I know we have a few folks here that are handy around gunsmithing tools. Any tips on opening up a barrel channel?

I'm making a Franken-Tikka, a mash up of a Tikka CTR barreled action dropped into a Tikka T3 stock.

The T3 is inletted for a sporter barrel.
The CTR is a light palma.

I'm confident there is enough meat in the T3 stock as Tikka uses the same mold for the T3 and CTR. They just beef up the belly of the CTR around the bottom metal to make room for the wider DBM footprint.

All this to say- I think I can DIY this barrel channel work, but I'd like a few thoughts on how to keep it even as I open up the channel to accept the heavier contour barrel. Current suggestions have been wooden dowels or wide sockets with sandpaper wrapped, go slow, and check often for clearance, stopping when I've got a full float.

Thoughts from the OB gunsmiths?

Not really familiar with that action and stock, but any significant stock removal would be hard to keep uniform without machine tools.

Get a barrel channel rasp from Brownell's.

Dowel with sandpaper is what I've done before

Doesn't take too long, usually just take a beer or two with to the work bench and put some music on

Dowel with sandpaper, go slow, check often and make marks,where you need to work after each check.

Dowel with sandpaper

I'll third this.

Ways I ha e opened up barrel channels for bedding, etc.

Milling machine with ball endmill
router with round nose bit and a stock jig
barrel channel Rasp
Dowel rod wrapped with sandpaper

Milling machine is most reproducible but requires the most setup. Dowel is easy to get started, requires the most patience during cutting process.

Thanks Skelso.

Any other tips on the dowel method? That appears to be the direction I'm headed. Guessing I'll need a wide selection of dowel diameters to get a good float and a consistently incremental opening down the width of the channel.