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While I haven't owned a newer Tikka, I've owned a hunting rifle variant in .243 and I've owned a RPR.... While the platforms may be similarly capable, there's no comparison in quality and craftsmanship between the two.
I've owned lots of rifles, but for my 'LR rig' I started with a 700PSS, went to a Savage 10T, then to the RPR, then went full-retard and had built/bought 3 full customs.
Don't get me wrong, I love the customs, but if I were starting over today, I'd to Tikka in a Manners (I'm a sucker for traditional stocks) or chassis in 6.5C and have Septic throw a new stick on it when I got really dialed in. The money you save up front over going custom should be put into optics.... Never forget how important quality optics are.
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I'm not going to get into recommending specific brands of rifle, but I agree with what you are saying. I highly recommend if you have a budget and are serious about getting proficient at long range precision shooting that you drop the idea of needing the latest and greatest rifle or super custom to get started. I'm not kidding when I say that the best rifle in the world will not do the beginner an ounce of good. If all you really want is super tiny 100 yard groups then yes the better rifle is going to help assuming you have the fundamentals down.
None of what I'm about to say applies to people that can get into this with no budget, but for us average folks...
1st buy a cheap rifle preferably in the caliber you plan to use long term and with an action that has good aftermarket support as far as stocks/chassis availability and is common for gunsmiths to work on true up/blueprint/rebarrel etc. I say preferably in the caliber you are going to use long term only because you can save money by buying the good reloading supplies for the caliber knowing you are going to load that caliber for a long time. You are going to shoot out the factory barrel learning unless you go with something like a 308 with a super long barrel life. So starting with a different caliber isn't a deal breaker you will just have to buy new dies and other reloading supplies when you rebarrel to a different caliber.
Next get a quality optic that has a reputation for flawless tracking and return to zero. Of those pick one that has matching reticle and turrets in moa or mil which ever you prefer. If you shoot with others you will be better off using what they use. After you narrow it down on those things then pick the best glass you can afford. Seriously it might sound stupid to put $3000 glass on a cheap old Remington 700, but you are going to do a lot of work to that rifle over time while that optic is always the same. Getting familiar with the same piece of glass is a benefit as well. Knowing all the adjustments and where they are location without thinking or looking helps a lot it lets you focus on other things. If I'm on a different rifle with different glass after a miss I may have to break cheek weld, look the optic over, and think about things more before I can make the correct adjustment. Don't cheap out on mounts either. You don't have to go crazy, but get quality.
Learn to reload if you don't already. I've read and heard that factory ammo has come a long way. I still believe for precision rifles reloading is the way to go. Control your own quality and consistency. No lot to lot variation and when you get it down lower velocity spread. Don't skimp on die quality if you are shooting the caliber you plan to use long term. Buy the good dies and other tools immediately. Buy a lot of bullets, powder, brass, and primers.
Shoot, shoot, and shoot some more.
As you get better you can put the rifle in a better stock, change the trigger, etc. As you get better you can learn what you really want/need in a rifle. When the time comes take it to a gunsmith to put a nice high end barrel on it, the action trued, and what ever improvements you want done.
By this point you are probably really have the fundamentals of shooting down and can shoot itty bitty groups at 100 or 200 yards with consistency. You are probably also an intermediate long range shooter ready for a top quality rifle like you will now have at this point. You will be an expert reloader able to find a good load for your nice fresh custom rifle immediately. You will now be shooting groups at 100 or 200 yards from 1/4 moa to 1/2 moa on a regular basis. You will be able to make first round hits on 2/3 or bigger silhouette targets inside 1000 yards in reasonable conditions without much difficulty. Conditions matter never forget that. An 800 yard shot in tough conditions can be way more difficult than a 1200 yard shot on a nice calm day with some cloud cover to keep the mirage down so you can use more magnification etc, etc. You will be able to walk your shots in no problem if you do miss badly on the first shot as long as you have a good spotter. You can also self spot because you will be controlling your recoil well by this point. Where I typically shoot there is no dirt back stop it's usually weeds and not on a square range so it's more difficult to spot. It helps when learning to shoot on a square range with a dirt back stop. Easier for the spotter to learn as well since you will get the trace and the splash in the dirt mound.
I'm rambling, but you get the idea... Don't spend all your money on the rifle and neglect the optic and the ability to buy a ton of reloading supplies so you can shoot a lot. There is no way around it lots of rounds down range is what it takes in different conditions, different distances, and in many different situations is what will make you become a good shooter.