Tikka rebarrel Cost

[cajun]

One of the bolt lugs in my factory 700 Varmint was barely touching. I took my time and removed enough material to get both lugs to make good contact. Then threw the original stock away. I skim bedded my B & C medalist stock with Devcon. I also added a Geissele super 700 trigger. It still has the factory barrel. These things helped to tighten that gun up pretty well. It's a 1/2-5/8 moa rifle.
For the cost of a prefit it's hard to go wrong if you have a good action. Provided you aren't expecting bench rest type accuracy. My goal from the beginning was half moa. It'll do better than that. I put together this 6.5-06 from scratch. I'd have to admit that any limiting factor in that setup is me.

Yeah the 700 is in a BC stock with triggertech trigger. I need to try some more loads. Just been too dang busy.

 

[Turpentine21]

Yeah the 700 is in a BC stock with triggertech trigger. I need to try some more loads. Just been too dang busy.

I can relate to that

 

[Dmagna]

Been reading about pte-fits as well...just worried about accuracy with a prefit..

I have 2 proof prefits and a carbon six prefit. All shoot 1/2 moa

 

[waspocrew]

No issues with my 4 prefits so far. I see no discernible difference in accuracy between those and the ones my gunsmith chambered and installed on my other rifles.

 

[ResearchinStuff]

Pva will have tikka prefits this week for like 650

 

[HandgunHTR]

If prefits and barrel nuts were the way to go.... fclass and PRS guys would be using them! I'm not saying that they cannot be accurate but the most accurate?....usually not.

I didn't see in the OP where he planned to compete with it. In both of those games, a .1 to .2 MOA difference in group size will determine whether you win or lose.

In the hunting world, that small of a difference doesn't really matter. And with today's prefits, that is about the difference.

 

[DUCKMAN11]

I didn't see in the OP where he planned to compete with it. In both of those games, a .1 to .2 MOA difference in group size will determine whether you win or lose.

In the hunting world, that small of a difference doesn't really matter. And with today's prefits, that is about the difference.

I look at Fclass like formula 1 and PRS like Baja trophy trucks. They run at the pinnacle of what is capable performance wise. Benchrest is like top fuel where in the delivery system is highly specialized and not remotely practical in a hunting situation. "Good enough" accuracy and "doesn't really matter" are bul****t terms that all of us as outdoorsmen need to get away from! Is 1moa acceptable for deer hunting out of a blind.... absolutely! But .7moa is better.

I'm not the best trigger puller alive so if taking a blank to a smith could possibly be the difference between 1moa and .75moa I'm going to hedge my bets with the most potentially accurate inanimate object possible.

There isn't much if any cost difference between a blank/smith combo vs prefit. Also if you have a prefit that isn't shooting right then you are sending emails and sending packages to get the issue resolved.

I'm not knocking prefits and if you are ok with "good enough" then full send! I will likely buy a PPB prefit for a howa mini I have one of these days.

 

[Hydra6]

If prefits and barrel nuts were the way to go.... fclass and PRS guys would be using them! I'm not saying that they cannot be accurate but the most accurate?....usually not.

Just got a 257cal blank in from Preferred Barrel Blanks on the 27th. I ordered it on my 29th! $380 delivered. If you provide the reamer most smith's around here will thread both ends and cut a the chamber for $400.

You need a 1.15" shank for a tikka barrel btw

Prefits are very common in PRS. Most popular action is Impact specifically because it supports prefit barrels very well. Many top gunsmiths offer prefits specifically for Impacts (and some other actions).

I have three Tikka T3s running prefits - one a barrel nut heavy contour 223 and two are running Tikka OEM CTR barrels in 260 (the CTR barrels are on non-CTR Tikka rifles).

I change the prefits myself.

 

[Hydra6]

"There isn't much if any cost difference between a blank/smith combo vs prefit." Prefits are significantly cheaper than gunsmith fit and usually significantly faster to obtain plus no shipping of action or driving back and forth to gunsmith. Many common prefits for PRS are kept in stock. I have a Proof prefit 6 Dasher barrel with 2100 rounds on it - I have the replacement Proof prefit (Impact action) 6 Dasher barrel in the shop waiting for the swap.

 

[Turpentine21]

I don’t compete. I do longer range depredation and just like to shoot. 1/2 moa is generally what I’m looking for and I can usually find that with good load development. I really can’t shoot well enough to appreciate much better than that. I like the fact that I can have another barrel waiting. I don’t have to send my rifle anywhere. I can change the barrel out myself.

 

[Leaf Litter]

At those prices I'd buy a prefit. Both of my Tikka prefits have worked great and shoot as well as I'm able to load/shoot. Sounds like gunsmiths are pricing themselves out of relevance with precision prefits on the market.

RS has a thread that people are lending the building tools (barrel vices, action wrench, etc). The most difficult part is removing the original barrel, and a hacksaw makes that much easier if you don't care about selling the original barrel afterwards.

Obviously this is one man's opinion, but prefits are the future. $600 or less out the door for a prefit that shoots just as well as a $1k+ smithed barrel.