Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Could you build a better rifle.

Looking at retirement rifles. Long range, not competition, just busting steel. I'm kind of diggin' on the T3x SUPER VARMINT in 6.5 CM. I've never shot one, hell, never seen one first hand. For that money, around $1000-$1100, would you expect to build better than that?

I don’t see how you beat $1000-1100. I have a similar purpose casual long range rifle chambered in 6.5 CM that I spent about the same on. It’s a Remington 700 SPS 22” threaded heavy barrel profile that I dropped in a Grayboe Renegade stock and replaced the trigger group, put a SWFA scope on it and it holds 5 round sub .5 MOA with several factory and hand loads out to at least 300 yards the furthest that I’ve shot for precision.

That sounds like a donor action you aren't calculating in. That Remington action in a blueprinted from PTG is like $700 by itself. $550 not printed.

It’s an all stock factory rifle other than replacing the flimsy rifle stock that it came with and upgrading the trigger.

I’ve been beyond happy with it. It’s easily my most accurate rifle.

Having said that it’s a sample of one. I think that you would be hard pressed to beat the Tikka that you’ve considering.

Couldn't one build on AR10 platform to same weight and accuracy for that?

Make mine a 257 Roberts instead of Manbun.

Yes, I could build a better rifle from bits and pieces I've got lying around the shop, at virtually no cost, but I've been doing it for 40+ years.

Amazes me how good I can get AR15s to shoot just screwing stuff together. I plan to retire April fools day 23.

Lead bullets with good power in little clusters is my quest.

Might start on AR10 platform with 358.

I've been playing with airplanes for 30 yrs and could make something fly from stuff sitting around.

Just so you know, I’ve have been retired 12 years Thursday next, and am picking up another “retirement” rifle tomorrow…..


If it winds your clock, go for it. From all accounts, they shoot about as well as any, better than most, right out of the box.

My next “retirement” rifle might very well be one!

Oh go lay down.


You paint Walmart Savages for a living?

I had the plan for a perfect rifle in my head, and some German by the name of Paul Mauser stole my ideas.

What I was floating around was a Preferred Barrel Blanks 26" 6.5 CM with a .150 FB. The Remington action I have on hand would be a donor. It is in 223 so I would get a PTG bolt with a Sako or Lawton extractor. Half the price of a complete action. It would have a PTG speed lock. Then it would go into a KRG Bravo stock with some good scope. Probably looking at $1500 or so complete. Of course scoping the Tikka would not be cheap either.

In that case I’d go with option number one mostly for the KRG Bravo stock.

Tikka makes a decent rifle. I met a guy at a PRS competition that was shooting a Tikka he had re-barreled with a Krieger 8 TW 6.5 CM. He did well with it. Finished ahead of a lot of guys that were shooting scopes that cost more than his barreled action. He did have a decent SS scope. Tikkas are gtg. Howa is another fine action. It has the extractor and bolt release that Remington should have. (my opinion)
Custom actions have come down some and there's a lot to choose from.
The 257 Roberts is a fine cartridge but it's troublesome to get good bullets in 25 cal. for long range work. The .243 is gtg. 6mm bullets are plentiful because they're used in competition a lot. Actually, the old .270 is a good round. Same thing with good bullets for long range work. For hunting almost anything you want is good if you know how to use it.
It's not magic. It's just good common-sense building a purpose-built rifle. The cost is going to be contingent on whether you go with a custom or an off the shelf rifle and the scope is a whole nother matter. Anything that will consistently shoot MOA or better with a scope that is repeatable and adjustable for range in a cartridge that has good bullets ballistically superior with low recoil is gtg for the most part.

Bout spit my popsicle out!!

i dont think you can build a better rifle for the money...barrels are almost 400 dollars know and stocks 6-800 so there is your complete tikka rifle that will shoot way better than a inch in my shooting experience

Buy a CZ

Bet you could buy 2 or 3 Tikkas, wring them out, keeping the
most accurate. Sell the other(s).

Be money ahead, and rifle ahead of quite a few factory based "customs".

Someone else mentioned Howa. Same for them.



Not putting down customs, but a custom on action costs the same as
a Tikka.

A factory action blue printed is close.

A top shelf barrel, properly fitted? Same.

Top shelf stock, done up by gunsmith? Pushing it.

$1200 will get close to a Christensen arms Mesa.

I’ve got one i can LH.

Shoots well.

700 footprint action /w some bolt release.
Triggertech trigger.
Thread barrel.
Cerakoted.
Carbon fiber composite stock.

Hotrod_Lincoln taught Mark Penrod and George Gardner everything they know.

Buy the Tikka. Unless you enjoy the fugking around building a gun thing.