TIKKA T3X 6.5 CM (Tac A1 vs Lite w/KRG Bravo & PRV pre-fit barrel)?

[pistolpeta]

Hello all,
New member, been reading through post after post on the similar topics and have gotten alot of good options/opinions from 160 page posts (man that took alot of time).

I almost pulled the trigger on purchasing a Tikka T3X TAC A1 in 6.5CM, 24" for ~$1580.00 (after tax/fees)
Read alot on these forums and am not entirely sold on the Tac A1 now.
Alot of guys recommend going with a t3x Lite and then buying a stock/chassis (KRG Bravo) and an aftermarket barrel.

If I purchased the T3X Lite (~$600.00) + KRG Bravo (~$390.00) + PRV barrel 18"-24" (~$600.00) + whatever fees to have a GS help me out = ~$1600.00 +?

Which do you think would be the better rifle to take me out to 1K yards, potential to use in PRS, and Hunt with if needed?
On top of that, what barrel length would you go with?

Thanks!

 

[jcmullis2]

Spend a couple of hundred dollars more and buy a custom action. There’s a defiance rebel just listed on the px for $900. Search for defiance rebel and you’ll see it. Get it and a 26” mtu contour remage barrel for $400 from NSS northland shooter supply and the krg bravo stock and a trigger. You’ll be set for a long time and have a great custom rifle instead of another guy with a tikka that wants to get a custom rifle. Trust me

 

[pistolpeta]

Spend a couple of hundred dollars more and buy a custom action. There’s a defiance rebel just listed on the px for $900. Search for defiance rebel and you’ll see it. Get it and a 26” mtu contour remage barrel for $400 from NSS northland shooter supply and the krg bravo stock and a trigger. You’ll be set for a long time and have a great custom rifle instead of another guy with a tikka that wants to get a custom rifle. Trust me

Sorry man, I really am new. Whats the px where its listed?

 

[jcmullis2]

Sorry man, I really am new. Whats the px where its listed?

It’s where members sell their stuff. New guys can buy but can’t sell unless they pay a little bit. You get some great deals on stuff here. Search “Wts defiance rebel” in the search box and it’ll pull up the defiance rebel the guy wants to sell WTS and any other ones people are selling. Search Wts krg also. Like I said you can search around and get really good deals. That action new is probably over $1300. People list stuff constantly so you might can save a chunk of money. Good luck and build you a custom rifle they’re really nice, it’s easy to do, and it’ll retain its value. Good luck and happy shooting

 

[awpk03s]

Short answer is to get both, haha.
I have a Tac A1 w/24” 6.5CM. It’s a real hammer of a rifle. I also have a T3 Lite that I put in a KRG Bravo, CTR mag, 17” 6.5CM Carbon Six barrel. It is a super rifle that I’m really happy with.

The Tac A1 is what I primarily shoot at matches. The T3 shorty rifle is made for hunting and walking around woods and hills. I would not have the Tac A1 for that purpose because it’s heavy as shit.

I would recommend you get behind each system (Tac A1 chassis, Bravo) and decide what fits you best.

 

[pistolpeta]

Hahaha, if only!

I know, this is a rabbit hole that only gets more expensive...

What do yall think about this?
https://masterpiecearms.com/shop/mpa-ba-pmr-competition-rifle/

 

[BikePilot]

I haven’t shot it, but it looks really nice. For a first gun of this type I like a factory rifle that you can immediately go shoot and not have to build up. The Tac A1 is a tremendous value and works great. I’d snag that or the MPA you linked to and get shooting.

 

[jcmullis2]

Maybe google a defiance tenacity or bighorn origin. They’re both good actions for less than $900. $350 for the krg bravo and $150 for a Timney trigger. A Proof research prefit barrel is like $500 from Altus shooting. That’s $1900 and less than 30 minutes to assemble. There’s not a Tikka made that’s anywhere near as nice or a Tikka owner who wouldn’t trade their favorite tikka for it. Don’t make the same mistake as others by spending that much money on a mass produced rifle. Add the rifle I just described to your post and see what people here recommend. There’s nothing wrong with Tikkas but to spend the cost of a custom rifle on one would be foolish. Just saying

 

[hellishot]

Go for a custom. Build what you want.

 

[pistolpeta]

Maybe google a defiance tenacity or bighorn origin. They’re both good actions for less than $900. $350 for the krg bravo and $150 for a Timney trigger. A Proof research prefit barrel is like $500 from Altus shooting. That’s $1900 and less than 30 minutes to assemble. There’s not a Tikka made that’s anywhere near as nice or a Tikka owner who wouldn’t trade their favorite tikka for it. Don’t make the same mistake as others by spending that much money on a mass produced rifle. Add the rifle I just described to your post and see what people here recommend. There’s nothing wrong with Tikkas but to spend the cost of a custom rifle on one would be foolish. Just saying

30 mins to assemble!
I’ve been able to assemble AR’s but haven’t ever done a bolt gun let alone a precision bolt gun. (Stupid question) Is there any special tooling required to seat the barrel? I’ve seen shouldered and nutted barrels but don’t know anything about the details.
Also, short action versus medium action?
The defiance has medium-long while bighorn has short-long.
I don’t even know how to compare the two to be honest. I know I’ve got a lot of research to do.

 

[Bakwa]

Unless looking for resale value, then go custom. I'd only get the Tac A1 if you might need to sell it down the road.
If you really like Tikka, or if you like to save every penny, then re-barreling a Tikka is a decent option. Otherwise, I'd spend a little extra on a custom action or buy a "production rifle" from any of the big custom rifle companies.
I love Tikka's, but remember that either path you end up taking will be worth what you pay.

 

[AKMarty]

Europtic has the Tac A1 on sale $400 off. At that price you can shoot out the barrel as you learn and then put on a new barrel, caliber in any standard bolt face. My Tac A1 shoots 1/2 MOA on factory ammo. Tikka is a single action size that is driven by the bolt & bolt stop. Not long enough for the really long cartridges but still pretty flexible.

 

[jcmullis2]

30 mins to assemble!
I’ve been able to assemble AR’s but haven’t ever done a bolt gun let alone a precision bolt gun. (Stupid question) Is there any special tooling required to seat the barrel? I’ve seen shouldered and nutted barrels but don’t know anything about the details.
Also, short action versus medium action?
The defiance has medium-long while bighorn has short-long.
I don’t even know how to compare the two to be honest. I know I’ve got a lot of research to do.

Defiance just gave their actions different names. TheIr medium is same as a Remington 700 short action is all. Their long is the same as a Remington 700 long action. Their short is the same as a Remington model 7.
To assemble you screw your barrel in the action and torque to about 70ft/LBs. The trigger is held in by 2 roll pins and the action is held in the stock with 2 screws. Easy as can be. Don’t get scared outta getting the nicest rifle you’ll ever have. Everyone on this forum will offer you help on a custom build. You don’t want to be at the range in a couple months admiring some guys custom rifle and trying to explain why you spent the same money on your Tikka because you didn’t wanna screw the barrel in. Ask the tikka guys why they didn’t buy a custom rig instead. I’d love to here those answers

 

[AKMarty]

Defiance just gave their actions different names. TheIr medium is same as a Remington 700 short action is all. Their long is the same as a Remington 700 long action. Their short is the same as a Remington model 7.
To assemble you screw your barrel in the action and torque to about 70ft/LBs. The trigger is held in by 2 roll pins and the action is held in the stock with 2 screws. Easy as can be. Don’t get scared outta getting the nicest rifle you’ll ever have. Everyone on this forum will offer you help on a custom build. You don’t want to be at the range in a couple months admiring some guys custom rifle and trying to explain why you spent the same money on your Tikka because you didn’t wanna screw the barrel in. Ask the tikka guys why they didn’t buy a custom rig instead. I’d love to here those answers

1/2 MOA is 1/2 MOA. Could I assemble a rifle? By all means. This thread is about people sharing their experience and letting him decide. What is your experience w the Tikka?

 

[AirgunnerPCP]

Defiance just gave their actions different names. TheIr medium is same as a Remington 700 short action is all. Their long is the same as a Remington 700 long action. Their short is the same as a Remington model 7.
To assemble you screw your barrel in the action and torque to about 70ft/LBs. The trigger is held in by 2 roll pins and the action is held in the stock with 2 screws. Easy as can be. Don’t get scared outta getting the nicest rifle you’ll ever have. Everyone on this forum will offer you help on a custom build. You don’t want to be at the range in a couple months admiring some guys custom rifle and trying to explain why you spent the same money on your Tikka because you didn’t wanna screw the barrel in. Ask the tikka guys why they didn’t buy a custom rig instead. I’d love to here those answers

I got a Tikka simply because I'd rather not tinker with the rifle. Instead I'd rather go and shoot. I chose Tikka based on their reputation for accuracy (which I wasn't disappointed by) and, specifically the CTR, because the magazine is pretty slick. Could've built a custom rifle but honestly I wanted an out of the box solution.

I don't really lust after the custom guns since the Tikka covers all my needs and more. They're cool don't get me wrong but at the end of the day the performance is about the same.

 

[Steel head]

I recently got get behind a bravo and I found it impressively comfy.

 

[jcmullis2]

I don’t have to own a Tikka to know a custom is better. If Tikkas were as good as custom rifles the championship winners would be using them.
Most of us have made the mistake of buying at least one over priced factory rifle. I know that I have. I listened to people who had bought the expensive factory rifles and bought that bs “they’re just as good line”. I didn’t know any better until it was too late. Now that I have custom rigs I see what I missed out on. That’s why I share this information with others. When a man spends a couple grand on a rifle he wants the best bang for his money. What kind of person would I be to withhold this information? It takes a real piece of work to knowingly let another person make a $2000 mistake just because you did.

 

[DownhillFromHere]

Having gone from factory rifles (Tikkas) to customs, I would say there is some wisdom to going custom early on - if you have the support you need if things don't go as smoothly as one always hopes. I personally wouldn't go full custom without having a good local smith to lean on.

If you want to believe you can buy used parts and screw them together for your first precision rifle and be guided by the wisdom of the internet, you are the definition of optimism. Or some other word. If you've built ARs, that's something.

In addition to the pieces and basic tools, you'll need a barrel vise, action wrench, torque wrench, and go/no-go gauges, and the knowledge to use them. The internet knows all. Hopefully you have some local expertise to get you started.

If you get everything together and there's an issue - pieces don't fit, gun won't shoot, whatever - are you comfortable that you can get the help you need locally? If not, are you good with sending your rig off... someplace... for troubleshooting, paying for it, and doing without the firearm for however long?

Of course, there's no guarantee that a factory rifle won't give you trouble. One of mine suffered a primer light-strike issue, wouldn't reliably fire CCI 450 primers. LGS where I bought it sent it back (on their dime) to Beretta, where it sat for five weeks, and was no better when I got it back. My longtime friend and gunsmith diagnosed and fixed the issue - improperly radiused firing pin tip - in 15 minutes.

I just put together a custom on a Defiance Deviant w/ 2 bolts, Trigger Tech Diamond trigger ,and Bartlein barrels (.223, 6.5CM) in an MDT ACC chassis. Not an "entry level" rig. The 6.5CM runs as slick as my TAC A1 did, and that's saying something. The .223 - almost. Cartridge sometimes hangs when almost fully into the chamber. Once again, my friend & gunsmith, who did the barrel machining, diagnosed the issue in minutes and will do the moments of lathe work to fix it as soon as I'm ready to give it back to him for a day or two. Oh, and we all learned from Defiance that you can put a .384-face (for .223 Rem) bolt in a Deviant action originally shipped with a .473 bolt face (for .308, 6.5CM, etc), but not the other way around - the actions are not the same.

If a hiccup like these happened with your new rig, can you get help locally?

Did I ever feel like I made a mistake buying either of my Tikkas? No.
Did I ever regret not going custom first time around? No.
Is my new $3300 custom wearing a $3600 scope more accurate than my $1700 Tikka wearing a $1600 scope? Not over $3500 worth.
Does it make me more competitive? O gawd no.
Do I feel more accepted by the cool kids because I'm not shooting a factory rifle anymore? I have no idea, and the reality is I do not give a single flying damn about the opinions of dipshit pricks to whom such things are important. I've had the honor of shooting with a few legends in their disciplines, and not a one of them ever acted like that kind of asshole.

If you can get a TAC A1 in 6.5CM with a 24" barrel for $1600, you'll get an excellent rifle, and I'm pretty sure Beretta is still doing the free third magazine offer. Yes, it comes with a flat rib. But any decent scope will still get you to over 1000 yards. Yes, the Tikka barrels run a little slow compared to most others - but barrels are consumables. If you go custom, that's great too. Just make sure you go in prepared for unexpected bumps in the road.

 

[AirgunnerPCP]

I don’t have to own a Tikka to know a custom is better. If Tikkas were as good as custom rifles the championship winners would be using them.

To make a statement like this you have to define what "better/good" is. If OP's intention was to use the rifle exclusively for competition, sure you would have a point. However that's not what OP said so disregarding factory options just because top competitors aren't using them is a dumb argument to make.

Most of us have made the mistake of buying at least one over priced factory rifle. I know that I have. I listened to people who had bought the expensive factory rifles and bought that bs “they’re just as good line”. I didn’t know any better until it was too late. Now that I have custom rigs I see what I missed out on. That’s why I share this information with others. When a man spends a couple grand on a rifle he wants the best bang for his money. What kind of person would I be to withhold this information? It takes a real piece of work to knowingly let another person make a $2000 mistake just because you did.

Calling into question a person's character because they don't immediately recommend building a custom rifle is weird.

For OP: If I was in your shoes, I'd go with the T3X/Bravo option then shoot it until the barrel is burned out (take the money saved and put it towards optics/ammo if you don't already have that covered). Like another poster said, Tikka barrels have a tendency to be slow compared to others but for what you've described it'll be fine for you.

 

[jcmullis2]

To make a statement like this you have to define what "better/good" is. If OP's intention was to use the rifle exclusively for competition, sure you would have a point. However that's not what OP said so disregarding factory options just because top competitors aren't using them is a dumb argument to make.


Calling into question a person's character because they don't immediately recommend building a custom rifle is weird.

For OP: If I was in your shoes, I'd go with the T3X/Bravo option then shoot it until the barrel is burned out (take the money saved and put it towards optics/ammo if you don't already have that covered). Like another poster said, Tikka barrels have a tendency to be slow compared to others but for what you've described it'll be fine for you.

I never questioned anyone’s character I referred to myself throughout my reply. The part I believe you are referring to and saying is weird, might be to you. However I don’t think it would be right for me sit by and knowingly let anyone make a costly mistake that I had made myself without saying anything. I suppose that trying to help someone with the benefit of past experience is something you don’t understand so it’s weird to you. Unfortunately being kind to strangers is a foreign concept to some people. However I think I understand you a little better now. That says a great deal about the sort of person you are and I truly feel sorry for you.

 

[pistolpeta]

Guys, I know each of you are taking your time to help me and I don't think anything was initially said in malice. But alot of misunderstanding is for sure haha. Each of you has brought me topics and views I haven't yet experienced and I owe you. Not that the Tikka is a bad choice at all (especially not for that price).
I'll see what I can muster thats close in price to the tac A1/T3X bravo in regards to custom and then go from there.

Any pointers on Bighorn Origin vs Defiance Tenacity? or heck, Curtis Axiom?
I guess I don't know what one offers when compared to the other.


Lastly,


I took a chance, a calculated risk and purchased an Arken Optics EP-4, 6-24x50FFP.
I know, you get what you pay for mentality, but i just couldnt pass it up after the praise it drew from so many Optics reviewers on youtube that I trust.

 

[AirgunnerPCP]

I never questioned anyone’s character I referred to myself throughout my reply. The part I believe you are referring to and saying is weird, might be to you. However I don’t think it would be right for me sit by and knowingly let anyone make a costly mistake that I had made myself without saying anything. I suppose that trying to help someone with the benefit of past experience is something you don’t understand so it’s weird to you. Unfortunately being kind to strangers is a foreign concept to some people. However I think I understand you a little better now. That says a great deal about the sort of person you are and I truly feel sorry for you.

Alright, clearly I missed your tone in your previous reply and I came off as harsh in my reply. Wasn't how it was intended but these things get lost over text conversation on the Internet.

 

[jcmullis2]

Guys, I know each of you are taking your time to help me and I don't think anything was initially said in malice. But alot of misunderstanding is for sure haha. Each of you has brought me topics and views I haven't yet experienced and I owe you. Not that the Tikka is a bad choice at all (especially not for that price).
I'll see what I can muster thats close in price to the tac A1/T3X bravo in regards to custom and then go from there.

Any pointers on Bighorn Origin vs Defiance Tenacity? or heck, Curtis Axiom?
I guess I don't know what one offers when compared to the other.


Lastly,


I took a chance, a calculated risk and purchased an Arken Optics EP-4, 6-24x50FFP.
I know, you get what you pay for mentality, but i just couldnt pass it up after the praise it drew from so many Optics reviewers on youtube that I trust.

Funny you should ask because I just got another defiance tenacity and they are sweeeeet. I went with it instead of a bighorn origin only because I wanted a shiny stainless rig. The little extra cost over the origin will be saved because I won’t need to pay to have a barrel cerakoted to match my action. If I wanted another black rig I would have gotten an origin. The origin is a better deal in some ways. The tenacity has a integral recoil lug which I prefer over a pinned recoil lug. Just my personal preference because it’s one less part. The machining is awesome and it’s as smooth as glass. I got it from Altus shooting and they have the origin too. Idk if they have a Curtis or not. Any of the ones you mentioned will serve you well. Here’s a few pics of the Defiance Tenacity so you can see how they come. Good luck and happy shooting

 

[Jackomason]

Ive got an origin and love it. honestly youd probably have something wrong with you if you couldn't figure out how to assemble it yourself. really where youre looking there are no bad choices. not sure if the Ultimatum Defacto is out yet but it sounds like it might be your golden ticket. plus it'd save you the cost of tools.

thats $1,000 for a barreled action w/trigger tech and then all youd need is a stock/chassis of your choice.

 

[want2learn]

i was strongly considering either the Ultimatum Defacto barreled action with Trigger Tech trigger they have on sale for $1k...add a GRS or similar stock...this would still keep your total cost around the same at the Tikka TAC A1: https://www.ultimatumprecision.com/...ion-w-triggertech-trigger-pre-sale-50-deposit

or this one for $1476: https://dahlonegaarmory.com/product...-6mm-creed-acc-chassis-arca-rl#product_detail

 

[jcmullis2]

Ive got an origin and love it. honestly youd probably have something wrong with you if you couldn't figure out how to assemble it yourself. really where youre looking there are no bad choices. not sure if the Ultimatum Defacto is out yet but it sounds like it might be your golden ticket. plus it'd save you the cost of tools.

thats $1,000 for a barreled action w/trigger tech and then all youd need is a stock/chassis of your choice.

The ultimatum defacto sounds like a darn good deal. Do either of you guys know if it’s gonna have the floating bolt head that also allows you to choose a different bolt head for other chamberings? I didn’t see that feature included on the pre sale ad. They mentioned that the safety prevents drop in fitting on current chassis but they were working with chassis makers. Do y’all know if a drop in chassis is available yet? I don’t know if I’d want to carve on a new chassis that I just spent a chunk of money on. It might not be to bad on a $350 chassis but on a $1000 chassis I don’t know if I could bring myself to do it Lol. If you fellas know please let the rest of us know. Thanks

 

[Harman117]

Defiance just gave their actions different names. TheIr medium is same as a Remington 700 short action is all. Their long is the same as a Remington 700 long action. Their short is the same as a Remington model 7.
To assemble you screw your barrel in the action and torque to about 70ft/LBs. The trigger is held in by 2 roll pins and the action is held in the stock with 2 screws. Easy as can be. Don’t get scared outta getting the nicest rifle you’ll ever have. Everyone on this forum will offer you help on a custom build. You don’t want to be at the range in a couple months admiring some guys custom rifle and trying to explain why you spent the same money on your Tikka because you didn’t wanna screw the barrel in. Ask the tikka guys why they didn’t buy a custom rig instead. I’d love to here those answers

After selling off the factory barrel/stock from my last Stainless Tikka T3X Lite I was at about $430 for the action and trigger.

That's a stainless steel action with:
- 70 degree bolt lift
- swappable bolt handle options
- options for pinned scope rails
- side bolt release
- great factory trigger
- SHOULDERED prefit barrels available

What's not to like at that price? How are you not impressed by the fact that they are able to do this on such a large scale and be competitively priced?

I am not saying it's better than a custom, but its value should be obvious; especially to a newer shooter or one on a budget.

I've always found that the shooter makes the biggest difference. Getting a less expensive rifle first and spending more on ammo or training has merit over paying more for a custom rifle.

 

[jcmullis2]

After selling off the factory barrel/stock from my last Stainless Tikka T3X Lite I was at about $430 for the action and trigger.

That's a stainless steel action with:
- 70 degree bolt lift
- swappable bolt handle options
- options for pinned scope rails
- side bolt release
- great factory trigger
- SHOULDERED prefit barrels available

What's not to like at that price? How are you not impressed by the fact that they are able to do this on such a large scale and be competitively priced?

I am not saying it's better than a custom, but its value should be obvious; especially to a newer shooter or one on a budget.

I've always found that the shooter makes the biggest difference. Getting a less expensive rifle first and spending more on ammo or training has merit over paying more for a custom rifle.

There’s nothing wrong with Tikka rifles and trigger time is always a good thing. I simply believe that if a person planning to shell out nearly $2k on a rifle they might as well build themselves a custom rig. I believe factory actions have a place but I wouldn’t go through all the things you did to get one for $430. I just bought a new stainless Remington 700 action for $349 from Buds guns. It’s slick as owl shit too. I like Remington as much as others like Tikka so I totally understand defending a product that has always served you well. I’d love to see your Tikka so msg some pics if you want. Feast your eyes on my new remy.

 

[pistolpeta]

So now Im down to Bighorn (Origin) vs Defiance (Tenacity).
When they say the Origins a savage prefit and the tenacity is a Rem 700, which one has a better after market range of Barrels?

I think they're both 2 lug bolts, (is there a positive to two lug vs three?) from what I've gathered, three lugs may tend to be smoother?
Differences: Origin has a floating/changeable bolt, while the Tenacity has the integrated recoil lug.

I dont know which of these is "Better"per say.
I dont plan on changing calibers, so I dont know if the floating bolt is that advantageous for me.
Theres only like a $50 difference between the two.
I have read alot of great reviews for the Origin though.

Other than the obvious (price$$$) what barrel holds the most value?
I've been recommended proof research stainless barrels.

Im not the biggest fan of the KRG Bravo (looks) but if it feels good and works well than I may just count on its utility and run with it.


Thank you for your time.

 

[jcmullis2]

A recoil lug can give you problems/headaches if it’s not right. It’s an additional link in the chain and IMO the weakest link. It can cause your barrel to be canted. I’m sure a origin will be fine with the original recoil lug but subsequent lugs may give you a pain in the ass. If you aren’t going to use different bolt heads then the tenacity would be my choice. They’re good and lots of good stuff for the Remington footprint.

 

[Harman117]

There’s nothing wrong with Tikka rifles and trigger time is always a good thing. I simply believe that if a person planning to shell out nearly $2k on a rifle they might as well build themselves a custom rig. I believe factory actions have a place but I wouldn’t go through all the things you did to get one for $430. I just bought a new stainless Remington 700 action for $349 from Buds guns. It’s slick as owl shit too. I like Remington as much as others like Tikka so I totally understand defending a product that has always served you well. I’d love to see your Tikka so msg some pics if you want. Feast your eyes on my new remy.

I agree, it's hard to argue against a custom when your spending $2k. Even though, there are still caveats to it; factoring in the additional tools is one that most people forget to mention and account for.

I didn't go through much trouble to get a bare Tikka action and trigger. Just purchased the rifle, removed the barrel and sold the barrel/stock on eBay. Not any harder than putting one together.

$350 isn't a bad price, and it does look pretty nice (congrats) but it kind of counters all your previously mentioned points/logic. You'll have to deal with a recoil lug, no shouldered prefits, Trigger isn't as good, no pinned rail, no side bolt release, no user changeable bolt handles, etc... Granted you don't "need" that extra stuff and the Rem700 still has the most aftermarket support, but for me the value isn't there when compared to other modern options.

I'll attach a pic of my latest Tikka here since that relates to the original thread topic. Still waiting on a Sterk handle, and barrel (I'm undecided on caliber at the moment)

 

[jcmullis2]

I agree, it's hard to argue against a custom when your spending $2k. Even though, there are still caveats to it; factoring in the additional tools is one that most people forget to mention and account for.

I didn't go through much trouble to get a bare Tikka action and trigger. Just purchased the rifle, removed the barrel and sold the barrel/stock on eBay. Not any harder than putting one together.

$350 isn't a bad price, and it does look pretty nice (congrats) but it kind of counters all your previously mentioned points/logic. You'll have to deal with a recoil lug, no shouldered prefits, Trigger isn't as good, no pinned rail, no side bolt release, no user changeable bolt handles, etc... Granted you don't "need" that extra stuff and the Rem700 still has the most aftermarket support, but for me the value isn't there when compared to other modern options.

I'll attach a pic of my latest Tikka here since that relates to the original thread topic. Still waiting on a Sterk handle, and barrel (I'm undecided on caliber at the moment)

That’s a good looking rifle you have. Tikka makes a fine rifle.
I believe that I also put some pics of my tenacity I just got too on this post. I have many and I do mean many rifles. I build or buy with a specific use in mind and set up each accordingly. Some cost thousands and others a few hundred.
The OP said he wanted something for eld, to compete in prs, and some hunting. I recommend a custom rig with those things in mind.

 

[vash522]

Uh oh Pete, welcome to the Hide! haha the guys on here are always eager to help ya spend your money! A great wealth of info and experience. I'm usually drooling over the projects they put together. Almost surprised someone hasn't just sent you in the route of an AI just because that's what they do lol. I'll confirm that in your similar situation, the Origin and the Tenacity have been my 2 most likely picks with the origin edging out but mostly because I already have savage pattern barrels and Remington pattern triggers that are ready to be installed. I'll be watching the outcome and if you do go the build route, I'll give you a hand with the tools I've collected over the years. Build or Factory ready seems to be your first major decision to make here.

Cheers bud!

 

[pistolpeta]

Uh oh Pete, welcome to the Hide! haha the guys on here are always eager to help ya spend your money! A great wealth of info and experience. I'm usually drooling over the projects they put together. Almost surprised someone hasn't just sent you in the route of an AI just because that's what they do lol. I'll confirm that in your similar situation, the Origin and the Tenacity have been my 2 most likely picks with the origin edging out but mostly because I already have savage pattern barrels and Remington pattern triggers that are ready to be installed. I'll be watching the outcome and if you do go the build route, I'll give you a hand with the tools I've collected over the years. Build or Factory ready seems to be your first major decision to make here.

Cheers bud!

HAHA! You found me!

Yeah, I keep going back and forth on factory/semi custom.
There aren't that many comparison reviews on youtube to aid me this time.

I'll let you know which route I go and which action, that way you can pick up the other and we got both bases covered haha

 

[pistolpeta]

Found a deal on an MPA BA PMR "PRO" Competition Rifle in 6.5CM.
Looking forward to bangin' steel!

 

[jcmullis2]

I don’t know how they can sell them for what they do and still make a profit. Great find for sure. That rifle will meet all of your requirements and be with you a long time. Post pics after you get your if it’s not too much trouble. You have chosen wisely

 

[pistolpeta]

I don’t know how they can sell them for what they do and still make a profit. Great find for sure. That rifle will meet all of your requirements and be with you a long time. Post pics after you get your if it’s not too much trouble. You have chosen wisely

Of course, brother!
Thank you and everyone who helped me commit to a rifle haha.

 

[jcmullis2]

I think we all enjoy talking guns and the benefits of one over another. The hide members have a wealth of knowledge and you were able to tap into that. I don’t know if we helped much or not but I’m certain you made a great choice. That’s a awesome deal you found that’s for sure. I know you couldn’t build that rifle for that price. Now you gotta come up with a good name for her and something sexy too. I look forward to seeing pics of her after you get her all dressed up and ready to go.

 

[azrifleman]

Why am I reading this only after I got the same idea and bought a stainless steel CTR?

 

[pistolpeta]

Its all good brother!
It'll be an awesome rifle from what I've heard!
If its not awesome enough for you, try something else later

 

[azrifleman]

Yup, hoping and waiting for the Labor Day sale at KRG.