Short Barrel Tikka T3 Help/Advice

Hey guys!

I’m new to the page, but love your content. I have some questions in regards to building a short barrel hunting rifle and figured I’d better ask the pros since the bushpig style rifle is common in your area (I live in Montana, USA). I have a Tikka T3 in 25-06 that will be the donor action. I’m looking to have around an 18” barrel to stay compact while running a suppressor. I ordered an MDT LSS-XL chassis with folding stock. As for caliber, I’m leaning toward 284 Win pushing a 168VLD or 175EH Berger with a 1:8.5” twist. I would like to maintain 1500ft-lbs of energy out to approx 500 yards and 1200ft-lbs energy out to 800 yards.

Before I order the barrel and reamer, I was going to see if anyone had any data on this setup or something similar and if there is any recommendations or changes I should make before I begin this process. This is my first short(ish) barrel rifle, any help would be appreciated. Thank you in advance!

Hello and welcome. I use a 20" barrel and get about 2600 with a 180gr ELD and a moderate load of AR2213SC (H4831SC to you). Other powders such as Re17 and Re26 will get you up to 2700. I'd expect about the same velocity with a slightly lighter bullet and slightly shorter barrel. Recommend you punch the numbers into a ballistic calculator and see whether that delivers the kind of energy you're looking for. Bear in mind that energy is only one aspect - you also want to ensure that your bullet is above the velocity threshold on target so that it expands/fragments - it's all well and good having lots of Ke, but unless the bullet can deform and dump it into the target properly, it's wasted.

Another one to consider for a full length action like the Tikka is 280AI. That should gain a little more speed over 284 Winchester, nipping right on the heels of 7mm Rem Mag. Or drop down to 6.5-284 which provides nearly identical performance to 6.5 PRC.

Personally, id run a 7mm SAUM at 19-20", throat it for the 175s and call it good. Bolt face being the only issue there. If you run a saum you can do it in a true short action, but seeing as your using a 25/06 tikka you have that length available so id stick with your original plan and go 284 win. Utilise the long action mag. As above what pommy said, the 280AI is another one to consider, very underrated cartridge imo, id simply go with whatever you can obtain easier

Sounds like a good all round rifle. From bush to 500-600m on goats and similar sized game

A friend runs an identical setup, he is getting 2800 fps with 162s, last time we spoke he was using H414
Benefit of the tikka is you are already starting with (or if short action option of swapping to) the long action bolt stop and magazine to seat the longer projectiles further out.

Check out a recent thread here about peoples 284 loads.

I reamed a 7mm08 tikka to 280rem with a small barrel set back
gunsmiths here get a bit aprehensive of using their reamers on tikka barrels but I ordered my own so that wasnt a problem

you still need a long action bolt stop and a long action mag if you go with a 7mm 08 but it saves you the barrel cost

I've owned both a short barreled 7mm08 and 284.
I'm a huge fan of the 18inch 7mm08 set up as a long action firing the 162gr projectiles. So much nicer and more efficient than the 284win.
Still managed to regularly knock goats and fallow over past 500meters with longest kill being 602 meters.

My 284win is doing 2750fps with win760, 7mm08 was doing 2530fps with 2208

I know my 20" Tikka CTR in 7mm-08 does well .
I later built a 26" .280ai and I'm liking it.
I can't quote ballistics but I'm not sure I would drop to 18" myself.
A long throat .284 might fit the bill. My Smith also showed me the 7mm,saum but I was set on a .280ai

I have a suppressed 308 Tikka TX3 18 inch barrel 308.Good shooter and very accurate to 300yds.I just use Hornady 150gr SSTs,dont reload.Nice to carry.Has a Jaeger 1.5x6x42 scope on top.

you have a 25/06 now..but want shorter barrel and more whack out further.....ok I can understand more wallop needed so would say go to a .30/06 ,you should fine components easier to get in these trying times,and think really hard about the short barrel bit....yip its nice in tight stuff...but so is a 30/30..... if you started out with a 22inch barrel suppressed,tried it,nah too long,cut off 2'' and tried it again for another season...then again decided to cut back 2" you would be two seasons in.know rifle well,and might just find the extra couple of inches isnt as great as you might have first thought...I built short light rifle and loved it..but realised the longer barreled rifles in cabinet can do same job just as well AND reach out and hit that bit harder too.
280 is option too,6.5/06 as well but both will be on hard end of component list...there is another totally awesome cartridge uses the same case and action too,and components are still in plenty,the 145grn eldx has given it new lease on life and its licking on heels of some other popular rounds out long because of it...if you ranging and dialing as long as you have the wallop needed and can poke pill in right place,the size of hole in barrel matters little.