What say you Tikka fans ?

[Stix]

Good info there...thanks very much...ill have a detailed look a little later...

However, i suspect there may be something else going on...the brass im using does seem to be all over the place--especially neck tension wise--even after annealing them, tension/force required in seating bullets is all over the joint...

Ive just started the arduous task of prepping 300 odd cases, ... hopefully i can get some consistant ones out of them & see if that makes a diference...
If not...its either tool time, or send back time...

[marksman]

l apologize for hijacking the thread but this could be information that can help everyone out

Stix if you are worried about your cases being the cause of inconsistency take the inconsistency out of it by only using one good case
if you can take your reloading gear with you, l'm sure you already have a good load developed so just do a couple of groups reloading the same case
see if that makes any difference to what is going on
this is where the wilson dies are good because they were made to take to the range with you but l know you can make a small bench
you can also weigh powder and put it into small containers to take with you but it is a good idea to wash the containers if they are plastic in dishwashing liquid first to stop the static, l usually weigh inside the rear of the car out of the wind

knock it down one thing at a time
but l always bed and trigger job rifles before l shoot them so l know to look elsewhere

[Stix]

Ah great idea shooting with the one case Marksman...

As for a shooting bench...well i have one each that live permanently on a couple of properties i shoot on...
(Actually, i asked one of the farmers if the bench was still there & he said yes---he said he wouldnt chuck my bench, but truth is i forgot to take my bench there one day when i had loads to test, so i was forced to rummage through three generations of his rubbish tip to find something suitable, & found a welded frame table that is now the bench there...we had a giggle about that, & he said he didnt remember it--he has a memory like an elephant--he even remembers the exact 10sq/m area he pulled me out of a sand bog some 25 odd years ago when i took a Sigma a couple of metres further than i should have... ...)...

I digress...
As for load--thats the problem...i dont have one--ive never got repeatable results or chrono numbers out of it...
It shoots around an inch with anything i try--but not very good looking groups...you can tell they are random shotgun type groups...

Ill punch this up in its own thread a bit later...gotta shoot to the shops & get some stuff before they close...

[JimTom]

Mate I have a T3x Lite in .223 with a 1:12 twist. Accurate straight from the box with factory however really loves my 55gn reloads using BM8208. I have absolutely no hesitation in recommending this firearm. You wont be disappointed mate.

[SCJ429]

Good info there...thanks very much...ill have a detailed look a little later...

However, i suspect there may be something else going on...the brass im using does seem to be all over the place--especially neck tension wise--even after annealing them, tension/force required in seating bullets is all over the joint...

Ive just started the arduous task of prepping 300 odd cases, ... hopefully i can get some consistant ones out of them & see if that makes a diference...
If not...its either tool time, or send back time...

Not that I feel than the hardness of your brass is causing your issues but here is an interesting article from AMP regarding the testing of annealed vs unannealed brass. And they do it using one case to shoot the groups.

https://www.ampannealing.com/articles/5 ... icroscope/

[Stix]

Not that I feel than the hardness of your brass is causing your issues but here is an interesting article from AMP regarding the testing of annealed vs unannealed brass. And they do it using one case to shoot the groups.

https://www.ampannealing.com/articles/5 ... icroscope/

Interesting SCJ...trouble is, the farms i shoot on are out in the mallee, so if i dig a 100 metre underground tunnel to do the testing, its bound to cave in due to being so sandy out there...
And ill give that a go one day, but given the heat, it wont be this week im out in the paddock igniting the a gas torch every shot...

[MJW380]

First centrefire I brought was a T3 Lite .223 blued, put a Leupold VX-1 3-9X40 on it in a DNZ Mount, only brought Hornady 55gr softpoints for it, was crazy accurate out of the box. Got some Z-Max 55’s for reloading, used AR2206H powder, and honestly, half were cloverleaf’s, rest not much bigger. It was hard to pick a winner. I had the silly idea that I really needed more magazine capacity, so got an Atlasworx AI bottom metal and 10 round AI type metal magazine. Bad move, the mag was too long and just got in the way to much, ended up selling to a mate fairly cheaply. Regretted it since.....

[Die Judicii]

You blokes have sold me. Just gotta find one in timber, or do they only do synthetic in the .223 versions ?

[JimTom]

You blokes have sold me. Just gotta find one in timber, or do they only do synthetic in the .223 versions ?

Mate as I understand it, the Lite and Superlite are only in synthetic. I picked up a super lite the other day in .243Win and bloody hell it was a feather weight.

[Madang185]

Personally I would swap powders.

As a suggestion try BM2,8208 or ADI 2206H. Whilst well aware that all barrels are different all of these powders have worked for me.

Another possibility is to swap primers, some barrels/loads are fussy about them.

[SCJ429]

Personally I would swap powders.

As a suggestion try BM2,8208 or ADI 2206H. Whilst well aware that all barrels are different all of these powders have worked for me.

Another possibility is to swap primers, some barrels/loads are fussy about them.

What sort of improvement are you getting when swapping powder or primers? I would try swapping powders or primers if the load I am trying is shooting well but not up to my expectations. If I couldn't shoot an inch with a powder, I would not expect to change powders and suddenly shoot 0.2. If I knew a bullet would shoot at around 2800 fps, any powder suitable for that case can get me there, wouldn't swapping powders just tune your loads.

I have swapped primers and found an improvement in ES. This is not to say my groups improved at short range. When you say a load is fussy about primers, have you found that a primer swap changed a load from unacceptable accuracy to now being acceptable?

[RoginaJack]

Yep, Tikki are available with wooden stocks and after market stocks are also available....

[RoginaJack]

First centrefire I brought was a T3 Lite .223 blued, put a Leupold VX-1 3-9X40 on it in a DNZ Mount, only brought Hornady 55gr softpoints for it, was crazy accurate out of the box. Got some Z-Max 55’s for reloading, used AR2206H powder, and honestly, half were cloverleaf’s, rest not much bigger. It was hard to pick a winner. I had the silly idea that I really needed more magazine capacity, so got an Atlasworx AI bottom metal and 10 round AI type metal magazine. Bad move, the mag was too long and just got in the way to much, ended up selling to a mate fairly cheaply. Regretted it since.....

Yep, had the same problem with a after market 10 round mag., you know the one with the join in the middle - silly idea, so just use the 6 round factory mag.

[JimTom]

Yep, Tikki are available with wooden stocks and after market stocks are also available....

Yes there are other models in timber, laminate, however the Lite is in synthetic only as I understand.

[MJW380]

Yeah RJ, I’d id just have bought the 6 round mag that comes with the varmint, I’d have spent 1/4 of what I did on the aftermarket bottom metal plus mag, and still have that rifle. Live and learn....

[marksman]

You blokes have sold me. Just gotta find one in timber, or do they only do synthetic in the .223 versions ?

l think you will be happy with it

[Die Judicii]

So thanks to all you guys that had input/suggestions.
At this point it looks like I'm gonna settle on a T3X Hunter Stainless, fluted with timber stock.

Alas,,,,,, now begins the customary wait.

[JimTom]

Nice one mate, fine choice, I think they look an absolute treat. Be sure to put a few pics up when you get it set up and let us know how well it shoots eh.

[solarpak]

So thanks to all you guys that had input/suggestions.
At this point it looks like I'm gonna settle on a T3X Hunter Stainless, fluted with timber stock.

Alas,,,,,, now begins the customary wait.

Good choice - i have a T3 and T3x in the Hunter Stainless with the fluted barrel in 25-06 and 308. Fine rifles indeed.
One small alteration i made was to have the recoil lug and area around the rear action screw glass bedded on both rifles - just for peace of mind .
Apart from that they shoot where they should and do the job required.

C.

[RoginaJack]

Great choice and 30.06?

[Die Judicii]

Great choice and 30.06?

Nah,,,, .223 this time.

[Die Judicii]

I got my PTA back (approved) today,, so next trip in to town will see me visiting the LGS

[Member-Deleted]

DJ will you find time to shoot these rifles of yours ? Have fun mate never have too many rifles I say.

[brinny]

After 50 years of shooting and hunting....i bought my first Tikka last year.....It is the M55 mdl and in 17 Rem cal fitted with a Geoff Slee thumbhole stock, and a new SS barrel fitted.....
Just never really gone down the Tikka path before....always been Sako and Remington mostly......
Looking forward to seeing how it shoots....Should take a bit of pressure off my Sako 204 hopefully...
Just have to work out now what Thermal to set it up with before winter..

[JimTom]

Nice bit of kit mate.
What thermal are you considering mate?

[brinny]

Nice bit of kit mate.
What thermal are you considering mate?

Unsure yet JT....Im currently running a GSCI S675 thermal on my 204....Not so sure if i would go down that path again....While the scope is good, for the money it cost, the clarity is terrible....Wouldnt go down the Pulsar path again either due to the POI issues i had with the XQ50 trails.....Have been speaking to a bloke with an ATN, and hes having firmware issues with his, tells me it goes haywire every so often....not ideal... ....A mate has a Night Tech 42 on his 22-250...has limited success with it in close, but not good for distance shooting....Then theres the Chinese brands....?????.....Dont know....Lot more research to be done yet....

[Stix]

Hey Brinny...

That looks interesting...
Good to see you finally got a 17 after that debacle with the other Sako...

Did you have the barrel put on...?...& what barrel is it...?


Aside from that, how does it shoot...?
Im keen to see how this outfit comes along so keep us informed...the more foxes i tip over, the more i find myself pining for a 17....as someone who wants the fur, im starting to get sick of the mess, & peeling inch holes in skin around 4 inches of intestines...

[brinny]

Hey Brinny...

That looks interesting...
Good to see you finally got a 17 after that debacle with the other Sako...

Did you have the barrel put on...?...& what barrel is it...?


Aside from that, how does it shoot...?
Im keen to see how this outfit comes along so keep us informed...the more foxes i tip over, the more i find myself pining for a 17....as someone who wants the fur, im starting to get sick of the mess, & peeling inch holes in skin around 4 inches of intestines...

Its a nice bit of gear Stix....Dont even want to remember about the Sako debarkle though....
Makes me wonder why i passed up Tikkas for all those years....still you go with what you know at the time i guess...
The barrel was on it when i bought it...and from what i have been told its a Maddco barrel...
I put an el cheapo scope on it and shot under an inch group at 100m with factory ammo to try it out....so its a shooter and i will work on a load it likes when i get serious about setting it up....
Always been a fan of the 17s ever since i had my first one, a 17 mach 4 way back in the late 70s early 80s when skins were worth a good dollar...
I dont shoot for skins now, just scalps so a well placed chest shot will certainly pull the critters up with the 17....
When i eventually get it out....it might have you drooling for one mate....

[JimTom]

Unsure yet JT....Im currently running a GSCI S675 thermal on my 204....Not so sure if i would go down that path again....While the scope is good, for the money it cost, the clarity is terrible....Wouldnt go down the Pulsar path again either due to the POI issues i had with the XQ50 trails.....Have been speaking to a bloke with an ATN, and hes having firmware issues with his, tells me it goes haywire every so often....not ideal... ....A mate has a Night Tech 42 on his 22-250...has limited success with it in close, but not good for distance shooting....Then theres the Chinese brands....?????.....Dont know....Lot more research to be done yet....[/quote]


Mate I ditched the ATN after the supplier played his little trick on me and have ordered the Pulsar Thermion XP38. Look forward to using it.

[Tilb004]

Mine is a tikka T3X light in 22-250 .
Very happy with it , easily sub moa with winchester silver tip 55gn.
Action is faultless , synthetic stock , staino barrel 1:14.
The only thing i dont like is the muzzle jump.
If you want to see what youve shot at no hope .
Will rebarrel with heavy varmint when this one is sot out .
Fabulous rifles