Whatcha building?
Opinions on prefit barrels
- Thread starter MT257
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Wyo37
Guest
Well the main being I just prefer the tikka. Also the locking bolt on safe, a trigger that works when it's supposed to and doesn't when it shouldn't.
I don't need to swap bolts heads, .473 is perfectly fine.
Again, my personal preference. I don't think the 700 clones offer anything over a tikka.
I took my tikka superlite 6.5 barrel off and replaced it with an all steel proof research tikka factory contour and it shoots great.
Your money but no way I would buy a factory action if putting together a rifle even a Tikka.
And my triggers work when they should and don't when they shouldn't as any rifle should. If it doesn't then you got a serious safety issue.
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Wyo37
Guest
Ok
Haven't gotten that far. I feel like I've been under a rock and just now finding out about the prefit option…
Copy that! You have plenty of barrel options. Tikka is an excellent action and has a growing following. Its aftermarket support is also growing. I do not have a Tikka action yet, but I have its big brother, SAKO M995, in .300 WM.
Gamesniper19
Well-Known Member
Pre-fit barrels can be great. In theory, every barrel everywhere is a pre-fit before it goes on the action, in the sense that it is punched separate from the action and then "fitted" it to the action. Lots more to do but you get my drift
Be mindful of where you buy and perhaps ask them a few questions to see how their quality control and build process might be. A pre-fit barrel has a lot of high quality barrel options but it is only as good as the guy punching it and with the materials used.
Maybe ask
Be mindful of where you buy and perhaps ask them a few questions to see how their quality control and build process might be. A pre-fit barrel has a lot of high quality barrel options but it is only as good as the guy punching it and with the materials used.
Maybe ask
- Punched by hand or by CNC?
- How many times do they use a reamer?
- What reamer do they use, and is it to just SAAMI specs. If that is what you want great, if not, might be worth getting your own reamer and having them punch it
- Ask if they have tenon specs for your action and perhaps they can preset the tenon spacing
Raingull
Well-Known Member
Prefits are a thing because CNC and preciscion machining with consistency are now a thing. Most major manufacturers tolerances wouldn't allow prefits without far too many falling outside spec when you add a few thousandths variance on the barrel and a few thousandths variance on the action and bolt face. Making an action for prefit barrels is a commitment to keep tolerances tight.
Joefrazell
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Apr 29, 2017
- Messages
- 1,599
Not necessarily to me but that's all personal opinion/ preference. I love my bighorn origin but I also love my tikka. Having a bolt locked closed hunting is definitely desirable where I hunt. As long as you don't chamber a round and hike around it's not as much of an issue because you can leave the bolt in the decocked position so it doesn't open as easily. Being able to change bolt heads is pretty cool but not a must. Again this is just my lowly opinion haha. If I could choose any action it definitely wouldn't be a tikka haha. There's plenty of tikka stuff out there as far as bottom medal/ stocks, triggers ect. Even shouldered prefits. The origins are a great buy and hard to beat. Just shot mine earlier this morning actually. I really like both
Another Casual
Well-Known Member
Great success with prefits for me. Saves time and in a lot of cases they're cheaper. Easy to order a backup or next barrel for the rifle too without having any downtime for the action being at the smiths. Patriot Valley does Tikka prefits. If they have what you want, order with confidence.
Yup Josh does great work. This is 5 shots of factory 108 ELD-M 6 Creed ammo from an Osprey barrel he did for me at 400 yards. That's the head of an IPSC steel target so head is 8" wide and part of it isn't even in the pic. Group is about 2". Other two shots were from my .22.
I've had a lot of luck out of Proof CF prefit barrels for defiance actions and Kelby. No secret here I love the 7mm SAUM. I have yet to screw a prefit onto an action, break the barrel in, and after load development and tune a load to not shoot over .3 moa consistently.
I built a rifle for a good friend last week. I did load development for it and Sunday had him come over to shoot it. He shot his best group ever at 300 yards measuring 0.5". I then shot a 7 round group with it at 300 yards that went into .7". Cooled the barrel then proceeded to shoot a 3 shot group at 650 yards and it went 1.3".
So yes prefits work great but you still have to develop the right load for it. More than likely you're not going to do that with factory ammo.
I built a rifle for a good friend last week. I did load development for it and Sunday had him come over to shoot it. He shot his best group ever at 300 yards measuring 0.5". I then shot a 7 round group with it at 300 yards that went into .7". Cooled the barrel then proceeded to shoot a 3 shot group at 650 yards and it went 1.3".
So yes prefits work great but you still have to develop the right load for it. More than likely you're not going to do that with factory ammo.
Like JMgamesniper said a gunsmith is pretty much doing the same thing to the barrel as a prefit. They are both chambering the barrel, cutting the tenon, and probably threading the muzzle.
I have used prefits for years now and at this point I don't foresee me changing
I have used prefits for years now and at this point I don't foresee me changing
DoneNOut
Well-Known Member
Welp, next time! LOL. Parts are in the mail. NSS Criterion prefits good?
