Thread: Using whats laying around / On the cheap

I recently sold a few of my firearms to release some cash and because I wasn't using them much .
About two months ago I was having a cleanup of my cupboard where I keep all of my shooting / firearms stuff , I'm fairly confident that everyone here has a similar treasure stash of mostly usless odds and ends that you can't bring yourself to throw out .
Intermixed with the rubbish is always some good stuff that is stored on a special shelf or in a box .
Looking through the stuff I realised that I had the making of another rifle project/build .
I'm not talking a rifle build that requires gunsmiths etc , my version of a rifle build is mounting the scope , getting it set up to personal ergonomic taste , basically just getting the rifle to shooting hunting condition .

OK

I needed a rifle to fill the gap that was created when I sold my 6.5x55 Blaser .
So I went straight to UsedGuns ( online secondhand firearms site in Australia ) , end result was I purchased a brand new Tikka T3x Lite blued 6.5 Creedmoor with 20 inch threaded barrel $900 AU delivered .
This was a deal of the century and was a gunshop closing out of its stock .

So I got it home and started adding my stash of old bits .

First off was mounts and sight .
I had a rail that I had shortened while playing with another Tikka a few years ago , don't ask why I shortened it its to long a story .
It is still totally usable , so on it went .
Next rings , I had a set of Ken Farrel rings sitting unused from the USA these are super good quality rings and are the lowest 30mm quality picatinny rings you can find anywhere .
Scope was next , I have a few scopes in the cupborad but only one was 30mm tube , on it went .



Sorry something funny going on with the computer , I'll continue in another post .

Looking good, I shorten all rails to mag length, it is so much tidier , more professional looking than having them hang over.

Next was Trigger , out of the box the trigger was set as heavy as I've ever felt from a Tikka .
In my box was a trigger spring I'd purchased for my NZ Tikka , but when I shot it after getting it from Kiwi Greg last year I didn't want to change anthing so it was unused .
10 minutes and I have a proper nice trigger pull , not adjusted all the way down because in all honesty that would be to light .



I'm having problems posting more than one pic on a post for some reason .

Next was Ergonomics / Stock .
I own a Tikka T1x rimfire and have used a Cheek riser unit purchased off Ebay to achieve proper sight picture through the scope .
There is no way that the standard Stocks comb height is acceptible .
Out came the battery drill and in 20 minutes I have a interchangeable cheek riser between the two rifles .
I will be buying another one of these , but for now it is an example of using what I already have .

When I purchased my T1x it came with the more verticle pistol grip option , and I replaced it with the standard version so the vertical one was sitting on the shelf and for no better reason it was screwed onto this rifle , to be honest I'll probably put the original back on in the future .

Choice, that's a good way to use up bits and pieces, now the big question how does it shoot?

Nice for a bits and pieces rifle.

Which shop closing? Was it Magnum Sports?

Forgot about this thread , I was having problems uploading pics .
I had a cheap muzzle brake from a previous rifle ( it did tame the previous rifle a 7mm Mag , but lets just say its not the quality of a Terminator ) that was the correct thread size 14x1 , it is bored for a 7mm but watching some of Kiwi Gregs videos it seems its not essential to effectiveness .
On it went .

Originally Posted by Mooseman

Choice, that's a good way to use up bits and pieces, now the big question how does it shoot?

Thought I’d give an update on this thread.
Not long after putting this rifle combo together I hurt my elbow quite badly and shooting of any kind was put on hold for a few months.
When I was able to shoot again it only to a couple of rounds through my 308 to realise that the jolt of the recoil aggravated my elbow .
So the Centerfire rifles were put away and the rimfires were the flavour of the month.
For some reason shooting a shotgun doesn’t aggravate my elbow like a rifle does .
Anyway , I had put the muzzle brake on the Tikka but hadn’t actually shot it before removing it because of the noise component of brakes .
Anyway in an attempt to shoot a Centerfire I put it back on and let a round off .
I had forgotten just how much a muzzle brake tames things down and the elbow didn’t feel a thing , the Creedmoor doesn’t kick much anyway, but put a brake on it and its just a push not a kick .
Didn’t take any picks , but with Hornady White Tail 129gn ammo it puts 3 shots into 20mm at 100m every time.
I’m happy as , and remembering the ear plugs is a small price to pay when the actual process of shooting is so easy and comfortable.

put earplugs in all your ammo containers and you could probably stash a couple of sets in the raised cheek piece and not know they there unless needed.
muzzle brakes make my ears ring just looking at them.

Originally Posted by Ground Control

Thought I’d give an update on this thread.
Not long after putting this rifle combo together I hurt my elbow quite badly and shooting of any kind was put on hold for a few months.
When I was able to shoot again it only to a couple of rounds through my 308 to realise that the jolt of the recoil aggravated my elbow .
So the Centerfire rifles were put away and the rimfires were the flavour of the month.
For some reason shooting a shotgun doesn’t aggravate my elbow like a rifle does .
Anyway , I had put the muzzle brake on the Tikka but hadn’t actually shot it before removing it because of the noise component of brakes .
Anyway in an attempt to shoot a Centerfire I put it back on and let a round off .
I had forgotten just how much a muzzle brake tames things down and the elbow didn’t feel a thing , the Creedmoor doesn’t kick much anyway, but put a brake on it and its just a push not a kick .
Didn’t take any picks , but with Hornady White Tail 129gn ammo it puts 3 shots into 20mm at 100m every time.
I’m happy as , and remembering the ear plugs is a small price to pay when the actual process of shooting is so easy and comfortable.

Yeah, TR found the recoil of the suppressed 223 a bit much to start with. Found her a 7mmRM as a varmint rifle (still looking for a 223) and put a brake on it. She loves the thing. She barely tips 55kg on the scales dripping wet wearing boots and rifle.

Originally Posted by muzza

The muzzle brake on my 308 Norma Mag turns me into Neville No Mates in the space of one shot

Luckily I don’t hunt/shoot in the presence of others with this rifle.
Muzzle Brakes are a “ dammed if you do , dammed if you don’t “ type accessory.
When the elbow is 100% it will get removed, but for now I’m actually enjoying it .