Second try, Light 7mm-08 Ackley Improved, 17" threaded

•Tikka T-3 stainless
•Tikka 7mm-08 1:9, rechambered for 7mm-08 Ackley Improved, finished at 17"
•Barreled action cerakoted in "Sniper Green"
•Manners EH-1 in "woodland camo", ordered in February, recieved in September. One swivel stud up front, flush cups on the right side
•CDI Precision detachable bottom metal, A.I. 5 round mag
•EGW 20 MOA aluminum pic rail
•Triad Tactical stock pack, and padded sling
•Bare rifle is 6 pounds 10 ounces
•All rigged it is 11 pounds 10 ounces (scope, bipod, and suppressor sure do add up)

•Fire formed load is shooting a 162 gr Hornady ELD-X at 2640 fps MV. Pretty salty for that barrel length.

•It sure has been nice to carry, and to maneuver in the truck and the Kawasaki Mule




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(^^That's not H-Varget)

So should I have had Tony make mine a 17" you know I like short rifles....

When you get that 4 seater Ranger?

I didn't...




Your rifle is done, I'll text Tony now and ask him to refuse to modify it.

Nice looking rifle.

Congratulations.

ahhh come on...

I spy 4 doors.

Nice JG!

You don’t read very well do you?

Exactly, Wade.

It's not hard to cipher who shoots.


- hint

Scott, that deserves a kidney punch.

It's why I bolted.

Seriously, nice rifle. I'm hiding from my people in the cafeteria looking at your post. I leave Thursday to hunting. I can't wait to get away.

Kyle, you need to go ask Tom Bean ISD for a refund. They failed you amigo

FML, I didn't actually read the post. I was just looking at the pic, I already read about the rifle in the previous thread that got highjacked. F you all

Let me rephrase for you AHoles when did you get the MULE???

Hahahaha!!!!

A coulple of weeks ago. It is diesel and the convertable from one bench to two, and it is AWESOME!

Oh yea, forgot Josh said he had saw you rolling down the road around the Bells area with this loaded up. Looks awesome!!!

Thank you for the good laugh Kyle.

What powder?

!

Top secret.

But you know...

Most accurate loads I have had in my 18.5 inch 7mm-08 were not with Varget but it comes in a close second to IMR4350. I switched to Varget when it came out for temp stability and got a load that was only 1/8 larger for groups which is well within minute of deer and mine is a hunting rifle that for years I shot 2 to 300 rounds a year from before I started to expand the collection, now it might get 20 to 30 rounds a year. What is left of the barrel will probably out last me at that rate.

Fireman, don't think I complemented you on the fine little rifle. It has to be much handier than your other 7mm-08

The "rental rifle" has been the one by my side most of the time. It shoots precise, and was load developed suppressed. It's layed down lots of coyotes, hogs, and whitetail does. But the barrel is 20" as opposed to this 17", and the barrel is a truck axle. That one weighs 17+ pounds. EVERYONE that shoots it, loves it, it is a joy, prone. But I've moved it from truck to tractor, to UTV, to shop long enough. Not to mention going on walk-about around my place and my neighbors land. I decided I wanted the same bullet weight, at the same MV, but out of a thinner, shorter barrel, and built on a lighter stock. Viola, we have this one.

Understand that, Heaviest rifle I have owned other than the 50 weighted 12lbs and that one got heavy to me on long walks and I carried it for many miles. I much prefer a 7 to 8 lb rifle for those long walks as I have gotten older.

If you read some of P.O. Ackley's books he talks about the reduced case body taper exerting less thrust on the bolt face, of course that reduces some of the things looked for as pressure signs like swipes kn the case head and sticky bolt lift. Interesting in some of his load data notes like Blown primer then a little higher load, case head separation.

I stepped up pretty high in powder charge, it began opening up, so there was no point in running one of those loads. I got a little shiny ring on some brass, but no real extractor swipes.

In September I load developed a different 7mm-08 A.I. and did find some extractor marks, finally, but I was nearly 3.0 grains above a max load for a standard 7mm-08. I am loving this cartridge! If I were starting anew I think I would run this cartridge for competition shooting as well as hunting, in two rifles. It'll do it all.

Telling me something I figured out years ago. My accuracy load for the 7mm-08 with IMR 4350 is a half grain above max listed load of today and was 1.5 grains lower than the highest load listed with that powder in 1982.

I have used lots of different chambering and rifles hunting over the years but keep going back to the 7mm-08 and the AI version has some good merit. I keep going back to that rifle when I really want to go kill something, it just works. 50+ deer not really sure how many with it and I have only shot one that I didn't watch drop and that one was my fault on shot placement not the gun or cartridge.

Great looking rifle. Love the color of the stock/chassis.

No doubt that will be much handier than your heavy.

What brass - Lapua? WW is about 1.5 more capacity than RP. Federal has less than RP, but better quality.

So how much extra powder does the AI give over Saami?

Lapua brass. I wanted high quality, stout brass, that wouldn't let go of the primer pockets early.

Once fire formed, it holds over 2.0 gr more powder

Thanks, no doubt Lapua is the one to beat. Is yours a 40 degree?

I had outstanding accuracy with Nosler brass in 260 but not sure it is as durable.

Yes, 40°

What barrel contour did you use? Hard to tell in the pictures. Looks good

That's a factory Tikka Sporter, chopped off, and rechambered.

Gotcha. I have a few Tikkas with the sporter barrels but they're fluted. You're giving me ideas but I think I'm screwed as far as chopping and threading goes.

I like it. Bolt is even on the correct side

I too used to think I couldn't chop a fluted barrel back, but a friend of mine bought a Tikka SL 223 that's been chopped back to 18", he likes it. I also saw a Savage Predator max1 for sale on here recently that'd been chopped back to 20" and had a custom thread protector made, it looked fine in the pics. I believe Morgan from DSS had done the work. So if you really want one of your tikka SL's chopped you I think you could have it done.

2640 with a 162 suppressed is impressive, ever get an accuracy load?

That is an accuracy load.