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SAC: Recent Tikka T3 builds

Mgordon

Mgordon

Gunny Sergeant
Commercial Supporter
Full Member
Minuteman
Nov 29, 2007
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Wellington, Ohio
www.shortactioncustoms.com
Shooters, Just showing off some recent Tikka T3 builds that we have been working on. All Tikka actions get dialed in our truing fixture and single point cut the face and lug abutments square. We also push the action face back a little to increase contact with the barrel. We can go from a 1.160" diameter barrel to a 1.200 diameter barrel by doing this.

Both rifles were installed in the Kinetic Research Group Whiskey 3 Gen 4 chassis. Welcome to KRG We like these chassis for a few reasons. They prove to be an accurate platform for the Tikka, the mag system works great, the rear end of the chassis is adjustable with out tooling, and they just look great with the Tikka.

Put an 20 MOA base, KRG W3 chassis together with the Tikka's great factory trigger and butter smooth bolt throw/travel and you have a winner!!!

Mark










 
stop showing these your making me want to sell more then the ar fiddy !
 
Very nice work. Had my smith do exactly the same with removing the receiver radius to run a 1.2" barrel. mine is a Krieger lv contour what are these? I need to pick up a hss bolt handle and maybe shroud. Have u checked out tikka performance center's steel rails, pretty nice and come with a integral recoil lug.
 
Love seeing some Tikka love! I'm up to 4 Tikka's now and can't get enough. One of these days I'll send you one for your 7 CM treatment.
 
Mgordon said:
EGW 20 MOA

Sent from my HTC6435LVW using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...

Mark,

Take a look at they Taley 20MOA bases. Since the HD EGW is always sold out for T3 actions, their regular ones dont have alot of meat for mouting. Taley makes a great mount with recoil lug and more substanstial rails for a tad more.
 
Mark is currently doing a 6.5cm Tikka build for me in Patriot brown. Had to have it after seeing these pics. Very excited for this build. Also he really took the time to help me make decisions. Very nice guy. I'll post up when I get it.
-Evan
 
The patriot brown 6.5 creed moor pictured above is mine. Mark did a great job. I was not sure what to think of a build using a Tikka action but I am glad I went with it. Bolt throw is light, quick, and smooth. The chassis is really nice, has a great feel and balance. I think my only dislike is the cheek piece, it wiggles its way out of position a lot.
Other then that the rifle is a tac driver! With factory Hornady it shoots excellent. I thru some NV gear on it and killed a coyote the first night out with it. Pretty pleased with the overall project. Thanks Mark/SAC.
 
KYS said:
The patriot brown 6.5 creed moor pictured above is mine. Mark did a great job. I was not sure what to think of a build using a Tikka action but I am glad I went with it. Bolt throw is light, quick, and smooth. The chassis is really nice, has a great feel and balance. I think my only dislike is the cheek piece, it wiggles its way out of position a lot.
Other then that the rifle is a tac driver! With factory Hornady it shoots excellent. I thru some NV gear on it and killed a coyote the first night out with it. Pretty pleased with the overall project. Thanks Mark/SAC.
Click to expand...

What day scope/Clip on are you using with yours? I'm looking to set mine up for a clip on with a 3-15 NSX and CNVD-LR, not sure if I'll need any spacers or anything. Any recommendations for kit with that?
 
11B-B4 said:
What day scope/Clip on are you using with yours? I'm looking to set mine up for a clip on with a 3-15 NSX and CNVD-LR, not sure if I'll need any spacers or anything. Any recommendations for kit with that?
Click to expand...

The spigot mount comes with a spacer. I am using the CNVD-LR and it matches up nearly perfect with my optic in the Spuhr mount.
 
Sonic Crack said:
That grippy cheek is not suppose to work with the gen 4 chassis, found that out after the fact. If you want to keep it, send it back and I'll see about machining up a solid mount for it
Click to expand...

I'll look into it. I will let KRG offer a solution first since it is their product and I think they should try and resolve first.

Other then that minor issue, the chassis is awesome kit. Still waiting on my kydex skid plate as well.
 
Mark,

Quick question. I love my Tikka, hands down the best rifle I've ever owned and the best action I've ever used for a custom build. My only complaint with the action is the barrel lug system. I know it works because they all shoot well out of the box. In the factory stock I found it to be the weak link of the rifle as on more than one occasion when I put the action back in the factory stock I ended up pushing the lug down where it didn't make contact and fit into the milled out recess in the reciever. I have no experience with the chassis systems that are being offered. Are you doing anything specific to make sure the lug fits into the reciever recess.

Thanks
 
Jeff in TX said:
Mark,

Quick question. I love my Tikka, hands down the best rifle I've ever owned and the best action I've ever used for a custom build. My only complaint with the action is the barrel lug system. I know it works because they all shoot well out of the box. In the factory stock I found it to be the weak link of the rifle as on more than one occasion when I put the action back in the factory stock I ended up pushing the lug down where it didn't make contact and fit into the milled out recess in the reciever. I have no experience with the chassis systems that are being offered. Are you doing anything specific to make sure the lug fits into the reciever recess.

Thanks
Click to expand...

On the wc3, since the chassis is made out of aluminum, the lug is forced to stay in place. No way it could push it self down enough not to make contact with the receiver anymore. Also on manners and McMillan tikka stocks they all come with a steel recoil lug bedded in place. That lugs not going anywhere.
 
Sonic Crack was right, the grippy cheek kit was for the gen 1-3 versions. KYS if that's your setup, we have a 1 piece mount for the gen 4 rather than the 3 linkages in the older style kit, we can send it out with your skid plate (hopefully done this coming week). We're not doing the Victor Co cheekpiece anymore most likely as our enhanced cheekpiece is only a few weeks out. Send us an email and we'll get you set up.

Evan, that IMUNS kit will come with the spacers. If they're too tall you can take a cut off the bottom to set them where you wan them.

Jeff, with ours or any other chassis, you won't have recoil lug problems. Even with a Manners (they put in a hardened stainless lug) you'll be fine.

Thanks,
Justin
 
Always amazed by the pictures of your builds.

These must appeal to a very very niche market though.
 
Not sure If I would say Niche....The Tikka is a great platform from 223 -308 or maybe more. I've had AI's, Sako's, alot of custom guns, the tikka action is smooth, light, has a locking bolt, push button bolt release, crisp single stage trigger, and m16 style extractor as standard features and it's available for low cost as a good option to build off of. The KRG chassis makes it a very very good option for custom builds. This is a newer concept though and it might take a little while for people to see the benefit of this style of build. For me it's a no brainer. One of my biggest gripes with the rem700 action in the military was a lack of bolt lock. Dragging in the field you had to use a strap of some sort to keep the bolt locked. More than one occasion I got to an FFP to find my bolt open and full of earth. The Tikka aftermarket is growing as well. I would have preferred a Sako TRG 22 action to build off of but you don't find them laying around anywhere. I think a lot of people write off actions that aren't styled after the rem700 action or similar for custom builds. Not sure why there are a lot of great options out there aside from the remmy design and most offer better features.

As with most everything though... different strokes for different folks

WildBill3/75 said:
Always amazed by the pictures of your builds.

These must appeal to a very very niche market though.
Click to expand...
 
11B-B4 said:
Not sure If I would say Niche....The Tikka is a great platform from 223 -308 or maybe more. I've had AI's, Sako's, alot of custom guns, the tikka action is smooth, light, has a locking bolt, push button bolt release, crisp single stage trigger, and m16 style extractor as standard features and it's available for low cost as a good option to build off of. The KRG chassis makes it a very very good option for custom builds. This is a newer concept though and it might take a little while for people to see the benefit of this style of build. For me it's a no brainer. One of my biggest gripes with the rem700 action in the military was a lack of bolt lock. Dragging in the field you had to use a strap of some sort to keep the bolt locked. More than one occasion I got to an FFP to find my bolt open and full of earth. The Tikka aftermarket is growing as well. I would have preferred a Sako TRG 22 action to build off of but you don't find them laying around anywhere. I think a lot of people write off actions that aren't styled after the rem700 action or similar for custom builds. Not sure why there are a lot of great options out there aside from the remmy design and most offer better features.

As with most everything though... different strokes for different folks
Click to expand...

With the assumption that this custom tikka costs in the relm of the TRG class of rifles, yes unfortunately I believe it's very niche if the individual is looking for a Finnish rifle. Although SAC might do amazing work! At the heart of this rifle it is still a tikka. An off the shelf TRG will have a beefier action, three locking lug bolt, better stock trigger, no plastic crap(do a google search, the bolt shrouds crack quite frequently), and of course just plain shoot. From personal experience having owned a TRG 42 in 300 win mag that all I did to it was throw a Sako bipod and a near mfg break on it it shot 1/2MOA with factory 190gr FGMM. With that kind of out of the box performance it is hard to compete, hence the niche comment.
 
WildBill3/75 said:
With the assumption that this custom tikka costs in the relm of the TRG class of rifles, yes unfortunately I believe it's very niche if the individual is looking for a Finnish rifle. Although SAC might do amazing work! At the heart of this rifle it is still a tikka. An off the shelf TRG will have a beefier action, three locking lug bolt, better stock trigger, no plastic crap(do a google search, the bolt shrouds crack quite frequently), and of course just plain shoot. From personal experience having owned a TRG 42 in 300 win mag that all I did to it was throw a Sako bipod and a near mfg break on it it shot 1/2MOA with factory 190gr FGMM. With that kind of out of the box performance it is hard to compete, hence the niche comment.
Click to expand...

This package is not the same cost as a Sako TRG 42. And this package is more accurate then 1/2MOA….. The trigger I received was excellent and the action is plenty "beefy". This is more of a "if it fits your needs and wants" type setup. The accuracy and versatility are what impresses me.
 
KYS said:
This package is not the same cost as a Sako TRG 42. And this package is more accurate then 1/2MOA….. The trigger I received was excellent and the action is plenty "beefy". This is more of a "if it fits your needs and wants" type setup. The accuracy and versatility are what impresses me.
Click to expand...

I'm not going to get in a pissing match...as long as you like the rifle that's all that matters. But honestly I don't see how it couldn't be much under TRG prices... a ballpark price for a Trg 42 is $3500(I payed less than that but I'm just giving ball park #'s here) You should really be comparing the tikka to a TRG 22 as that relates to a Tikka more....which just looking @ gunbroker you can get for $3100 shipped.
whiskey 3 folder chassis $1300
Stock tikka rifle $700
Barrel blank $350
Cerakote, threading, fitting, all that time in labor.

SPS package $700(this saying he is nice and is giving you a break)
Cerakote...don't know how much SAC charges but it's generally around $200 for a rifle

That's $3250....just ballparking here of course. Also will never know if the TRG could of shot better than that with hand loads as I sold it but for factory ammo shooting that's damn good. If you do some searching you will see my experience is quite common for off the shelf TRG's....they just shoot.
 
Its a bolt action rifle, DBM fed, in a folding chassis, can be chambered in many popular calibers. Sounds like that fits the bill nicely for most if not all of the shooters on this forum. Im very happy to be part of this "niche" :)
 
WildBill3/75 said:
I'm not going to get in a pissing match...as long as you like the rifle that's all that matters. But honestly I don't see how it couldn't be much under TRG prices... a ballpark price for a Trg 42 is $3500(I payed less than that but I'm just giving ball park #'s here) You should really be comparing the tikka to a TRG 22 as that relates to a Tikka more....which just looking @ gunbroker you can get for $3100 shipped.
whiskey 3 folder chassis $1300
Stock tikka rifle $700
Barrel blank $350
Cerakote, threading, fitting, all that time in labor.

SPS package $700(this saying he is nice and is giving you a break)
Cerakote...don't know how much SAC charges but it's generally around $200 for a rifle

That's $3250....just ballparking here of course. Also will never know if the TRG could of shot better than that with hand loads as I sold it but for factory ammo shooting that's damn good. If you do some searching you will see my experience is quite common for off the shelf TRG's....they just shoot.
Click to expand...


All good points, but when you consider you can build the tikka with your choice of caliber if you don't want a .308 vs $3100 for a TRG and then another $600 or more to rebarrel it. And you can find base model T3's for mid $500's if you look. Those couple hundred bucks start to add up. Then considder if you you're really wanting a folder, that's a high dollar option with the TRG, where you're already getting it with the above used chassis. It all just boils down to what exactly the shooter wants, and the Tikka's are getting real popular for a lot of good reasons.

They've got me looking seriously, that's for sure.
 
I'm not trying to get in a pissing match. I guess for what I was doing a 6.5cm it would be cheaper to build it this way. If i was looking for a 308 I would have bought a TRG22 and just got the KRG folding rear section. Like I said if I could find a TRG action laying around I would have preferred to build off of it. However that isn't reality. Nobody is going to buy a TRG and strip it down just to work off the action. I mean you could but you would be losing alot of money to just doing it this way instead. And aftermarket bolt shrouds are cheap like 40 bucks for a metal one.



WildBill3/75 said:
I'm not going to get in a pissing match...as long as you like the rifle that's all that matters. But honestly I don't see how it couldn't be much under TRG prices... a ballpark price for a Trg 42 is $3500(I payed less than that but I'm just giving ball park #'s here) You should really be comparing the tikka to a TRG 22 as that relates to a Tikka more....which just looking @ gunbroker you can get for $3100 shipped.
whiskey 3 folder chassis $1300
Stock tikka rifle $700
Barrel blank $350
Cerakote, threading, fitting, all that time in labor.

SPS package $700(this saying he is nice and is giving you a break)
Cerakote...don't know how much SAC charges but it's generally around $200 for a rifle

That's $3250....just ballparking here of course. Also will never know if the TRG could of shot better than that with hand loads as I sold it but for factory ammo shooting that's damn good. If you do some searching you will see my experience is quite common for off the shelf TRG's....they just shoot.
Click to expand...
 
WildBill3/75 said:
I'm not going to get in a pissing match...as long as you like the rifle that's all that matters. But honestly I don't see how it couldn't be much under TRG prices... a ballpark price for a Trg 42 is $3500(I payed less than that but I'm just giving ball park #'s here) You should really be comparing the tikka to a TRG 22 as that relates to a Tikka more....which just looking @ gunbroker you can get for $3100 shipped.
whiskey 3 folder chassis $1300
Stock tikka rifle $700
Barrel blank $350
Cerakote, threading, fitting, all that time in labor.

SPS package $700(this saying he is nice and is giving you a break)
Cerakote...don't know how much SAC charges but it's generally around $200 for a rifle

That's $3250....just ballparking here of course. Also will never know if the TRG could of shot better than that with hand loads as I sold it but for factory ammo shooting that's damn good. If you do some searching you will see my experience is quite common for off the shelf TRG's....they just shoot.
Click to expand...

There is no contest, don't see why you would take it that way. This is just people expressing their opinions. I have time with both setups and I wouldn't go back to a TRG. Out of the box they still need parts and I dislike that thin barrel contour, gets hot way to fast.
OK, say you get your TRG42 for the price you said $3500.00. By the time you buy a scope base, muzzle brake, and bipod…. you are nearly at $4000.00. I have never seen anyone get away with charging nearly $500.00 for a muzzle device….. except for Sako.

So, with your other pricing you think the TRG22 is better then a custom rifle for the $150.00? Again, you are still missing parts off that factory rifle that most shooters want. With the TRG your options are limited. Like others have said most guys are not buying them to strip them down. But for the minuscule price difference, I am going custom build every time. That's my opinion because I have been thru it. I may give them the upside on triggers, but the one I received is actually very crisp and breaks clean. Otherwise, I have no wants or needs for a Sako. They don't come in the calibers I shoot, I would be forced to re-barrel right away. Which is more money spent up front.

As far as accuracy, the custom setup I am running is shooting same hole groups off factory ammo. Hornady 140gr AMAX.
 
Last edited:
You can build a very nice custom Tikka for just a bit over $2000. I should know, I did it. Love the Tikkas. No better value.
 
WildBill3/75 said:
I'm not going to get in a pissing match...as long as you like the rifle that's all that matters. But honestly I don't see how it couldn't be much under TRG prices... a ballpark price for a Trg 42 is $3500(I payed less than that but I'm just giving ball park #'s here) You should really be comparing the tikka to a TRG 22 as that relates to a Tikka more....which just looking @ gunbroker you can get for $3100 shipped.
whiskey 3 folder chassis $1300
Stock tikka rifle $700
Barrel blank $350
Cerakote, threading, fitting, all that time in labor.

SPS package $700(this saying he is nice and is giving you a break)
Cerakote...don't know how much SAC charges but it's generally around $200 for a rifle

That's $3250....just ballparking here of course. Also will never know if the TRG could of shot better than that with hand loads as I sold it but for factory ammo shooting that's damn good. If you do some searching you will see my experience is quite common for off the shelf TRG's....they just shoot.
Click to expand...

Your arguement is leaving out critical peices.

1. You are stuck with standard calibers with the TRG. Look at adding atleast $600 to your price for anything other than .308/.338LM. Even the 300WM guns sell for a premium.
2. Compare a Worked T3 in a KRG Folder (~2500, Tikka's need min to no truing) to a TRG FOLDER.... Or Add the price of the folding KRG stock to a TRG and the price gets away pretty quick.

For some odd reason, Sako/Berretta feel the Folding stock is worth $2500? Ide rather take a TRG, throw a KRG Folder and a AICS Front end and have the best of both worlds. Or just buy a Sporter/Tac/Varmit and have a gun that shoots every bit as good as a TRG for a fraction of the cost, and drop it into whatever stock/chassis you want.
 
Cobracutter said:
Your arguement is leaving out critical peices.

1. You are stuck with standard calibers with the TRG. Look at adding atleast $600 to your price for anything other than .308/.338LM. Even the 300WM guns sell for a premium.
2. Compare a Worked T3 in a KRG Folder (~2500, Tikka's need min to no truing) to a TRG FOLDER.... Or Add the price of the folding KRG stock to a TRG and the price gets away pretty quick.

For some odd reason, Sako/Berretta feel the Folding stock is worth $2500? Ide rather take a TRG, throw a KRG Folder and a AICS Front end and have the best of both worlds. Or just buy a Sporter/Tac/Varmit and have a gun that shoots every bit as good as a TRG for a fraction of the cost, and drop it into whatever stock/chassis you want.
Click to expand...

I completely agree that SAKO accessories are completely overpriced, they must be smoking something to think that the stock folder is worth what they want. Luckily there are quality aftermarket accessories for the TRG line made by other manufactures. If you are looking for a "different" caliber you should be looking at a used TRG and rebarreling it. I saw a good looking TRG 22 in 308 on GB yesterday with a buy it now of $2200, rebarrel it in 6.5CM/6.5x47L and you are still under the 3k threshold.
 
My Bone Stock Factory Tikka T3 CTR 20" .308 Shot Every Bit as Accurate as my TRG22 did. It's the Best Bang for the Buck on the Market! Too bad they stopped selling the CTR line. Put it in a KRG W3 and you have a an Awesome Package that loses nothing to the SAKOs.
 
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