Tikka 6.5. To cut or not to cut?

[Ndbowhunter]

Just exactly how thick is the brush where you hunt?

I suggest the idea of a 3” difference in length and a 4 oz difference in weight making your rifle “handier” is more in your head than you’ll realize when holding the finished product.

My guess is you’ll realize more of a difference when you go to sell it and it brings several hundred less than it would have.

Full effort 300 yards an hour would be an average for scrub bashing.



38” is the total rifle length i’m Comfortable with. That’s mid point of my butt to crown of my head..

Any longer and it starts getting hung up even just ducking branches.

But in boats and trucks and stashing in the camper, and running a shorter gun case on trips where trunk space is a premium the shorter barrel comes in handy.

Short barrels with reloder 17 and 26 with high bc Bullets close the gap fairly quickly

Not a believer in ft lbs of energy as a reliable way to predict wounding but by any metric Luke’s load of a 147gr at 2750 with a .685 bc outpaces most traditional 30-06 180gr factory loads with a 24” barrel fairly quickly ie Nosler accubond at 2700fps and a .49bc.

It’ll be nearly 200fps faster at 300 yards and carry the same “energy”

Again a purposeful cherry picked dataset and the 180gr will do somethings the 147 won’t, but wounding potential will be similar out to about 400 and the -06 load losing quickly where the 30 caliber will meet 1800fps at 600 yards and the 147gr meeting 1800fps all the way out to 900 yards.

data came from 4200ft 50degree air temp.

Again intentional skewed dataset but just highlighting a point.

 

[deerkiller]

Just exactly how thick is the brush where you hunt?

I suggest the idea of a 3” difference in length and a 4 oz difference in weight making your rifle “handier” is more in your head than you’ll realize when holding the finished product.

My guess is you’ll realize more of a difference when you go to sell it and it brings several hundred less than it would have.

a lot of guys don't sell rifles, "guns" some other stuff, some do - if a guy chops his barrel what difference might it make to you ?

 

[skywalkr]

Just exactly how thick is the brush where you hunt?

I suggest the idea of a 3” difference in length and a 4 oz difference in weight making your rifle “handier” is more in your head than you’ll realize when holding the finished product.

My guess is you’ll realize more of a difference when you go to sell it and it brings several hundred less than it would have.

Wait, you guys sell guns?

 

[BigHink66]

Didn’t mean to get you guys so excited. Lol.

I don’t really care what anyone does with their own gun. Cut it to 16 if you want and get full advantage of being the shortest you can.

My rifles are all full factory length. Have never experienced this inconvenience of getting hung up in brush. Whether it was 24” or a 16” compact youth model. Actually I rarely carry mine slung when I am hunting, because well i’m Hunting. Even in the clear cuts I never have a problem.

Change for the sake of something different is your decision, but your literally talking about a difference of something the size of you I phone. You guys are in good shape, duck a little further! Plus yo get better performance.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

I took 2” off a kimber Montana and 4” off my 375HH for those exact reasons. I got sick of getting hung up in alders.

I have rifles that don’t see that use so I didn’t bother chopping them but at this point I have a few rifles with fairly specific uses.

I’ve even been thinking of buying another kimber to start a superlite project with just for sheep hunts.

 

[akcharlie4]

Fairbanks area??


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yes. I am in Fairbanks

 

[Yellowknife]

Any of you guys from Alaska and can recommend a smith to cut down my tikka?

Yes. I am in Fairbanks

I typically use Dougs Repairs in Fairbanks for that kind of thing. He has cut and/or threaded a couple for me.

 

[Newtosavage]

Change for the sake of something different is your decision, but your literally talking about a difference of something the size of you I phone. You guys are in good shape, duck a little further! Plus yo get better performance.

I can easily tell the difference in balance and handling between a 22" and 20" barrel. I want my rifles to balance at the middle of the action, where I carry them. Too long and they are nose heavy, too short and they are tail heavy. I once had a 7x57 Ruger with a factory 16.5" barrel that I could never get used to because it was too light up front.

We all have our preferences. I don't understand why someone would settle for less than they want. If chopping 2" of barrel makes me like my gun better, then I'm getting out the hacksaw.

Life is too short to own a rifle you aren't completely satisfied with.

 

[akcharlie4]

Cut 3” off.

 

[AK Troutbum]

Cut 3” off.
View attachment 98736View attachment 98737

I know it's not the point, but I'm just curious, how much wt. did it loose?

 

[h4everything]

Chop it off. If you have interest in threading the bbl for a suppressor or muzzle break be sure that your gun smith leaves you enough for that. If not chop it within 1/4" of the flutes and put a good crown in it.

 

[akcharlie4]

I know it's not the point, but I'm just curious, how much wt. did it loose?

3 ozs

 

[Fatcamp]

Did it.

 

[deerkiller]

Did it. View attachment 99425

now shoot it and give us the results please ….

 

[Fatcamp]

I will. We're all in this together.

This is a Stevens 200 in .308 that had a messed up crown and always shot kinda meh. Interested to see if it improves.

 

[JWP58]

I bet it will fatcamp

 

[Fatcamp]

Scope came in. It's so ugly. Gonna be pretty nice when I'm done I think.

7.2# I was gonna put a fixed scope on it but read an article by The Legend that mentioned this Viper. Took a bit to find one. Seems pretty nice.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

Cut 3” off.
View attachment 98736View attachment 98737

I’m going to do that to my tikka 6.5 next time I’m in anchorage.

 

[SkunkCabbage]

Running a 20" creed. Other one I haven't shot yet is an 18".
Love my 20" so the 18 should be just fine as well.

 

[rtaylor]

I am running a 20 inch Creedmoor. Shooting a 143 eldx at 2635. Zero pressure signs and I know I could go hotter but this is all I need for my hunting set up.