagen).

 

[elham]

(Probably should have said Sisu . . . Volkswagens are made in Germany).