by Rod_outbak » 10 Feb 2019, 2:01 pm
If you go the rail option, make sure it's a HD rail, and preferrably with a recoil lug. The T3 action has a hole to take a recoil lug on the scope mounts/rail.
I know Evolution Gun Works have both standard duty and heavy duty rails, but as I've only had an EGW standard duty rail, I cant say how much they differ.
When my T3 (7mm-08 Hunter) had it's rail fall off late last year, I was looking into why I nearly dropped a $1500 scope about 8 feet onto the ground...
Examining the mounting screws in the rail, I find all 4 have sheared off.
This is despite there being a 3-chamber muzzle brake on the rifle for over half it's life (5 years), and despite these screws being re-torqued some 4 months previously.
Since the brake being machined/installed in late 2016, I would've rated the recoil on this rifle being slightly more than a .223.
After much research, I find that most rail manufacturers are quite vague about whether they have bothered to utilise this lug on their T3 rails.
I can assure you the EGW standard rail DOESN’T, and from what I read on the EGW site, the HD rail doesn’t have a recoil lug either, though being much heavier and more rigid. Talley rails seem to be quite heavy-duty, but they also don’t have any recoil lug.
So far, I have found that Mountain Tactical definitely DO have a recoil lug, and this is what I ended up fitting to the Tikka.
I do know Warne also make dovetail scope rings for the T3 which do have the recoil lug built into the front one(removable).
Murphy Precision is another manufacturer that does a recoil lug, and I believe Near Manufacturing also do recoil lugs on their products, but I cant see any photos to be certain. I cant see any detail on the Nightforce rails, but it looks unlikely they would do a recoil lug, as they only seem to make the Standard-duty rails for the T3. Tikka don’t specify anything about their own rails, so I don’t know if they have a recoil lug on theirs.
Now, if you had a T3 that doesn’t have much in the way of recoil(.223 etc), you may never run across this issue.
However, the hard lessons learned (for me)are:-
a). Regularly remove your scope and check the mounting bolts on your T3 rail, and re-torque them to 25 inch-pounds. Note that most rail manufacturers don’t recommend Loctite(That I found at any rate)
b). If you think recoil might be a factor, I'd suggest sourcing a rail with integrated recoil lug, BEFORE your rail and attached scope fall off.
If it was me buying a T3 in 6.5CM, I'd probably lean to some Talley or Trentech 4-screw rings to suit a rail, but thats just personal preference.
---------------------
Sharing the extreme love with cats in Outback QLD