Thinking of AI'ing my Tikka 7mm-08

[fightthenoise]

This is my other option. I actually started out thinking about .284 Win, then became concerned about brass and "emergency" ammo. The value of the AI is you can still shoot factory 7mm-08 ammo in it if you have to.

But that .284 has always been the sexiest of all the 7mm's to me.

Incidentally, I already modified the magazine and bolt stop on my 7mm-08 so I can load 160-162's long enough to reach the lands. I load my 162 ELD-X at 2.90" The modification took about 30 minutes. Just had to file back the plastic stop at the back of the magazine, and file the bolt stop back to the first support. It works just fine, without having to buy anything.

I have a 7mm-08 T3x compact I need to do this to. Do you know how much you filed off, or what the final dimensions are on the bolt stop?


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[Newtosavage]

I filed the hollow portion back to this line. Easy peasy. That Magazine mod took the most time.

 

[fightthenoise]

Ah gotcha. I’m reading that the M+ mags that come with the 6.5 Creedmoor accommodate up to 2.95” so I might try to get away with that before I get to filing. But that pic helps, thank you


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[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

This is my other option. I actually started out thinking about .284 Win, then became concerned about brass and "emergency" ammo. The value of the AI is you can still shoot factory 7mm-08 ammo in it if you have to.

But that .284 has always been the sexiest of all the 7mm's to me.

Incidentally, I already modified the magazine and bolt stop on my 7mm-08 so I can load 160-162's long enough to reach the lands. I load my 162 ELD-X at 2.90" The modification took about 30 minutes. Just had to file back the plastic stop at the back of the magazine, and file the bolt stop back to the first support. It works just fine, without having to buy anything.

Yeah you can run factory ammo on the plus side, on the downside you have to form new brass when you need it (using up a portion of the barrel life) and unless you want to do a bunch of "forming load" shooting you may need formed brass at an inopportune time. 284win brass has in the past been scarce but I've been seeing more of it lately, I see WIN brand rather affordable and Bertram 284win is still cheaper than nosler 280AI (but I see hornady is not making 280AI brass so that's a more affordable option), something to be said for having a good supply of ready brass on hand. I don't think anyone is making 7-08AI brass (but on the plus side laupa makes regular 7-08 brass).

I had a pile of 280AI brass all loose their primer pockets on me at the same time (warm load) which sucked, I then had to go a fire a bunch of forming loads on short notice to get a new round of brass. My 2 take away lessons were 1) either shoot more forming loads on range days to build up my supply (or pony up the money for preformed brass in calibers its available). 2) off the shelf brass calibers which I can put a stack of brass on the shelf w/o using up my time is handy. Its a long drive for me to go shooting typically and between that and waiting for the barrel to cool it can be a long day to form brass at an inopportune time if needed.

That said its not like 7-08AI still doesn't occasionally cross my mind for the 7-08 in my safe.

 

[Newtosavage]

Right now, I like my odds of forming Lapua brass (which is what I'm using now) to AI over finding .284 brass. But maybe that's not a concern, especially since you can "revert" 6.5-284 brass back to the original with one pass on the die.

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

Right now, I like my odds of forming Lapua brass (which is what I'm using now) to AI over finding .284 brass. But maybe that's not a concern, especially since you can "revert" 6.5-284 brass back to the original with one pass on the die.

284 brass is instock in places for WIN and also Avery's new store bertrambrass.com has Bertram 284win so availability is good at the moment. If you go that route just get what you need now and be good to go for a while. Keep us posted if you ream 7-08 and how it works out though.

 

[Newtosavage]

I will. I'm working out the bugs in my 6.5 Grendel right now. If it performs on deer and hogs like I expect it to, then tapping the throttle on my 7mm-08 to make it a dedicated mountain rifle will make sense, provided it maintains the level of accuracy it has now.

 

[belly-deep]

I have a stainless Tikka T3 in 7mm-08 that is easily my favorite hunting rifle of all time. Sub MOA any day of the week, and sometimes 1/2 that. Shoots 162 ELD-X's into tiny little groups out to 400 yards and carries under 7 lbs. scoped.


Any thoughts? Should I go for it or should I leave well enough alone?

I vote for leaving it alone. It would be tough for me to tinker with my favorite rifle and risk that status.

 

[wind gypsy]

Right now, I like my odds of forming Lapua brass (which is what I'm using now) to AI over finding .284 brass. But maybe that's not a concern, especially since you can "revert" 6.5-284 brass back to the original with one pass on the die.

I’d much rather neck up 6.5x284 than fireform 7mm 08.