Best Accuracy Upgrade for a Tikka

[TheCougar]

I’ve got a Tikka T3 in 7RM. It is bedded in a B&C Sporter stock, has an APR brake, and an LRHS scope. I have a suppressor on order. The barrel has about 600 rounds through it. I shoot factory ammo - 162gr Hornady Precision Hunters. I rarely shoot better than 1 MOA with a 5 shot group, prone or bench rest off a bipod and rear bag.

I also have a training rifle and I’ve done one long range shooting course already. I’ve increased the frequency and volume of my shooting, but it hasn’t seemed to tighten any of my groups up, although my proficiency is higher. My goal is to increase my/weapons combined accuracy to consistently get 1 MOA or better with a 10 round group. I’d like your thoughts on where to invest my time and money to improve performance.

 

[Justin Crossley]

Does the rifle shoot better than that if someone else is shooting it?

If yes, then keep practicing.

If not, I would probably not worry about it and keep practicing.

You can kill a lot of stuff at fairly long range with a rifle/scope/shooter that consistently shoot 1.5 MOA.

 

[NRA4LIFE]

Do what everyone else does, new stock, new trigger, new barrel, new bolt.

 

[TheCougar]

Does the rifle shoot better than that if someone else is shooting it?

If yes, then keep practicing.

If not, I would probably not worry about it and keep practicing.

You can kill a lot of stuff at fairly long range with a rifle/scope/shooter that consistently shoot 1.5 MOA.

I’m the most experienced shooter who has shot my rifle, so I can’t say. That’s not to say I’m amazing or anything… I just don’t have any friends here who are shooters. I also shoot that rifle the least. Typically a box on every range trip a shot or two to check zero, then right out to longer distance. I end up shooting the other rifles more, mainly due to cost and volume shooting magnums isn’t awesome. I’m pretty confident behind my rifle and I haven’t wounded or lost in animal in years and killed out to 500 yards on my last two seasons. It just drives me crazy to see these guys with their 10 shot groups and know I can’t do that. 100 yards is a baseline. If I am 1.3 MOA at 100 on a bench, I’m a minimum of 1.5, plus wind call error, plus range error, plus error for field shooting positions etc at 600 or 800. A great example was the CBC. I shot at 600 and was 3/4. The last shot was known range, modified prone, with no wind. And I missed, with no known reason.

 

[TheCougar]

Does the rifle shoot better than that if someone else is shooting it?

If yes, then keep practicing.

If not, I would probably not worry about it and keep practicing.

You can kill a lot of stuff at fairly long range with a rifle/scope/shooter that consistently shoot 1.5 MOA.

Copy, practice!

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

Buy or load ammo that it likes and shoot more would be my vote.

 

[bojangles808]

Adding an adjustable kydex cheek riser to the stock riser has helped my shooting consistency and won't break the bank. Probably depends on how your current sight picture is/how high your scope is mounted though

This thread has a lot of good options if you want to look further

Cheek Riser

Does anybody recommend a cheek riser to put on a stock for a better cheek weld? I’m just a little low on my scope when I have a solid cheek weld and am looking to get a little elevation added on my stock. Currently looking at the triad stock pad and the Beartooth comb, but definitely open to...

rokslide.com

 

[TheCougar]

Adding an adjustable kydex cheek riser to the stock riser has helped my shooting consistency and won't break the bank. Probably depends on how your current sight picture is/how high your scope is mounted though

This thread has a lot of good options if you want to look further

Cheek Riser

Does anybody recommend a cheek riser to put on a stock for a better cheek weld? I’m just a little low on my scope when I have a solid cheek weld and am looking to get a little elevation added on my stock. Currently looking at the triad stock pad and the Beartooth comb, but definitely open to...

rokslide.com

Got that already - didn’t mention it. You are spot on though. With those sporter stocks, you need to build up the comb to get a repeatable weld.

 

[Reburn]

shoot it until its shot out is my vote. Or long range course.

 

[Marbles]

Get a new action!... Wait, is that the same as a new rifle?

Rebarrel to a non-magnum caliber?

Add a 25 pound stock?

Ok, I'll stop making bad jokes.

 

[PNWGATOR]

Why?

Sincerely.

If you’re shooting sub 2moa 10 round groups, adjust poa/poi, slip your turrets and learn how to kill efficiently afield.

Best advice I’d give you is to assemble a Rokslide Special Tikka .223 and go forth and conquer.

 

[hereinaz]

Got that already - didn’t mention it. You are spot on though. With those sporter stocks, you need to build up the comb to get a repeatable weld.

If you are getting a "cheek weld" how you press on the rifle can make a difference. If you are leaning heavy into your rifle, you are pushing the stock down and to the right. That moves the muzzle immediately upon recoil before the bullet leaves the bore. It is hard to get a consistent pressure that is repeatable. If you have a light rifle and heavy recoiling caliber, you will induce an additional variable that adds fractions of an inch.

Not that your 10 shot group is bad, but there are things that can be done with dry fire and focus on recoil management and building the shooting position.

I used to have adjustable cheek pieces, until I realized that if I configured the rifle to fit me, I could relax my neck into the same position and index my head into perfect position behind my rifle by touching my cheek bone in the same soft manner. I am 6'2" and have long arms, and with the new "precision rifle" technique of squaring to the rifle and putting the buttpad on my collarbone directly under my right cheek, I find that my length of pull is shorter than I believed. I don't use any spacers typically, and some rifles I trim the buttstock to put on a thick limbsaver.

Why?

Sincerely.

If you’re shooting sub 2moa 10 round groups, adjust poa/poi, slip your turrets and learn how to kill efficiently afield.

Best advice I’d give you is to assemble a Rokslide Special Tikka .223 and go forth and conquer.

This is good advice. I love my 7mm sherman short mag, but I dropped to a 25 sherman short tactical for reduced recoil. I get nearly the same elevation out to 1000 and lose a little on wind deflection. The smaller bullet has killed as well as the 7mm so far.

If you want to shrink groups, loading your own ammo is invariably in the mix, which was mentioned.

 

[wind gypsy]

#1 upgrade if you want it to be capable of shooting tighter groups is a new barrel. Catch is you can spend a lot and might not get one that’s much better.

Agree that 1.3 MOA 10 rd group is plenty good for a hunting magnum. Despite what people post on the internet, most won’t do better.

 

[Lawnboi]

Iv done about everything to tikkas.

Barrels are consumable, and while I generally think a lot can be done with a 1.5moa rifle and some understanding, on relatively large targets, I can say that most of my barrels after factory seemed to be tighter and more forgiving on loads.

Personally seeing around 10 factory tikka barrels, I feel most were 1.5 moa rifles most days.

I have a box I use for zero and velocity confirmation after cleaning, and before matches (for one specific gun) there’s a dozen sub moa groups on the box. If it’s what you want to feel confident, there is more juice to be squeezed.

But then again you need to be able to shoot consistently enough to take advantage of it as well. There’s days where I don’t think I can, but it’s nice having the confidence to know when the mistake is your own.

As noted above I also have a $1200 barrel that is garbage.

 

[atmat]

If you’re shooting sub 2moa 10 round groups, adjust poa/poi, slip your turrets and learn how to kill efficiently afield.

This is the answer. A 2moa gun still puts you on elk vitals at 1,000 yards.

 

[Ucsdryder]

I’ve got a Tikka T3 in 7RM. It is bedded in a B&C Sporter stock, has an APR brake, and an LRHS scope. I have a suppressor on order. The barrel has about 600 rounds through it. I shoot factory ammo - 162gr Hornady Precision Hunters. I rarely shoot better than 1 MOA with a 5 shot group, prone or bench rest off a bipod and rear bag.

I also have a training rifle and I’ve done one long range shooting course already. I’ve increased the frequency and volume of my shooting, but it hasn’t seemed to tighten any of my groups up, although my proficiency is higher. My goal is to increase my/weapons combined accuracy to consistently get 1 MOA or better with a 10 round group. I’d like your thoughts on where to invest my time and money to improve performance.

For me it’s the stock and it’s not even close. The 300wm in a tikka stock was borderline unshootable. In an AG composites it’s a completely different rifle.

My father in law, not sure if he’s ever fired a center fire rifle, made a first round impact at 600 yards with my upgraded tikka on a 12” steel. Skip the course, get a stock and some extra ammo!

 

[TheCougar]

Why?

Sincerely.

If you’re shooting sub 2moa 10 round groups, adjust poa/poi, slip your turrets and learn how to kill efficiently afield.

Best advice I’d give you is to assemble a Rokslide Special Tikka .223 and go forth and conquer.

valid question. I’ve got a training rifle. Doing Form’s shooting drills are great for proficiency and training for hunting. I want to increase my accuracy. The shooting drills won’t turn me and my weapon combination into anything better than I can hold on a bench in the most controlled of conditions, which is about 1.3-1.5 MOA. I’m either limited by equipment, the quality of my practice (my mechanics) , or proficiency. I can keep doing the same thing, or try to change something. I feel like improving my mechanics through instruction or improving the rifle will help set a better accuracy baseline for longer range shooting.

 

[TheCougar]

For me it’s the stock and it’s not even close. The 300wm in a tikka stock was borderline unshootable. In an AG composites it’s a completely different rifle.

My father in law, not sure if he’s ever fired a center fire rifle, made a first round impact at 600 yards with my upgraded tikka on a 12” steel. Skip the course, get a stock and some extra ammo!

Going from the standard Tikka stock to the B&C was a huge difference.

 

[wind gypsy]

This is the answer. A 2moa gun still puts you on elk vitals at 1,000 yards.

*If your velocity spread is very tight, you have no ranging error, you nail your wind call, and your DA is aligned with data.

A gun/shooter hitting 2 MOA at 100 yards is a far cry from doing it @ 1000 yards.

 

[atmat]

*If your velocity spread is very tight, you have no ranging error, you nail your wind call, and your DA is aligned with data.

A gun/shooter hitting 2 MOA at 100 yards is a far cry from doing it @ 1000 yards.

My point wasn’t that he should feel comfortable out to 1,000. My point was that his rifle is sufficient for hunting.

He said he’s shooting <1.5 MOA — so I extrapolated a worse MOA out to a very far distance to make that point.

Edit: typo