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Upgrading from Tikka CTR - 3 options want opinions
- Thread starter patriot07
- Start date
I’d rather order everything from one place. And PVA’s is cheaper and I’d already be paying for their shipping with the barrel
Tikka Bugholes Action Wrench
www.bugholes.com
I would 100% rebarrel. Look at the tools needed as an investment and it opens a lot of options in the future. It makes having a 18-20" barrel for a hunting rifle and a 26"+ maybe in a different caliber range gun a 10 minute job. One nice stock, one nice trigger, one nice optic and it's honestly the cheaper way to go for more quality rifles in the safe. It'll also change your thoughts on new rifles in the future. If I can't just order a shouldered profit barrel and have it sent to my house odds are I'm not looking at that action for very long.
+1 on PVA I have been a customer for a long time and have several OBW barrels cut by them. I will say if you are a tinkerer and like to test they probably aren't for you
mine all seem to just shoot sub 3/8" with about any load.
+1 on PVA I have been a customer for a long time and have several OBW barrels cut by them. I will say if you are a tinkerer and like to test they probably aren't for you
mine all seem to just shoot sub 3/8" with about any load.
You could try preferred barrel blanks too. Lots of people have said good things about I had 2 of their barrels on my Tikkas before I sold them. They shot well
preferredbarrelblanks.com
Pricing it out. You can send them your barreled action and they swap it out.
Looks like $950 plus shipping for them to do all the work, and you get all the bells and whistles you’ve been asking for
Prefit Gun Barrels | Carbon Fiber Pre Fit Gun Barrel Blanks
American Made Prefit Gun BarrelsSpecialized Barrel Blanks For Precision FirearmsAt Preferred Barrel Blanks, we come to work every day to provide top-quality barrels in a respectable time frame at a fair price. In-Stock BarrelsFull ShopRemage, 280 Remington, 27 Inch, Custom Varm, 8 TwistRuger...
preferredbarrelblanks.com
Pricing it out. You can send them your barreled action and they swap it out.
Looks like $950 plus shipping for them to do all the work, and you get all the bells and whistles you’ve been asking for
Sell it and buy a MPA production gun. You can get for 2400 with code. It will outshoot anything you can build for 4k or less.
We made one batch, it took 2.5 years to move them. We won't be making more this way.
Gotcha. Might make sense to just remove tikka as an option then if you are out of stock and won't make any more. Rather than have folks like me wondering when they'll be back in stock. I just assumed the tikka sold quick since it was the only one out of stock.
Appreciate all the replies/help. Still figuring it all out.
I've ran 8-9 years on this factory barrel. I just don't shoot centerfire bolt guns a ton (well I shoot them a bit, but it's not uncommon for me to walk out to the shooting bench and run 10-15 rounds and be done with it for a month or two... My next gun will almost certainly be a custom action. I just need this to get me through the rest of the years of the kids being at home, which should be 6-ish years. So I'm fine buying the action wrench but if it's the same cost to let my gunsmith buddy do it and I can work OT at work to cover more of the cost, that probably makes more sense.I would 100% rebarrel. Look at the tools needed as an investment and it opens a lot of options in the future. It makes having a 18-20" barrel for a hunting rifle and a 26"+ maybe in a different caliber range gun a 10 minute job. One nice stock, one nice trigger, one nice optic and it's honestly the cheaper way to go for more quality rifles in the safe. It'll also change your thoughts on new rifles in the future. If I can't just order a shouldered profit barrel and have it sent to my house odds are I'm not looking at that action for very long.
+1 on PVA I have been a customer for a long time and have several OBW barrels cut by them. I will say if you are a tinkerer and like to test they probably aren't for you
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Look pal
And yes I suck at the Tikka barrel-removal game. If a Tikka factory barrel doesn’t immediately break loose, my suggestion is to scoot butt pronto over to a local (good) gunsmith.
We still make Tikka prefits all the time. We just don't make stuff to sit on the shelf
This ^^^. Itll cost a few hundred for an action wrench, barrel vice, and headspace gauges but the flexibility that opens up re: shouldered pre-fits is well worth it. Like you said instead of buying multiple guns you can just swap barrels/bolt face (if needed) and you're good to go in ten mins.I would 100% rebarrel. Look at the tools needed as an investment and it opens a lot of options in the future. It makes having a 18-20" barrel for a hunting rifle and a 26"+ maybe in a different caliber range gun a 10 minute job. One nice stock, one nice trigger, one nice optic and it's honestly the cheaper way to go for more quality rifles in the safe. It'll also change your thoughts on new rifles in the future. If I can't just order a shouldered profit barrel and have it sent to my house odds are I'm not looking at that action for very long.
+1 on PVA I have been a customer for a long time and have several OBW barrels cut by them. I will say if you are a tinkerer and like to test they probably aren't for you
Barrel vise would probably be the viper barrel vise and action wrench.. bug holes makes an inside action wrench for the tikka
As others have said, bugholes has a good action wrench for tikka.
Here’s a list of barrel vices:
- 21st Century 1 ⅝ “ Barrel Vice ($72)
- Viper barrel vice https://mansonreamers.com/product/barell-vise/ ($70)
- Mechforce heavy duty barrel vice https://a.co/d/5iSpaVu ($110)
- Solus barrel vice ($180)
- Short Action Customs Barrel Vice ($200)
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I have a PMA Tool vice.
They make the Viper too I believe.
I got this one over the Viper because the top plate can be turned 90 degrees for clamping better on skinny barrels.
Mine was like $85.
Mounted to a piece of 2x2 steel tube. Can be used clamped to anything with a couple clamps, in my bench vice at home, or in a receiver hitch (has a hitch pin hole too).
I use a 24” breaker bar I already had and a I had torque wrench for final tighten when installing barrels. Makes it very easy.
If money is a big constraint (I feel you here) - I would abandon fluting and cerakote. These provide no benefits beyond subjective aesthetics.
Proof has prefits for Tikka. PVA seems intriguing, and a bit more affordable than other options. Or you can have an outfit like Bugholes spin you up a barrel of your choice, but that will get you closer to the $1k mark.
Proof has prefits for Tikka. PVA seems intriguing, and a bit more affordable than other options. Or you can have an outfit like Bugholes spin you up a barrel of your choice, but that will get you closer to the $1k mark.
Do a search on removing a stock Tikka Barrel. They use gorillas to install their factory barrels, and breaking one loose can be a challenge.
After the original factory barrel is off, then swapping other prefits is easy, but that initial change is a doozy.
Honestly, I think I'd send my factory barreled action off to either LongRiflesInc - LRI (its' what I did) or to preferred barrel and have them do the initial swap.
After the original factory barrel is off, then swapping other prefits is easy, but that initial change is a doozy.
Honestly, I think I'd send my factory barreled action off to either LongRiflesInc - LRI (its' what I did) or to preferred barrel and have them do the initial swap.
Modular Barrel Vise – Full Kit
Includes: Modular Barrel Vise, ARCA mounting base, 5 bushings (.865”-.870”, .925”-.930”, 1.000”, 1.200”, 1.250”), and a bushing stand Note: The Vise, Bushings, and ARCA Mounting base may have marks or discolorations from the machining and/or annodizing processes. This is normal, and by no...
shortactioncustoms.com
Jesus you went from budget to Boujie really damn quick, and I think OP wants to be budget friendly lolModular Barrel Vise – Full Kit
Includes: Modular Barrel Vise, ARCA mounting base, 5 bushings (.865”-.870”, .925”-.930”, 1.000”, 1.200”, 1.250”), and a bushing stand Note: The Vise, Bushings, and ARCA Mounting base may have marks or discolorations from the machining and/or annodizing processes. This is normal, and by no...
$500 vice kit for swapping a $200 bbl...god bless snipers hideModular Barrel Vise – Full Kit
Includes: Modular Barrel Vise, ARCA mounting base, 5 bushings (.865”-.870”, .925”-.930”, 1.000”, 1.200”, 1.250”), and a bushing stand Note: The Vise, Bushings, and ARCA Mounting base may have marks or discolorations from the machining and/or annodizing processes. This is normal, and by no...
Don't forget you can call your local gunsmith buddy for $150 and chop/thread existing barrel.
A can of Krylon is $8/9 bucks these days? Thats my version of ceramide, especially on a barrel which is consumable (to a point)
That's now. What about the next time you need a new barrel?
Went 8 years on this one. Next time my kids will be out of the house and I’ll buy a custom that I’ll keep for a decade. Spending crazy money on tools is fine if you do it once a year or every couple years. Makes less sense when it’s once a decade. I may not even be able to find it at that point.
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