Rebarell or Trade up

[stoner]

I have a Tikka in 280 AI that is a ragged hole shooter but dont really need it. Going prarie dog shooting for the first time this year and wanting another varmint caliber. Thinking about a 6mm br.

So should I trade or re barrell? Love the tikka action. Have 4 of them right now!

 

[MudRunner2005]

Keep that one, and buy another one. Especially if it shoots that good.

 

[pods8]

Keep or sell it. Why bust up a good custom gun? Selling off that one, if you did that, would pay for the new donor and part if not all of the new barrel I would suspect. So seems like money ahead over rebarreling it.

Unless you had action work done as well, which the smith doing my tikka 280ai (small world...) says is rarely needed on a tikka. I am having a rem lug added though since my donor was a M695 which just had a little post on the bottom.


Do none of your other tikka's fit the praire dog bill? Are any of them still stock and better candidates for an aftermarket barrel job?

 

[FearNoWind]

It's a lot of work (= money) to rebarrel that rifle to 6BR. I'd trade up.
Here's a discussion that might interest you.
Tikka T3 in 6br??

 

[cohunter14]

I'd just keep the Tikka. Nothing wrong with shooting prairie dogs with it and you should have some good success if the rifle is that accurate. Heck, I've shot prairie dogs with a 300 RUM before. Not the cheapest to plink with, but it's fun to practice shooting targets that are that small with any rifle.

I don't think I would ever get rid of a rifle that shoots that good for one hunt. Now if you were going to be prairie dog hunting a bunch and the cost of ammo was significant, it might be a different story.

Just my two cents...

 

[stoner]

Keep or sell it. Why bust up a good custom gun? Selling off that one, if you did that, would pay for the new donor and part if not all of the new barrel I would suspect. So seems like money ahead over rebarreling it.

Unless you had action work done as well, which the smith doing my tikka 280ai (small world...) says is rarely needed on a tikka. I am having a rem lug added though since my donor was a M695 which just had a little post on the bottom.


Do none of your other tikka's fit the praire dog bill? Are any of them still stock and better candidates for an aftermarket barrel job?

Have a 25-06 that shoots the lights out of 87 grain Speer tnt bullet. my 22-250 shoots 36 grain varmint grenades like no other. Just wanted something to shoot a 65 or 75 grain varmint bullet to reach out. Only thing I have done to the tikkas is put a bell and carlson stock on them and all shoot the same. Exceptional!

 

[MudRunner2005]

Have a 25-06 that shoots the lights out of 87 grain Speer tnt bullet. my 22-250 shoots 36 grain varmint grenades like no other. Just wanted something to shoot a 65 or 75 grain varmint bullet to reach out. Only thing I have done to the tikkas is put a bell and carlson stock on them and all shoot the same. Exceptional!

For LR varmint work, I think you've just answered your own question... So my response is still the same as before...

Keep the .280 AI, because you already have a LR varmint gun...Your .25-06.

Berger also makes .224 caliber bullets up to 90 gr, so you if you have the correct twist in your .22-250, you can shoot some heavier bullets in it, as well.

 

[waspocrew]

I wouldn't mess up a rifle that already shoots really well. I'd definitely pick up another action to build off of.

 

[pods8]

Yeah you sound like you have decent cartridge options already. If you really have no need for the 280AI then sell it off and build something else, I wouldn't break it up though as it will have a bit of extra value in the fact you can't just go buy a tikka in 280AI off the shelf.