Thread: Tikka t3 light weight mods

Originally Posted by dannyb

Drop the DPT and get a brake, my stug stocked a7 270wsm was 3kg with a fluted bolt, barrel and vx3 4.5-14 sitting in talleys was an absolute pussycat to shoot. Sellers remorse big time, pretty sure @hillclima still owns it

Yep, I still have it. Great rifle but not getting the use it should as tend to use my suppressed rifles more, so if you wanted it back let me know

Sent from my SM-G970F using Tapatalk

Originally Posted by Nick.m

I'm the same, recoil doesn't bother me, my tikka 7mm rem mag sits at 3.26kg with vx5 3-15x44, dpt magnum suppressor and stug stock and shoots clover sized groups all day.

I wouldn't mind dropping another couple of hundred grams off it though.

How so light that's epic

Another idea i have seen to save weight is boring out the bolt body then inserting brass bushings on each end to the required sizes to support firing pin assembly. Doesnt look cool but saved near double what fluting does. I had a fiddle but was more of a quick discussion on the hill than a full run down so description may be a bit vague but it gives the general idea.

@Nick.m that's light 3.26 kg!
I am assuming that you have milled the top of the receiver and fluted the barrel? I was thinking about this for mine
Also what barrel length?
Cheers G

Originally Posted by Gkp

@Nick.m that's light 3.26 kg!
I am assuming that you have milled the top of the receiver and fluted the barrel? I was thinking about this for mine
Also what barrel length?
Cheers G

Nope reciever is still factory.

I'll probably go the bolt fluting route, but the barrel won't have any add on's. Done the lightweight bolt handle and need to do the shroud too. The buttpad will be the usual foam jandal, rubber pads are super heavy in comparison. Looking at eventually putting a sub 10 ounce scope on it too, haven't made up my mind there yet. The stock still needs pad, fill and swivels.

I like the suppressor, it never used to wear one but I chopped the barrel to 21 inches and suppressed and it now shoots like a dream.

Barrel is already fluted, but could loose some weight in the scope real easily and the bolt aswell.

Working on a 270 superlite at the moment as a experiment on how light I can get it. Im not going to mill the receiver though, I like the rigidity of this action and would rather not lose it. Will let you know how I get on weight wise once it's done. Modeled the stock on a Ross SDS, for something a bit different.

You are a clever bugger @FRST

Originally Posted by Tahr

You are a clever bugger @FRST

The amount of extra work modding this stock design for the Tikka is taking I'm not so sure about that statement Tahr haha!

How short can you go with centrefire bolt actions, allowing for a full length stock and barrel length for an over-barrel suppressor? What barrel length do you end up with? Overall length is of more interest to me than weight. Cheers.

Originally Posted by MB

How short can you go with centrefire bolt actions, allowing for a full length stock and barrel length for an over-barrel suppressor? What barrel length do you end up with? Overall length is of more interest to me than weight. Cheers.

Seen some pretty short 308's made by Scott Trail. It comes down to acheiving a decent powder burn/speeds. I think he got the barrel down to 12 inches maybe. My memory is a bit spotty on it.

Originally Posted by FRST

Seen some pretty short 308's made by Scott Trail. It comes down to acheiving a decent powder burn/speeds. I think he got the barrel down to 12 inches maybe. My memory is a bit spotty on it.

I think they were 10 inches and he was doing some crazy long shots with them with some fast burning powders. There was an awesome video floating around a few years back


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Having carried a BSA CF2 around the hills since I was 16, - often wearing steelcap workboots and all sorts of other heavy as crap gear - I brought myself a new Tikka in 7-08 for my 45th birthday, 10 years back. Barrel to 20 inches, but a crown issue led to another inch chopped off. Suppressor, 2 - 10 Grandslam scope, used to have a bipod on it but don't use that much any more, weighs 3.35kg. I think the CF2 was about 4.5kg, so 1.15 kg saved there and another 2kg saved by ditching the steepcaps.....Unfortunately my weight had tracked that of the average All Black over those years (for different reasons) so I'd gone from 92kg to 108kg... I'm battling to save the 16kg from my gear.... Might have to cut out more donuts. Down to 101kg now.

Mainly used in the bush, shots to 300m every now and then. Hence not really thought about a brake, as my understanding is that you need hearing protection on with most brakes? But they are lighter and reduce recoil better than suppressor.

Thinking about the advances in gear in the last 20 years, pretty amazing really. The idea of a 3.2kg rifle easily capable of MOA, was fantasy or $20k in 1990.....Maybe the biggest advances are in clothing though?

@FRSTif you have the gear I'd look at doing something similar to what I mentioned with hollowing out the bolt body and using bushings to support the firing prin assembly in the appropriate places. If yourhaving a Smith do it fluting is probably easier. As for milling the receiver if you Swiss cheese it vs just milling the top off rigidity should remain very good similar to beam bending/truss theory.