[yukonal]

I thought you were just using a lighter spring, along with standard trigger pull. I didn't realize your spring allowed you to get down to 14 oz. on the pull. That is sweet!

I'm using Edgewood bags, but I'm making an attachment that will make the bottom of the stock “flat”, and parallel with the ground, so the elevation of the rifle doesn't change after recoil. Then it will just slide straight in/thru the ears of the rear bag.

Sinclair bi-pods are very nice. Gen II has an elevation change that a lot of guys like. They never last very long in the “for sale” forums on the internet.

FWIW, my Super Varmint is 5# lighter than the allowed F-TR weight…so yours is too. Maybe, try to figure out a way to add some weight to yours. I'm hashing around a few ideas myself. 😉

[yukonal]

You're gonna have fun with it. Right now I'm designing, and going to build an attachment for the bottom of the stock (a rear bag rider) that will allow for straight tracking at the rear of the rifle.

Measure your trigger pull, and see what you have. I have my factory trigger at 1.65#. You should be able to safely get down to 1-3/4#, after that you need to fine tune.

[yukonal]

Steve,

I'm using a rigid one piece bipod that a guy here in MN makes. I have no idea what he calls it. It's along the lines of the Sinclair F Class bipods, and such. Not quite as fancy as a Sinclair, but I seem to get by.

Don't sell your stainless varmint. They aren't sold here in the states anymore. You can play with it until you burn out the barrel (in about 4,000 rounds ;D), then just screw a new barrel on. I have an 8 twist Bartlein in the safe for when mine goes.

Get a good bipod (spend the money), a good rear bag, and go to town. I get a warm feeling everytime an “X” comes up at 600 yards with my $1,000 Super Varmint. I shot a 198 last year. That just shows you what these rifles are capable of…if you do your part. 223's are a blast to compete with. 🙂

[yukonal]

If you've followed my posts over the years, you know that I've been shooting a stainless Super Varmint (.223) in F-TR for the last 2 years. I've done quite well with it, winning the state championship in my division both years. People don't scoff at my Tikka anymore, like they used to.

I'm shooting a different bullet and powder, but close to what you're doing. You and your rifle will be fine. Re-check the barrel contact after 200 shots, and check occasionally. Mine has settled a tad here and there, but I just break it down and touch up the sides with 80 grit sandpaper.

I'm going to pillar and glass bed it in the next month. But before you consider that with yours, just get used to it, and shoot the heck out of it. Oh, and I made a board for under the bipod, and covered it with short nap carpet, to get a more consistent slide during recoil. It has helped quite a bit. Good luck this year! 🙂

[yukonal]

They are not available in the states. you either have to buy two, put them together, and sell what you don't want…or buy a Hunter, and build one.

I have a couple extra of each, and my next project is to build a stainless 7MM-08 in a nice Hunter walnut stock.

[yukonal]

30-06 is a long action. But in the case of a T3 Tikka, it is a long bolt stop, long magazine…

And…take your time and clean after every shot for 10 shots, then after every 3 for 9 shots, then after every 5 for 10 shots.

You should be breaking in nicely after that. You'll see a big difference during you cleaning routine about that point, how easy it cleans up.

[yukonal]

Glad you got it! Sometimes when you find exactly what you want, you need to just go ahead and buy it.

[yukonal]

http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/index.php/cPath/36_445/Tikka/

This will give you an idea. A .260 might be hard to find, but try a google search and see what pops up.

[yukonal]

It's about $300 too high if it's used.

[yukonal]

Hey All,

  With that said, what kind of scope power or which in particular would you recommend.  From my research – I have found the Spuhr Mount with built-in 20 MOA to be regarded as the best but its also $400+, with Third Eye Tactical Unimount being a close second but also very expensive.  Then you could save a ton and get some nice Talley or Seekins rings and a simple picatinny rail.  In terms of scope, seems like folks prefer the Nightforce NXS 5.5-22 or Schmidt and Bender scopes – while more value oriented folks prefer the Vortex scopes.  Finally, one last question, it seems like most folks have purchased CDI Precision DBM – and forgive my ignorance, but seems that people do this just so they can use the AI mags? Or is the factory magazine the type where you need to drop the bottom metal to get it out so this gives you easier access to dropping the magazine?  Similarly to that, I believe the .308 is considered a short action in the Tikka world, and I have read that some have opted for the going to the long action DBM so if they ever decided to rebarrel the action with a larger caliber, they dont have to swap out the DBM – is this advisable?

You can search all this stuff and decide for yourself.

Get a pic rail from here on this site. 0 moa will usually get you to 400 yards. If you will shoot farther, get a 20 moa rail. NightForce UltraLite rings. Low will work for up to a 50MM objective scope.

A NF like you talked about weighs 2#. If that doesn't bother you, a 5.5-22X50 is the way to go. Otherwise, check the weight on the scopes you have in the running. A good 4.5-14 should fit your bill nicely.

You don't have to change your bottom metal. If you need to seat longer/heavier bullets than your magazine allows, buy and install a bolt stop kit from here on this site, or Brownells. Then buy a [Long] magazine (you have a Medium), and slide it in. That's all there is to it. You'll gain over .100″ of inside magazine room.

[yukonal]

What barrel are you looking for? I've got a few take-offs in the safe.

[yukonal]

Beretta owns Sako/Tikka. Parent company.

[yukonal]

I'll bet a dollar that you could buy a new Lilja (or similar) barrel, have them countour it to duplicate the factory contour, and have your 'smith cut, chamber, and crown it for about the same amount Beretta would charge for a Sako/Tikka barrel.

I'm not really sure if Beretta would sell you a barrel, but You never know.

[yukonal]

I didn't know Brownells had them backordered. I have one in the toolbox…just in case. 😉

[yukonal]

As far as the caliber goes, 7mm-08 will kill anything Elk-size and smaller out to 300 yards. I am a certified 7mm-08 nutjob though, so take it for what it's worth.

Nothing wrong with that. ;D

All I build anymore, for hunting, are .284WIN and 7MM-08's. 8)