Tikka T3X barrel change

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Tikka T3X barrel change

Post by lister50 » 18 Sep 2022, 7:01 am

Hi everyone,
First post so please be gentle. I've got a line on a .243 T3X that is is mint condition. I've actually got a half a brick of 243 that's been taking up space for the list few years so I'm fine to shoot that at present, but I've got a hankering to shoot something a little different.

I'm also shooting 30-06 and .308 for deer, and the 243 will do great service for pest animals, but I think it's time to do some customisation on something like the Tikka.

I was seriously looking at 25-06, 7mm-08, or something in a 6mm calibre. The offer on the Tikka is really good and I m not intending to pass it up.

My question is had anyone got any suggestions or experience to offer in terms of how and what to change barrel to? I believe it's relatively straightforward, at a cost of course, to change, but I don't know to what as this is my first rodeo for a barrel change.

My workhorses for sambar will still be the 308 and 30-06 but this would be everything else up to that size.

Thanks.
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Re: Tikka T3X barrel change

Post by SCJ429 » 18 Sep 2022, 3:02 pm

I have rebarrelled all my Tikkas, you could go 6mm BR or 6x47 Lapua which are both very accurate or go with a 22 BR which has all the speed of a 22/250 and is very accurate. Just go to your gunsmith, tell him what profile, what twist, the length and chambering and wait for him to get it done.
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Re: Tikka T3X barrel change

Post by lister50 » 18 Sep 2022, 6:32 pm

So it sounds like something that might be straightforward for a smith which is great.

Now to research 6mm and 22 BR...

So many calibres to choose from, but I think I'll try to stick with something I can hunt and plink with if i can.
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Re: Tikka T3X barrel change

Post by SCJ429 » 18 Sep 2022, 8:22 pm

I have hunting rifles in both 6BR and 7BR. Used both on pigs and goats. I have used a 243 Ackley for a bit of fun and to see how fast I could push 6mm bullets.
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Re: Tikka T3X barrel change

Post by Billo » 18 Sep 2022, 8:25 pm

I have a 25-06 Varmint T3X barrel spare, fired 10 rounds if your interested in an easy conversion from the 243.
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Re: Tikka T3X barrel change

Post by northdude » 19 Sep 2022, 4:44 am

Might need to change the bolt stop for 25 06. I may be wrong but I thought there were 3 different lengths
22 hornets and most things 6.5
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Re: Tikka T3X barrel change

Post by SCJ429 » 19 Sep 2022, 7:09 pm

Billo wrote:I have a 25-06 Varmint T3X barrel spare, fired 10 rounds if your interested in an easy conversion from the 243.

There you go, perfect solution. Give him $200 and get your gunsmith to screw it on for you. Getting the factory barrel off is a real bugger.
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Re: Tikka T3X barrel change

Post by Barbarian » 21 Sep 2022, 12:22 pm

SCJ429 wrote:
Billo wrote:I have a 25-06 Varmint T3X barrel spare, fired 10 rounds if your interested in an easy conversion from the 243.

There you go, perfect solution. Give him $200 and get your gunsmith to screw it on for you. Getting the factory barrel off is a real bugger.


I can second this, takes a whole bunch of heat and its still a bitch to break the threads loose.

I've not heard anything confirmed but there is a rumor that they are installed hot as there was no sign of any adhesives or threadlocker on the tennon.
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Re: Tikka T3X barrel change

Post by bigrich » 21 Sep 2022, 1:12 pm

northdude wrote:Might need to change the bolt stop for 25 06. I may be wrong but I thought there were 3 different lengths


that's correct . a quick online search will turn up aftermarket bolt stops if factory spares from beretta are hard to get :thumbsup:
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Re: Tikka T3X barrel change

Post by Billo » 21 Sep 2022, 7:28 pm

Its funny Ive asked at least 3 gunsmiths this question re removing barrels in the last few years and they all say they come off with some encouragment LOL dont know what that means :lol: :thumbsup:
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Re: Tikka T3X barrel change

Post by SCJ429 » 22 Sep 2022, 9:36 am

bigrich wrote:
northdude wrote:Might need to change the bolt stop for 25 06. I may be wrong but I thought there were 3 different lengths


that's correct . a quick online search will turn up aftermarket bolt stops if factory spares from beretta are hard to get :thumbsup:

You can file your existing one down.
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Re: Tikka T3X barrel change

Post by bigrich » 22 Sep 2022, 10:46 am

SCJ429 wrote:
bigrich wrote:
northdude wrote:Might need to change the bolt stop for 25 06. I may be wrong but I thought there were 3 different lengths


that's correct . a quick online search will turn up aftermarket bolt stops if factory spares from beretta are hard to get :thumbsup:

You can file your existing one down.


yeah that's true . the bolt stops are only a type of poly/nylon i believe :thumbsup:
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Re: Tikka T3X barrel change

Post by Bruiser64 » 01 Oct 2022, 9:46 am

Billo wrote:Its funny Ive asked at least 3 gunsmiths this question re removing barrels in the last few years and they all say they come off with some encouragment LOL dont know what that means :lol: :thumbsup:



They probably have an experience similar to this bloke. It appears if you obtain the right tools it is very doable to remove a Tikka T3X barrel. But it requires a fair bit of torque. It was interesting how he use a combination of heat and cold to shift the barrel.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qSMIqCO_H4
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Re: Tikka T3X barrel change

Post by SCJ429 » 01 Oct 2022, 6:52 pm

For the average guy at home, I would advise not to try and remove a factory Sako or Tikka barrel. Get someone with experience to do this for you. Very easy to make a mess of things.
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Re: Tikka T3X barrel change

Post by Bruiser64 » 04 Oct 2022, 8:35 am

SCJ429 wrote:For the average guy at home, I would advise not to try and remove a factory Sako or Tikka barrel. Get someone with experience to do this for you. Very easy to make a mess of things.


I totally agree. There is a large amount of risk involved. In addition to this, it will be cheaper to get a gunsmith to do it as well. You have to buy a number of tools to do the job, the cost of which will add up quickly. If you want to learn how to do barrel swaps, then it might be worth the capital investment. I would recommend doing a gunsmithing course first if that is the path you want to go down.
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