The tikka T3 SS in a synthetic stock has a pressure point that the barrel rests on about 3 inches from the receiver. I've recently removed this pressure point because I was finding that my rifles accuracy was greatly degrading once heat was induced into the barrel (By the 3rd shot, the barrel gets warm/hot). A peice of paper now slides all the way to the receiver.
I read somewhere that if the barrel isn't squared up to the receiver properly, under heat, it can apply uneven pressure to the face of the barrel causing inconsistant harmonics and inaccuracy.
The rifle is chambered for .243 so being a hot cartridge and not knowing as much about rifles when I baught it 4 years ago, I've always shot it like a target rifle (3 to 5 rounds a minute while load testing). I've since come to the conclusion that being a light weight hunting rifle, it's only the first cold barrel shot that counts and got me wondering if I had done any damage or exess wear to the barrel when it got quite hot to touch.
Is this true and would I need a gunsmith to check for this?