Tikka glow-up

[Skillet]

In an effort to not go crazy waiting for parts to show up, I decided to finally put my Tikka T3 Lite SS project together.  I was always curious about how much of an improvement could be made to arguably one of the best out-of-the-box shooters you can buy for $700.  Tikkas have always had fanboys and haters, in seemingly equal numbers.  I've owned a few (a T3 Lite SS in 270WSM and this T3 Lite SS in 30-06).

A few notes -

-This is T3, not a T3X. 
-My main goal isn't accuracy improvement as the gun shot between .75-1.25" with anything I put through it, but a general feel and usefulness.
-I bought the gun used from a member on here many years ago, and it had a Limbsaver pad installed on it already.  Recoil wasn't bad at all with that pad.  My 270WSM had a factory pad on it, and it was more noticeable with those 140 accubonds than the 30-06 was with 180's.
-Goal for the gun is a Southeast Alaska All-Purpose unit - blacktail and moose primarily, with the possibility for some black bear, mountain goat and elk.  Most of our hunting is done in wet brush, dark timber, and shorter ranges.  The exception is shooting across muskeg from a high point, where you can be looking at 300 yards pretty easily, or along the beach.  It might find itself along on an interior moose hunt at some point, but probably not my gun for a Brown Bear hunt.  I may still use a 30-06, but if so I'll take Grandpa's old Pre-64 Featherweight for that.

30-06 is about the least sexy round out there, but I've come back to it after playing with a number of other rounds.  It's what I started with, it plain works, and with current bullet construction technology and accurate guns it's a serious 500 yard deer cartridge.  My current blacktail rig is a stainless M700 in 25-06, and it is a laser (producer credit goes to @H20hunter for that) - but the 24" barrel and relatively heavier weight are noticeable on long slogs through the brush.  Also, a little light for moose in my opinion - and there is always the issue of having to deal with a coastal brown with a bad attitude.  Sitka has had to kill 12 bears this winter due to them getting too comfy with being in town (some in Indian River park and them being aggressive towards people in there, but mostly garbage bears).  I'm not a big sidearm guy, I've always been taught - and still believe - the best bear/cougar defense weapon is the rifle you're carrying.  But that's a whole 'nother dead horse to beat in a different thread.  Bottom line is, I like a .308 diameter defense vs a .257 defense.

Here is the subject, my lowly Tikka in 30-06.  Scope was taken off to use on the 25-06, so I didn't get to shoot it recently before the changes.  But it was just a good average Tikka shootin' iron. Nothing special, and never got my heart pumping with dreams of using it on a hunt like some guns have.  It's the only "before" pic I have of the gun, if you've seen one you've seen them all.

[Skillet]

On tap for upgrades -

Stock-  A few years back I bought a Bell and Carlson Hunter stock for the Tikka.  I HATE the T3 Tikka Lite stocks.  They are light, but they are hollow sounding tupperware that has less than no soul - I think it sucks the soul out of the shooter.  The newer T3x stocks are so much better than the old T3's plastic fantastic's.

Scope - I have a few scopes that could have been used on this, but what else can you do when you manufacture a need for a new scope?  Gotta fill it.  Did I have a lower-power variable?  Nope.  Did I have a new Leupold HD model? Nope.  A call to all of our HuntWa "scope guy" @carpsniper2 got it done.  I settled on a 3HD in 2.5-8.  It's just a 30-06, so I don't need 14 power.  I am coming to appreciate lower profiles more and more, so a 32mm objective is the go to for me.  Most of my shots are going to be under 100 yards, so an initial low power was the goal.  2.5 was perfect as far as I was concerned.  I went Leupold just because that's what I have always done, and I trust it. 

Scope mounts - I've never had the stock Tikka rings fail me, but I do plan on slinging 220's out of this 30-06 (if the 1-11 twist will stabalize them).  I've never used DNZ mounts before, so decided to give them a go.  Plus, they would be lower than the stock rings, a big plus.

Trigger - Gonna refit a trigger out of a mid-80's BLR on this rig.... Jokes, jokes.  Tikka triggers are about the best factory triggers on a production rifle, not going to touch this one.

Bottom metal - Looking at the Mountain Tactical stuff.  Don't necessarily like the shape of the trigger guards, but I do want metal down there instead of the plastic. Probably do bolt end cover and bolt stop from them too.  That's for a later date, however.


That's about it.  I documented most everything I could along the way weight-wise. 

[Skillet]

First order of business was to get original weight. For this I used a super-fancy $10 Harbor Freight scale.  That means that while the scale isn't calibrated, and may be off, the relative weights will still be very accurate.  If one stock component shows "X" oz heaver than another, for example, it's likely very close to that difference.

To start, the Tikka with only rings and empty mag weighted 6# 5.6oz.  Pretty impressive.

I took the factory stock off, and without bottom "metal" or mag, and it weighted 1# 14.6oz.  That seemed heavy from what I had heard, but I remembered this stock had a Limbsaver pad added to it.  That must account for at least 2-3 ounces from the factory hockey puck. 

[Skillet]

The "recoil lug" is something that a lot of people knock on the Tikka's.  I understand why, there really isn't a lug on the action.  It's just a shallow recess in the action that a protrusion in the stock is meant to fit into.  The factory stocks have this embedded aluminum lug.  I've seen some pics of really beat up ones, but mine looked pretty good.  I have no idea of the round count or how heavy of bullets the previous owner was using, but this one didn't look bad at all.  The fact that this was really the only thing that all the recoil was meant to be transferred through, though, is something that just seems like an afterthought and could be a problem with heavy caliber guns.

Limbsaver pic too.  Decent fit, but not "gunsmith grade" installation.

[Skillet]

Now for the B&C Hunter.  What a beautiful upgrade.  Immediately when I picked it up I could feel the difference between this fiberglass stock and the plastic job the Tikka came with.  It doesn't have that awful hollow "knock" the old T3 stocks had, and it has a much better texture.  It is dimensionally very different as well.  Palm swell for right hand shooters that fits oh-so-good in my hand, much wider forestock. I like this quite a bit as I have fairly big hands and super-narrow forestocks feel a little "broomsticky" to me. I hoped this bigger forestock would also mean the weight balance would be shifted forward just a bit, and it is.  The center of gravity on the B&C Hunter is directly in line with the rear action screw  -the factory Tikka stock is about 1/2" back.  Maybe not enough to change the center of gravity perceptibly, but it won't hurt it.

[Skillet]

How about that recoil lug?  The B&C is light-years ahead of the factory stock.  Look at the full-length aluminum bedding block!  It is very well formed and provided a very tight lock-up with the action when I set it in.  No wiggle, no sliding.

[Skillet]

Another pic of the palm swell and one of the area the bottom "metal" goes.  The factory Tikka stock has small brass inserts set into plastic that the action screws pass through. This stock integrates the full aluminum bedding block into the recoil lug and the bases for the action screws to pass through.  Very solid system, in my opinion.

[Skillet]

Here's a pic of the cheekpiece.  It's low and shallow.  I'm not a huge fan of this.  It is likely just what I'm used to, but if they're going to mold one in I think it needs to swell out a bit more higher on the stock's comb.  It just feels like it needs more volume there to me.  It's serviceable, but I found it doesn't help me have an immediate cheek weld like some other rifles I own.  Stocks are pretty complex dimensionally, so I assume there's a few things about this one I'll need to get used to.

Notice the Decelerator pad.  Super clean fit, not as "squishy" as the Limbsaver.  It appears to be open cell foam of some sort, hoping it doesn't turn into a sponge in the Southeast Alaska rain forest.

How about the weight?  All of this awesomeness in the B&C stock vs the factory stock must come at a heavy weight premium.  Well, it was surprisingly light.  B&C stock weight was just 2# 2.7oz - only 4 oz more than the factory Tikka stock with a Limbsaver on it.   That's a weight penalty I'm more than happy to pay for such a big upgrade in feel.

[Skillet]

I dropped the action into the stock and it just seemed to "lock up" together.  It felt really positive, like I said, no slipping or sliding around.  I put the bottom "metal" on and torqued it down.  Slid the 3HD in the factory rings just to get the visual.

Here's the first look.   

[Skillet]

Looking over things much more closely, I noticed how well the action fit the stock.  The rear of the action was perfect, both sides of the action were too.  Turned it over, and the bottom was a little recessed at the back of the trigger guard.  I didn't take a pic of the factory stock fit there, but I'm thinking it was a more flush fit than this. It feels a little funny when I shoulder the gun now, as I'm aware of it and can feel the sharp edge on my middle finger.  Just something I'll need to get used to, or perhaps the Mountain Tactical bottom metal takes up this space?  If anybody has it, let me know.

[Skillet]

Went to check the free float on the barrel.  Slid a $1 bill in (no $20's laying around for this job, tough year  ) and started up the barrel.  It was clean and free all the way to the action.  But what is this?!?  The barrel channel is definitely offset to one side.  I mean, not just a little.  It's quite noticeable.  I'm not thrilled about this.  I don't think it will affect the guns performance at all, since it is still free floated.

But dang, we were off to such a good start.  It's like getting towards the end of a great first date and only then finding out that she doesn't think Die Hard is a Christmas movie. 

On that note, I'll leave the scope and rings for my next series of posts.  Maybe I can find more common ground with her, overlook her offset barrel, and see fit to have a second date.

[andersonjk4]

Fun to follow along.  Thanks for posting.  I did something very similar with a Weatherby Vanguard awhile back.  I had pretty much the same experience with the B&C stock.  Right away everything looks great, but then you notice little fit issues here and there.  Still better than a lot of factory stocks out there.  The B&C stocks are very receptive to a little filing and sanding to improve the fit.  A little Dremel work and some bedding compound and you may be able to "fix" the offset in the barrel.

[Dan-o]

Die Hard not a Cbristmas movie?!?!?!

My day is ruined.

But I will be following.

[packmule]

Great post.

[Stein]

I have the same stock on my even less sexy 30-06 (Remmy 700).  The strange thing about that version is that the barrel isn't free floated, it has tabs that push up against the barrel.  Some say it's there on purpose and improves accuracy.  Some say to grind it off.  I kept it on and shoot .5 MOA, so I don't really care that it's not free floated.

The stock has held up very well, it does have wear marks on the side from where it rubs against my pack, but I bought it to be a working tool, not a show piece.