My stock 300WSM Sako A7 24.3” barrel is sending 175gr LRX bullets at 3100fps at the muzzle with H100V powder. It is a very flat load. This year I recovered a 175LRX bullet from a bull moose shoulder shot at 50m… 70% weight retention. Recovered another bullet from a bull elk shoulder shot at 150m… 90% weight retention. At high velocity / short range these LRX bullets perform similar to a nosler partition, and at longer range they perform like TTSX’s.
@@wahyasaquii7563FYI the 70% retention 175LRX hit the animal at 3000fps The 90% retention bullet hit at 2800fps. Both bullets penetrated large bone structures.
Being a 60+ year gun collector and the Tikka and Sako are the best rifles on the market for their price range🙌 having owned hundreds of guns and a even a lot of custom rifles the Tikka’s are awesome stock or as a base for custom builds👏My favorite is my Sako in my 300wsm and I know I am not alone in this love 🥰
Great episode...Yes Suppressor will change everything even more. My current project and build is going amazing. Tikka T3X that was a 6.5 PRC...bought 18 inch 1 in 8 twist 7 SAUM prefit barrel for Oregon Mountain Rifle and had local Scheels install it for me...filed out barrel contour on factory stock...did break in and I'm so impressed with initial loads. I've shot 5 different loads with 175 ELD-X which is my pressure testing bullet due to cost, but will actually be using the new 160 LRX with it's high BC. Initial load 3 shot groups have been most consistent I've ever loaded in any cartridge...175 ELD-X have been .471, .353, .282, .220, and .194 and I know lots of people say and brag on small groups but this has blown my mind at how easy this cartridge and set up is shooting. My very first group with the new 160 LRX is .589. Added bonus is these 2 loads are capable of using same turret once I have one made...hunting bullets for me will be 160 LRX, 175 ABLR, and 175 ELD-X the way it's shooting will be my pig bullet. All velocities are 2700 FPS or faster. A true 18 inch suppressed Elk rig! I just want to continue custom building Tikka's for friends now...such amazing results.
Congratulations Mark. Not only a firearm to be proud of, but one that will surely serve you well for many years. Come to think of it, the only thing that would make me happier would be you guys FINALLY doing the Cartridge Talk episode on the .358win !!! jmp
I have no plans on buying a tikka. I have no plans on customizing one. I have no plan on buying a .300 wsm. Not hating on either. I’m just to deep in the weeds with my rifles and .300 win mag. However as a long time listener I can’t wait to hear all about Marks famous or maybe even infamous wsm at this point. Great show guys!
This video couldn't have come at a better time. I just got a T3X 300WM stainless super light and been researching building it! I've been looking at all the options on this build. Great to see it come together. And know what I'm looking at in better detail.
Great podcast - here’s my Tikka story. Bought a new M695 in 25-06 in ‘98. Learned how to reload and it was my main rifle that I tried a lot of my reloads out of. Eventually shot the throat out of it and rebarrelled it to a Ron Smith 280AI gain twist. Love that gun. In the meantime bought a T3 varmint stainless in 204R. I broke the stock in a car wreck with my ribs (ouch), and got a custom stock made for it. Also have a 300WM in a M695, shoots half inch. And a 22-250 T3X shoots sub-half inch. Recently bought a used 270W in a stainless T3X, it shoots half inch with Barnes 130ttsx. Put a Boyds maroon/pepper laminated stock in prairie hunter on it. The PO overtightened the front action screw and crushed the factory pillar in the stock. Shot a giant moose cow and a whitetail doe with it this fall, both one shot kills. Also own a M65 in 300WM, its stock, in the process of refinishing the stock. It shoots sub 1”. Love my Tikkas. Also have 2 Sakos. Keep up the great work guys, excellent content!
Well done Mark! If the T3x lite has an Achilles heel it's probably the stock. For my SS .308 I added a pillar bedded Boyd's laminate stock with bottom metal by High Desert Rifle Works and an M-carbo trigger spring. Had the bolt jeweled for some old school bling to complete the rifle. The stock upgrade made a major improvement in recoil management and thus accuracy. The Tikka platform is a great place to start a build. Good hunting!
I’ve watched this video no less than 10 times because I love hearing y’all talk about rifles. I am trying to build a custom long range rifle more for hunting here at home but also for our 1 mile target. I had no idea that the 26, 28, and 30 Nosler cartridges were the same length as a 300 win mag so even in Tikka rifles even though they aren’t offered they can chambered in them. I absolutely love that.
Beautiful rifle, Mark. As an owner of 2 Tikka's in 300 WSM, I can relate to your love. I have a superlight that I had threaded for a break and put into a Stocky's VG2 carbon stock. Super lightweight. My other one has a McGowan 26" barrel that may weigh 10 lbs on it's own. Trying to get the weight up on that one. Put it in an MDT XRS chassis. Love reloading for and shooting those two rifles. Love hunting with the lightweight one.
Shot a .4 MOA group with hornady American whitetail 165s at over 3000fps in mine! Used the bondstrikes though. Took 2 antelope, 2 deer, 2 elk with it this year. 20" barrel with WA 4². I am sold for life on that setup
This was my favourite podcast y'all have done. I'd love to see more of y'all going down the rabbit hole on rifle or round development. Would also love to see more talk about the actual Vortex optics on these rifles, and how you chose the one you ended up with. Also, get a damn suppressor for that thing. I'm Canadian, and would kill to be able to put suppressors on my rifles. Since you have the ability to do that, you should take advantage of it.
Tikka have a factory 6.5PRC that will fit the 300wsm bolt stop length and increase the COAL you can load to without modification to anything on the rifle, they are a 4 round mag too but you can swap the bottom of the 300 mag onto the prc mag to make it back to a 3 round mag too
Owner of many tikka T3 and T3x rifles over the years standard and modified, have also used tikka actions on custom builds they are all insanely accurate in all forms and all cartridges, a mate of mine is a gunsmith and it is one of the only actions he has never had to true. Really nice rifle mate 👌🏼
I've thought often about getting a used Tikka donor action to start a build. It would have to be an exceptional deal with all the fantastic R700 custom clones out there. Hard to justify the purchase when you are just going to chuck the barrel and stock. Already built my dream rifle, Imapact 737 magnum short action, AG Composite Chalkbranch Stalk, Halkins Hunter Bottom Metal, Trigger Tech Trigger, Thunderbeast Suppressor, MDT Ground Pod, Proof Carbon Barrel in 6.8 Western and sorry, not a Vortex, but still very nice, scope.
First off love your channel guys. Enjoy hearing Ryan's knowledge on handloading and cartridges in general. And also your hunting stories mark. Very nice tikka mark, great caliber choice. I love my 300 wsm x bolt. But have recently acquired a T3x 7mm08. Can't wait to load for it. Again big thumbs up on your channel
I had an identical 6 arc hunt this year. Couple hundred out, quartering away, same entrance and exit, absolutely devastating. Went about 10-15 yards. I was using a Savage Carbon Predator and the 103 eld-x. Congrats to you both!!!
Great podcast Gentlemen. If a person was a first time Vortex podcast watcher do yourself a favor and watch older ones where these two are actually shooting. This will open your eyes to the fact that not many hunters out there have better marksmanship skills than these guys. With that said, congratulations on that Bear. Unlike some long range target shooting viewed elswhere, I feel a part of this adventure and couldn't be more excited for you. Great shooting one fine rig.
That’s a sweet rifle. I’ve gone down the rabbit hole of buying a tikka for the action and using it for a custom build several times. I just can’t make it pencil out. I can build a full custom on a custom action for just a few hundred more. And I can’t justify tearing down the tikka I have now because I love it too much as is.
24:28 This right here. If you know the shot is good and no question, then take the shot. If the thought is "I hope I make it," then don't take the shot. Trust your instincts and training.
I'm glad Ryan mentioned the Tikka in 6.5 with the 127 LRX. I've loaded that round into 3 different non Tikka 6.5's and got excellent results. Sig/Howa/Savage. My Tikka.....dog poo. Will not shoot this bullet in factory ammo or any load I've tried. Jumped it .020" to .110" with nothing to shout at. Berger 140 EH's over R16 just laser beams all day. Great video guys
The Tikka T3x is a great rifle and a great rifle to customize. I got a T3x stainless in 7mm Rem Mag and I've swapped everything but the action and trigger in the hope to make it more of a pack rifle. It now has an MDT HNT26 folding chassis, 1:8 twist 24" CarbonSIX barrel, bolt fluted by LRI, a titanium bolt knob, and I shoot it with a Thunderbeast Ultra 5 suppressor. The folding chassis and barrel didn't save me any weight but I like how it looks and love how it shoots. I was not a fan of the recoil of the stock rifle, and the chassis and suppressor each made it way more comfortable for me. There are a few things I do not like. Using the MDT chassis for a magnum long action tikka, you can only use their very heavy billet magazines and they don't even make a flush 3 round mag, only a big heavy 5 round that sticks way off the bottom of the rifle. Which is totally not the point when I was trying to make a packable and lightweight hunting rifle. I was able to cut down a magazine to fit flush in the chassis but it's still several ounces heavier than the stock tikka magazines. But the benefits of a chassis that folds outweighs my irritation about the magazine. I also wish I had gone with a bit shorter of a barrel, its very long even folded, with the 5" suppressor. I'd totally do this again with a short action cartridge that does well with a short barrel. I think a 6 ARC would be a really fun build using the same configuration.
Hey lads. Kiwi viewer here. I have a stock wsm t3x . It was shortened by the gunsmith when I asked him to thread it... A 20" barrel. I'm running a hardy magnum suppressor. Loading 180gr norma ballistic tip Using adi 2209 powder, because that's what's available here. I also had issues with mag restricting the length I could seat. Gun still is the most forgiving I own. It just shoots.... That said, your gun looks wicked...
I took 2 mule deer this year with 129gr LRX out of my 270 doing 3080 (handloads) and a coyote. Coyote was 120 yards and the mule deer were at 323 and 350. Coyote hard quartering to, buck broadside at 323 and doe at 350 hard quartering to. All three bullets went straight through with 1.5” exit hole. All animals went 20 yards or less. Loving that bullet. Also a tikka t3x lite with lightened stock trigger and grs biofrost stock.
Have a similar tikka build myself. 22” 300 WSM carbon six barrel in a Pure Precision Altitude with a SRS arca pic rail. Shoots 212 ELDX 2760 with ADG brass and H100V. Hammered 4 elk between me and some friends with it last year. Hit one of them straight through the heart at 630. The mountain tactical long action tikka mags feed quite well
Beautiful rifle Mark! I am indeed a fan of custom Tikkas! Love what you have done with the rifle! I ended up using a dnz game reaper scope mount over the Talley rings. I personally liked that it came with a single piece mount. I felt it had less room for error when mounting. What height rings did you end up using from Talley? Is that the 3x15-50 or the 3x15-42 scope? If you want to save a couple ounces you can get your bolt fluted. I’ve even heard an argument that it is a performance enhancing feature, that keeps dirt and debris from locking the bolt up. I don’t know how much I believe that myself, but it’s an interesting thought. I’m still trying to justify swapping out a great shooting barrel with a carbon wrapped barrel. I just can’t do it yet. More power to you for following through on the complete customization. Best of luck this season! Thanks for sharing your tikka build Mark!
Just took my biggest, and first Tennessee buck with the 6ARC and a 103ELD-X this past weekend: it’s the third deer I’ve taken with the ARC and works fantastic for ungulate medicine!
I have a T3X in 6.5 cm which is a budget build. I put a stocky stocks carbonfiber, spuhr hunter one piece 34mm mount, primary arms glx 4-16x44, harris bipod, and a sniper tactical stock pouch. I do have plans to upgrade the barrel to an OMR carbon barrel at 22in or 24in TBD. Other than that the stock barrel loves the norma 140 whitetail and consistently group .5 moa at 100 yards with that round specifically. I love the tikka t3x and I have enjoyed the project so far. It has two whitetail kills under its belt both were taken from 130 and 160 yards. Both heart shots one walked about 15ft and died. The other fell straight down. Oh I nearly forgot I also added a burris fastfire 3 reflex sight.
Awesome looking rifle and from the sound of it awesome shooting too. I have wanted a left hand Tikka in 300 WSM especially one with a threaded barrel for 14 years and I still want one. I do have a 300 WSM but it is a right hand Savage M110 Long Range Hunter, which still shoots well. I have been looking at buying a left hand Tikka action and building from there, but it is quite the expensive endeavor. I might have to buy one piece at a time even if it takes me a couple years to get everything
only brand of rifles that ill buy off the shelf!! love all the ones that i have always happy when i get another, currently building a 27 nosler off a tikka action in a mcmillian stock an a carbon 6 barrel with a diligent defense suppressor
I just rewatched the Tikka action video 2 days ago and decided to purchase my second Tikka yesterday! I bought one is 22-250 for smacking coyotes and decided to get one in 7mm-08 for larger critters. Beretta/Sako should be giving y’all a kickback 😂
I own several tikkas all with mountain tactical upgrades which of course solves oal issues but out of all them my 300wsm are my go to. My first one in forest hunter t3 1-11 has taken many game and just acquired a t3x lite in 1-10 and waiting on my Mt order to finish it. In my 1-11 with nosler ablr 168 and h380 at 2.920=dead 🦌 keep em coming
I dream about getting a rifle set up like that! I really appreciated you guys taking about the MV! That's been one of my larger concerns with getting a shorter 300wsm. Good to know I can still keep some good velocity with a respectable bullet weight!
I have a theory on Tikka barrels. They used to use a 1/11 twist in the 300 calibers. Tikka quietly changed the twist rate recently of a few of their offerings.
love my ph2 in 300 win mag. put an area 419 sidewinder brake on it with athlon ares etr. accutac fc4 but added little lead in the stock and she is a tac driver.
Get the gun a hells canyon mag. Designed to work with factory bottom metal and designed to feed the WSM and the PRC rounds. They feed smooth a silk when I moved to the magazine in my custom tikkas.
I’ve toyed with the concept of a Tikka to rebarrel to 280 AI for my boys first big game rifle. Not a hand me down 308 or .223 trainer they use now. Seems to be a more affordable 20-30% cheaper than using custom actions and all. I’ve had older Sakos and several Tikkas from .243 to 270 WSM and 300WM. Like you said they’re forgiving and just shoot well.
My only thought about the tikka is once you buy the gun just to use an action & trigger why not just order a custom action at that point. You’re changing the barrel, and the stock. Add a $300 trigger and a bottom metal and your in a full custom for not much more. A t3x is around a $1000. You can get a pretty nice action for that money. 💰 love your podcast’s not doggin ya just asking the point in this
I was going for a super light left hand bolt gun. Tikka T3X 6.5 Creedmoor 18” barrel threaded 5/8x24 Leupold VX3HD 2.5-8x36 (180616) Peak44 stock (18 oz) ORM bottom metal and magazine MTNGear titanium bolt handle Mountain Tactical bolt shroud Talley ring mounts 6 lbs 5oz Using a Banish Backcountry suppressor on it. Above weight is without the suppressor. Mark should definitely buy a suppressor.
I’d like to see a 7 PRC vs 300 WSM cartridge comparison. Both are essentially modern versions of their respective belted magnum counterparts. Both are shooting bullets in similar grain ranges. I think it would be the modern version of the timeless argument of 7 rem mag and 300 win mag. Which is better all around cartridge.
I have a Tikka T3 in 300 WSM that's my next project. I'm going the opposite direction of Mark though, weight wise. Same color scheme though. 28" heavy target profile (straight taper, 1.125 down to .900) 4 port brake, Bell and Carlson Target/Competition stock, Red Snake Tactical bottom metal. Haven't decided on an optic yet. I think I'm going FFP on this one.
Love the video and the gun. I want to do something similar to your build, but am between Tikka for their famous action and a Browning X-Bolt. Leaning towards the X-bolt though because I feel the need to "graduate" from my SIG 300 WM to a 300 PRC. Why doesn't Tikka make a 300 PRC? Maybe some day....
Mark, send that bolt to LRI for some fluting! Does it help with the function of the rifle? Heck no! Does it look amazing? Yes! I know you appreciate the finer things.
Probably going to do something very similar. FN SPR 300 WSM action, McMillan game scout w/ adj cheek piece, probably a bartlein #3 finished at 21” or 22” threaded for suppressor. 100% on the better stock geometry. I have a featherweight and EW 30-06 M70’s. The EW is in a carbon mcmillan now. Feels like half the recoil
Wisconsin deer hunting a light short easy to carry rifle for tree lines and woods when shots are almost never more than 200 yards. The 6ARC would be totally fine, so would 6.8SPC, 6.5 Grendel, 300 Ham'R or 350 Legend when strait wall is required. Western plains hunting on deer when shots often are beyond 300 yards 243win or 6.5 CM I would say is the minimum. Mark's 300WSM would be a great option.
Mark, if you ever get the chance to go on Joe Rogan, that would be an amazing conversation. You both have a lot in common and your voices are identical. You are a little more upbeat, probably dew to having less THC in your system.
I've been talking about doing a battle swap and new stock to a Tikka for as long as I can remember. Now I have been a huge fan of these rifles for a very long time before it was popular to do so lol. Anyways. I have one in 7rem mag. That I am considering doing the same thing to. Any opinions on caliber. Barrel length any thing of this nature.
10 likes and Mark gets a suppressor(s).
1 from me! Love you guys from VA
Mark, AB10 was 710.00 after taxes and fees. 8 day wait, It's time sir lol
SiCo Scythe Ti
Thunder Beast can
Is he gonna get a suppressor per every 10 likes?
Embarrassing to say but i bought a 300 WSM because of your undying enthusiasm. In Tikka T3.
Suppressed with a dead-air nomad its unreal!!
Great seeing the guys individual rifles. When Ryan finally gets the Mannlicher-Schönauer carbine I expect an hour long episode.
I have a Mannlichef Schoenauer full length rifle in 30-06. Truly an underrated rifle
My dad just picked one up too set trigger is crazy light
I solemnly swear to watch every single podcast yall do that involves tikkas
Glad you guys show Tikka's some love. Tikka actions are great for customizing. Have 3 now; ;1 in 22CM, and 2 in 280ai. It's a beautiful thing.
What barrel did you use for the 280ai?
My stock 300WSM Sako A7 24.3” barrel is sending 175gr LRX bullets at 3100fps at the muzzle with H100V powder.
It is a very flat load.
This year I recovered a 175LRX bullet from a bull moose shoulder shot at 50m… 70% weight retention. Recovered another bullet from a bull elk shoulder shot at 150m… 90% weight retention.
At high velocity / short range these LRX bullets perform similar to a nosler partition, and at longer range they perform like TTSX’s.
I've been using 180CX in my 300WM at 3050fps. Similar results.
Thi is top tier information. Thank you, Sir!!! I’d been on the fence about using the LRX, but not anymore. 👍
@@wahyasaquii7563FYI the 70% retention 175LRX hit the animal at 3000fps
The 90% retention bullet hit at 2800fps.
Both bullets penetrated large bone structures.
Being a 60+ year gun collector and the Tikka and Sako are the best rifles on the market for their price range🙌 having owned hundreds of guns and a even a lot of custom rifles the Tikka’s are awesome stock or as a base for custom builds👏My favorite is my Sako in my 300wsm and I know I am not alone in this love 🥰
Great episode...Yes Suppressor will change everything even more. My current project and build is going amazing. Tikka T3X that was a 6.5 PRC...bought 18 inch 1 in 8 twist 7 SAUM prefit barrel for Oregon Mountain Rifle and had local Scheels install it for me...filed out barrel contour on factory stock...did break in and I'm so impressed with initial loads. I've shot 5 different loads with 175 ELD-X which is my pressure testing bullet due to cost, but will actually be using the new 160 LRX with it's high BC. Initial load 3 shot groups have been most consistent I've ever loaded in any cartridge...175 ELD-X have been .471, .353, .282, .220, and .194 and I know lots of people say and brag on small groups but this has blown my mind at how easy this cartridge and set up is shooting. My very first group with the new 160 LRX is .589. Added bonus is these 2 loads are capable of using same turret once I have one made...hunting bullets for me will be 160 LRX, 175 ABLR, and 175 ELD-X the way it's shooting will be my pig bullet. All velocities are 2700 FPS or faster. A true 18 inch suppressed Elk rig! I just want to continue custom building Tikka's for friends now...such amazing results.
Congratulations Mark. Not only a firearm to be proud of, but one that will surely serve you well for many years. Come to think of it, the only thing that would make me happier would be you guys FINALLY doing the Cartridge Talk episode on the .358win !!!
jmp
I have no plans on buying a tikka. I have no plans on customizing one. I have no plan on buying a .300 wsm. Not hating on either. I’m just to deep in the weeds with my rifles and .300 win mag. However as a long time listener I can’t wait to hear all about Marks famous or maybe even infamous wsm at this point. Great show guys!
This video couldn't have come at a better time. I just got a T3X 300WM stainless super light and been researching building it! I've been looking at all the options on this build. Great to see it come together. And know what I'm looking at in better detail.
Great podcast - here’s my Tikka story. Bought a new M695 in 25-06 in ‘98. Learned how to reload and it was my main rifle that I tried a lot of my reloads out of. Eventually shot the throat out of it and rebarrelled it to a Ron Smith 280AI gain twist. Love that gun. In the meantime bought a T3 varmint stainless in 204R. I broke the stock in a car wreck with my ribs (ouch), and got a custom stock made for it. Also have a 300WM in a M695, shoots half inch. And a 22-250 T3X shoots sub-half inch. Recently bought a used 270W in a stainless T3X, it shoots half inch with Barnes 130ttsx. Put a Boyds maroon/pepper laminated stock in prairie hunter on it. The PO overtightened the front action screw and crushed the factory pillar in the stock. Shot a giant moose cow and a whitetail doe with it this fall, both one shot kills. Also own a M65 in 300WM, its stock, in the process of refinishing the stock. It shoots sub 1”. Love my Tikkas. Also have 2 Sakos. Keep up the great work guys, excellent content!
I bought my 1st Tikka after listening to that podcast, turned it into a chassis PRS gun and I loveeee it
Been seeing so many Vortex decals on vehicles lately, it's a beautiful thing.
wear my hat with pride!
Well done Mark! If the T3x lite has an Achilles heel it's probably the stock. For my SS .308 I added a pillar bedded Boyd's laminate stock with bottom metal by High Desert Rifle Works and an M-carbo trigger spring. Had the bolt jeweled for some old school bling to complete the rifle. The stock upgrade made a major improvement in recoil management and thus accuracy. The Tikka platform is a great place to start a build. Good hunting!
> 10 minute talk
> Ryan gets to talk about WSM
This isn't gonna be 10 minutes...
When is it ever actually 10 minutes 😂
I’ve watched this video no less than 10 times because I love hearing y’all talk about rifles. I am trying to build a custom long range rifle more for hunting here at home but also for our 1 mile target. I had no idea that the 26, 28, and 30 Nosler cartridges were the same length as a 300 win mag so even in Tikka rifles even though they aren’t offered they can chambered in them. I absolutely love that.
So now Tikka is offering a 16", threaded T3x. I'm definitely intrigued after Ryan's project.
We need a full episode on Ryan's 280 now!
Beautiful rifle, Mark. As an owner of 2 Tikka's in 300 WSM, I can relate to your love. I have a superlight that I had threaded for a break and put into a Stocky's VG2 carbon stock. Super lightweight. My other one has a McGowan 26" barrel that may weigh 10 lbs on it's own. Trying to get the weight up on that one. Put it in an MDT XRS chassis. Love reloading for and shooting those two rifles. Love hunting with the lightweight one.
Shot a .4 MOA group with hornady American whitetail 165s at over 3000fps in mine! Used the bondstrikes though. Took 2 antelope, 2 deer, 2 elk with it this year. 20" barrel with WA 4². I am sold for life on that setup
This was my favourite podcast y'all have done. I'd love to see more of y'all going down the rabbit hole on rifle or round development. Would also love to see more talk about the actual Vortex optics on these rifles, and how you chose the one you ended up with.
Also, get a damn suppressor for that thing. I'm Canadian, and would kill to be able to put suppressors on my rifles. Since you have the ability to do that, you should take advantage of it.
Tikka makes a sweet action for sure. Great for custom rifles. I have one chambered in 6.5/06AI absolute tac driver.
Tikka have a factory 6.5PRC that will fit the 300wsm bolt stop length and increase the COAL you can load to without modification to anything on the rifle, they are a 4 round mag too but you can swap the bottom of the 300 mag onto the prc mag to make it back to a 3 round mag too
.300wsm and 6.5 prc have the same bolt stop. Both short action cartridges
The tikka t3 magazine in 6.5 prc fits the 300 wsm perfectly and allows you to seat the bullet out without being crazy expensive. Give it a try.
Owner of many tikka T3 and T3x rifles over the years standard and modified, have also used tikka actions on custom builds they are all insanely accurate in all forms and all cartridges, a mate of mine is a gunsmith and it is one of the only actions he has never had to true. Really nice rifle mate 👌🏼
The dream is to have Tikka offer a T3X Stainless with a thicker profile barrel that's fluted, with a threaded muzzle!
D18 profile in 20" for a suppressor.
Yeah that’s a standard thing and has been for ages, they do a standard profile, medium profile, heavy profile, can get them all fluted and threaded.
Roughtec Ember is stainless under the cerakote
@@Mithrangil roughtech ember is straight stainless no Ceracoat
I've thought often about getting a used Tikka donor action to start a build. It would have to be an exceptional deal with all the fantastic R700 custom clones out there. Hard to justify the purchase when you are just going to chuck the barrel and stock.
Already built my dream rifle, Imapact 737 magnum short action, AG Composite Chalkbranch Stalk, Halkins Hunter Bottom Metal, Trigger Tech Trigger, Thunderbeast Suppressor, MDT Ground Pod, Proof Carbon Barrel in 6.8 Western and sorry, not a Vortex, but still very nice, scope.
First off love your channel guys. Enjoy hearing Ryan's knowledge on handloading and cartridges in general. And also your hunting stories mark. Very nice tikka mark, great caliber choice. I love my 300 wsm x bolt. But have recently acquired a T3x 7mm08. Can't wait to load for it. Again big thumbs up on your channel
Find an over barrel supressor. 2” past barrel, 6-8” over barrel. Keep that wism nice and short. Beautiful build
I’ve never considered customizing a tikka ….. stock guns fit my needs . Now seeing what Mark put together has got me thinking . Nice rifle 👍
I had an identical 6 arc hunt this year. Couple hundred out, quartering away, same entrance and exit, absolutely devastating. Went about 10-15 yards. I was using a Savage Carbon Predator and the 103 eld-x. Congrats to you both!!!
Great podcast Gentlemen. If a person was a first time Vortex podcast watcher do yourself a favor and watch older ones where these two are actually shooting. This will open your eyes to the fact that not many hunters out there have better marksmanship skills than these guys. With that said, congratulations on that Bear. Unlike some long range target shooting viewed elswhere, I feel a part of this adventure and couldn't be more excited for you. Great shooting one fine rig.
That’s a sweet rifle. I’ve gone down the rabbit hole of buying a tikka for the action and using it for a custom build several times. I just can’t make it pencil out. I can build a full custom on a custom action for just a few hundred more. And I can’t justify tearing down the tikka I have now because I love it too much as is.
24:28 This right here. If you know the shot is good and no question, then take the shot. If the thought is "I hope I make it," then don't take the shot. Trust your instincts and training.
I'm glad Ryan mentioned the Tikka in 6.5 with the 127 LRX. I've loaded that round into 3 different non Tikka 6.5's and got excellent results. Sig/Howa/Savage. My Tikka.....dog poo. Will not shoot this bullet in factory ammo or any load I've tried. Jumped it .020" to .110" with nothing to shout at. Berger 140 EH's over R16 just laser beams all day. Great video guys
The Tikka T3x is a great rifle and a great rifle to customize. I got a T3x stainless in 7mm Rem Mag and I've swapped everything but the action and trigger in the hope to make it more of a pack rifle. It now has an MDT HNT26 folding chassis, 1:8 twist 24" CarbonSIX barrel, bolt fluted by LRI, a titanium bolt knob, and I shoot it with a Thunderbeast Ultra 5 suppressor. The folding chassis and barrel didn't save me any weight but I like how it looks and love how it shoots. I was not a fan of the recoil of the stock rifle, and the chassis and suppressor each made it way more comfortable for me.
There are a few things I do not like. Using the MDT chassis for a magnum long action tikka, you can only use their very heavy billet magazines and they don't even make a flush 3 round mag, only a big heavy 5 round that sticks way off the bottom of the rifle. Which is totally not the point when I was trying to make a packable and lightweight hunting rifle. I was able to cut down a magazine to fit flush in the chassis but it's still several ounces heavier than the stock tikka magazines. But the benefits of a chassis that folds outweighs my irritation about the magazine. I also wish I had gone with a bit shorter of a barrel, its very long even folded, with the 5" suppressor.
I'd totally do this again with a short action cartridge that does well with a short barrel. I think a 6 ARC would be a really fun build using the same configuration.
Hey lads. Kiwi viewer here.
I have a stock wsm t3x . It was shortened by the gunsmith when I asked him to thread it...
A 20" barrel. I'm running a hardy magnum suppressor.
Loading 180gr norma ballistic tip
Using adi 2209 powder, because that's what's available here.
I also had issues with mag restricting the length I could seat.
Gun still is the most forgiving I own. It just shoots....
That said, your gun looks wicked...
Morning has been in shambles but all is good now because we have a vortex podcast to listen to.
I've had my Tikka 300wsm for many years, the only gun I've ever bought that's close is my 270 Tikka.
Mark yours looks great!
Love seeing and hearing about the guys personal rifles.
I took 2 mule deer this year with 129gr LRX out of my 270 doing 3080 (handloads) and a coyote. Coyote was 120 yards and the mule deer were at 323 and 350. Coyote hard quartering to, buck broadside at 323 and doe at 350 hard quartering to. All three bullets went straight through with 1.5” exit hole. All animals went 20 yards or less. Loving that bullet.
Also a tikka t3x lite with lightened stock trigger and grs biofrost stock.
Cool rifle. Thanks for sharing the thoughts behind the mods, the journey and the results. Good luck with it.
I got a Howa Superlite 16” in 308 to use light-for-caliber Barnes bullets in, all because of Ryan. Yes, you Ryan. You and your sultry radio voice.
Nice Rifle Mark. I like you made it yours !
Really nice rifle. Great to see Mark stay with the 300 wsm. Awesome rifle,, but a very awesome cartridge.
.325wsm cartridge talk would be a hit I do believe
Have a similar tikka build myself. 22” 300 WSM carbon six barrel in a Pure Precision Altitude with a SRS arca pic rail. Shoots 212 ELDX 2760 with ADG brass and H100V. Hammered 4 elk between me and some friends with it last year. Hit one of them straight through the heart at 630. The mountain tactical long action tikka mags feed quite well
Mark, Love the gun! What twist rate did you go with?
Beautiful rifle Mark! I am indeed a fan of custom Tikkas! Love what you have done with the rifle!
I ended up using a dnz game reaper scope mount over the Talley rings. I personally liked that it came with a single piece mount. I felt it had less room for error when mounting. What height rings did you end up using from Talley? Is that the 3x15-50 or the 3x15-42 scope?
If you want to save a couple ounces you can get your bolt fluted. I’ve even heard an argument that it is a performance enhancing feature, that keeps dirt and debris from locking the bolt up. I don’t know how much I believe that myself, but it’s an interesting thought.
I’m still trying to justify swapping out a great shooting barrel with a carbon wrapped barrel. I just can’t do it yet. More power to you for following through on the complete customization.
Best of luck this season! Thanks for sharing your tikka build Mark!
Just took my biggest, and first Tennessee buck with the 6ARC and a 103ELD-X this past weekend: it’s the third deer I’ve taken with the ARC and works fantastic for ungulate medicine!
I have a T3X in 6.5 cm which is a budget build. I put a stocky stocks carbonfiber, spuhr hunter one piece 34mm mount, primary arms glx 4-16x44, harris bipod, and a sniper tactical stock pouch. I do have plans to upgrade the barrel to an OMR carbon barrel at 22in or 24in TBD. Other than that the stock barrel loves the norma 140 whitetail and consistently group .5 moa at 100 yards with that round specifically. I love the tikka t3x and I have enjoyed the project so far. It has two whitetail kills under its belt both were taken from 130 and 160 yards. Both heart shots one walked about 15ft and died. The other fell straight down. Oh I nearly forgot I also added a burris fastfire 3 reflex sight.
Awesome looking rifle and from the sound of it awesome shooting too. I have wanted a left hand Tikka in 300 WSM especially one with a threaded barrel for 14 years and I still want one. I do have a 300 WSM but it is a right hand Savage M110 Long Range Hunter, which still shoots well.
I have been looking at buying a left hand Tikka action and building from there, but it is quite the expensive endeavor. I might have to buy one piece at a time even if it takes me a couple years to get everything
only brand of rifles that ill buy off the shelf!! love all the ones that i have always happy when i get another, currently building a 27 nosler off a tikka action in a mcmillian stock an a carbon 6 barrel with a diligent defense suppressor
Great Stuff....makes me want to revisit my 30 Gibbs in perhaps a Tikka build.....Thanks Guys, Always Fun to hang out with other gun nuts.
I just rewatched the Tikka action video 2 days ago and decided to purchase my second Tikka yesterday! I bought one is 22-250 for smacking coyotes and decided to get one in 7mm-08 for larger critters.
Beretta/Sako should be giving y’all a kickback 😂
Super sweet. Gotta make it your own.
That's gonna leave a Mark.
HA!
It's a beautiful rifle, glad you found a bullet that it shoots well!
I own several tikkas all with mountain tactical upgrades which of course solves oal issues but out of all them my 300wsm are my go to. My first one in forest hunter t3 1-11 has taken many game and just acquired a t3x lite in 1-10 and waiting on my Mt order to finish it. In my 1-11 with nosler ablr 168 and h380 at 2.920=dead 🦌 keep em coming
10 likes and Mark gives me his .300 WSM
I feel you. I have 4 Tikkas with custom barrels. 2x 7saum, 1x 6dasher and 1x with 300BLK and 7mm-08AI.
I forgot the 243w.😊
You know what's crazy? When the T3X first came out, they clearanced the T3's for around $400 at Sportsman's Warehouse.
Great podcast for getting your mind thinking about a new and better rifle.
I dream about getting a rifle set up like that!
I really appreciated you guys taking about the MV! That's been one of my larger concerns with getting a shorter 300wsm. Good to know I can still keep some good velocity with a respectable bullet weight!
Great setup, beautiful rifle
did you clean thouroughly when changing between the lead and coppers?
Is that a picture of George Costanza over Mark's shoulder?
See.. every safe should have a tikka. I don’t need to own anything else other than my few tikkas 😊😊
I have the 270 short mag in the Winchester and I’m gonna be getting 300 short mag in a Tika . love the 270
I have a theory on Tikka barrels. They used to use a 1/11 twist in the 300 calibers. Tikka quietly changed the twist rate recently of a few of their offerings.
That is a gorgeous rifle!
Can you share the magazine manufacturer for running longer COL? Ive got a 300 WSM thats about to get that treatment.
Would love to know myself
Same here. What is the bottom metal and magazine to fit 300wsm with longer COAL?
love my ph2 in 300 win mag. put an area 419 sidewinder brake on it with athlon ares etr. accutac fc4 but added little lead in the stock and she is a tac driver.
Mark and Ryan are gonna make me buy another Tikka in 300 WSM.
Thanks for sharing I do believe for the money Tikka are hard to beat, if only they would thread the barrels. Thanks again
Get the gun a hells canyon mag. Designed to work with factory bottom metal and designed to feed the WSM and the PRC rounds. They feed smooth a silk when I moved to the magazine in my custom tikkas.
I have been waiting to watch this since you mentioned this.
Sweet rifle Mark! Just bought a xbolt 300 wsm this year. Got to take a wi doe with it.
I’ve toyed with the concept of a Tikka to rebarrel to 280 AI for my boys first big game rifle. Not a hand me down 308 or .223 trainer they use now. Seems to be a more affordable 20-30% cheaper than using custom actions and all. I’ve had older Sakos and several Tikkas from .243 to 270 WSM and 300WM. Like you said they’re forgiving and just shoot well.
The silencerCo Scthe-ti would be a great match on that thing.
My only thought about the tikka is once you buy the gun just to use an action & trigger why not just order a custom action at that point. You’re changing the barrel, and the stock. Add a $300 trigger and a bottom metal and your in a full custom for not much more. A t3x is around a $1000. You can get a pretty nice action for that money. 💰 love your podcast’s not doggin ya just asking the point in this
I was going for a super light left hand bolt gun.
Tikka T3X 6.5 Creedmoor 18” barrel threaded 5/8x24
Leupold VX3HD 2.5-8x36 (180616)
Peak44 stock (18 oz)
ORM bottom metal and magazine
MTNGear titanium bolt handle
Mountain Tactical bolt shroud
Talley ring mounts
6 lbs 5oz
Using a Banish Backcountry suppressor on it. Above weight is without the suppressor. Mark should definitely buy a suppressor.
I’d like to see a 7 PRC vs 300 WSM cartridge comparison. Both are essentially modern versions of their respective belted magnum counterparts. Both are shooting bullets in similar grain ranges. I think it would be the modern version of the timeless argument of 7 rem mag and 300 win mag. Which is better all around cartridge.
Love my 300wsm! Are u guys going to do a deep dive on the 308 marlin express? Such a great performer in a tube fed lever gun!
Looks great. How many pounds?
300 WSM can get away with a shorter barrel. In my test 24” down to 21” 150 gr factory load only lost 100fps
Dream tikka right now is a set up similar to thing, 7saw 1:7.5 twist, left hand, with all the bells and whistles!
That's a nice set up get a supressor
Mark 👍
I have a Tikka T3 in 300 WSM that's my next project. I'm going the opposite direction of Mark though, weight wise. Same color scheme though. 28" heavy target profile (straight taper, 1.125 down to .900) 4 port brake, Bell and Carlson Target/Competition stock, Red Snake Tactical bottom metal. Haven't decided on an optic yet. I think I'm going FFP on this one.
Looking at building one. Wish you would have mentioned the barrel twist. 1:9?
Love the video and the gun. I want to do something similar to your build, but am between Tikka for their famous action and a Browning X-Bolt. Leaning towards the X-bolt though because I feel the need to "graduate" from my SIG 300 WM to a 300 PRC. Why doesn't Tikka make a 300 PRC? Maybe some day....
Been planning on that exact stock. Did you mount it using the mini chassis?
Mark, send that bolt to LRI for some fluting! Does it help with the function of the rifle? Heck no! Does it look amazing? Yes! I know you appreciate the finer things.
Probably going to do something very similar. FN SPR 300 WSM action, McMillan game scout w/ adj cheek piece, probably a bartlein #3 finished at 21” or 22” threaded for suppressor.
100% on the better stock geometry. I have a featherweight and EW 30-06 M70’s. The EW is in a carbon mcmillan now. Feels like half the recoil
Wisconsin deer hunting a light short easy to carry rifle for tree lines and woods when shots are almost never more than 200 yards. The 6ARC would be totally fine, so would 6.8SPC, 6.5 Grendel, 300 Ham'R or 350 Legend when strait wall is required. Western plains hunting on deer when shots often are beyond 300 yards 243win or 6.5 CM I would say is the minimum. Mark's 300WSM would be a great option.
Mark, if you ever get the chance to go on Joe Rogan, that would be an amazing conversation. You both have a lot in common and your voices are identical. You are a little more upbeat, probably dew to having less THC in your system.
Man, would I love to sit with Mr. Muckenhern, enjoy a beverage and pick his brain! Oh yeah, and Mark’s too I guess. :). Another great episode fellas.
Love these two. Just these two -- not a third. Good chemistry.
I love my Tikka’s I’m looking forward to my first custom tikka build
I've been talking about doing a battle swap and new stock to a Tikka for as long as I can remember. Now I have been a huge fan of these rifles for a very long time before it was popular to do so lol. Anyways. I have one in 7rem mag. That I am considering doing the same thing to. Any opinions on caliber. Barrel length any thing of this nature.
@28:49 Why isn't Mark running vortex pro rings?