If Frogman's Kelbly is anything like the Pandas or Kodiaks I have handled, it should be light years ahead of any of Tikka. Tolerances are tight enough on the two I mentioned that replacement barrels can be chambered at the factory and shipped to you to simply screw on. Action timing and trigger handoff are smooth as silk. People tend to be dismissive of what they don't understand, especially on the internet.
Thank you MikeS, yes tolerances are very precise and the feel in the hand is amazing. I was actually looking at building a 6.5 PRC from scratch and was researching components when it was suggested that I look at the Koda rifle instead of piecing one together with a Kelbly's action. The more I read, the more I was impressed with what they offered at that price point!
I understand about inexpensive rifles that punch way above their weight....my mentor Boyd Deets, sold me my first Deer rifle many years ago in Michigan. It was a Remington 788 in .308 Win. He promised me that for an inexpensive rifle, it could shoot.....and darn well at that. He was right! Still have that rifle.
Once upon a time, the whispered words of accuracy were "Minute of Angle". If your rifle could do it, you were fortunate. I'm not saying Tikka's can't shoot, as they do. My son has one in .300 Win Mag and we found handloads for it fairly easily that are sub MOA.
However, that Kelbly's Koda rifle has started out at .5 MOA with hastily thrown together handloads, and I've not had chance to work any further with load development, but am eagerly looking forward to it when time allows. As components are scarce it can be difficult finding what you want to use....but I have a supply of 4831SC and IMR 7828 on hand along with others to get me started. I put a Nightforce NX8 atop it in 4-32 and am sure that critters will succumb to it once I've finished setting her up, and dialed everything in.
Happy Independence Day gents!
FROG------OUT!
