Why not sell it and buy a Tikka T3x with the sporter barrel the money you will spend chopping it down - btw no regrets on getting a T3 in 204 with the sporter barrel - shot a five shot group at 200 less than 1.75 inches had four shots coming in at just under .85 inches using a fixed four power scope. Ammo was 35g Berger's with 8208xbr at 2.24 coal
Thoughts on shortening and re-crowning a barrel
- Thread starter Rokon1976
- Start date
- Location
- Somewhere on the Hudson Bay Coast
Accuracy nerds used to recommend that you cut the barrel at the tightest spot rather than at an arbitrary length. The idea is that you push a soft lead slug through the barrel, and the location where you felt a bit more resistance was where the muzzle should be. Whether this is simply theory over substance I can't say since I've had shortened rifles that shot very well, and modern barrels tend to be very uniform, but if accuracy is a primary concern, it might be worth thinking about. A 20" barrel is a practical length for the .223.
The scope you choose should be more a function of the target you shoot at rather than the rifle you put it on. If the target is small or at long range, more magnification is a benefit. My .223 bolt gun is a 20" CZ 527, at first I mounted a 4-12X Leupold on it and the little rifle felt like it had a lot of scope on it, so I put a 1.75-6X on it, which looks better, but when ranges exceeded 300 yards, I found it lacking. Just for kicks I mounted my 4-16X S&B on my 14" AR, which looked interesting, but hitting stuff a long way away wasn't a problem. If you want a low power scope on your rifle that's fine, but mount it in QD rings so you can swap back and forth with a high power scope when conditions require it.
The scope you choose should be more a function of the target you shoot at rather than the rifle you put it on. If the target is small or at long range, more magnification is a benefit. My .223 bolt gun is a 20" CZ 527, at first I mounted a 4-12X Leupold on it and the little rifle felt like it had a lot of scope on it, so I put a 1.75-6X on it, which looks better, but when ranges exceeded 300 yards, I found it lacking. Just for kicks I mounted my 4-16X S&B on my 14" AR, which looked interesting, but hitting stuff a long way away wasn't a problem. If you want a low power scope on your rifle that's fine, but mount it in QD rings so you can swap back and forth with a high power scope when conditions require it.
