DesertHiker176
FNG
- Joined
- May 2, 2025
- Messages
- 5
I just picked up a Tikka T3X Lite 22 inch barrel in 7mm PRC 1/8 twist. I previously had a 308 T3X CTR in 308 that shot lights out. It was a half MOA gun and I was expecting this 7mm PRC to be no different.
I took it to the range today after putting a Salmon River Solutions picatinny rail and Maven RS 1.2 on the gun. The RS 1.2 was torqued to 18 inch pounds in Talley Sporter scope rings and 25 inch pounds to the Salmon River Solutions picatinny rail. The Salmon River Solutions Rail was torqued to 15 inch pounds to the receiver, all screws were thread locked with blue Loctite 242. I was shooting at 5000 feet elevation, 80 degrees and almost zero wind.
After building a solid shooting position using a bipod and rear bag I began to sight in the rifle. My shots were all over the place. The best group I was able to get was 1.5 MOA with Hornady ELDx hunter 175 grain ammo which I chronographed at 2775 fps. Sometimes I shot high, low, left or right all in the same shot 3-5 shot group. Thinking it was just me, which I haven’t completely ruled out yet, I grabbed my AR with a 1-6 LPVO and had a second round impact on steel at 500 yards. I proceeded to hit the steel 10 more times before going back to the Tikka.
My results were the same. I shot 40 rounds over the course of two and a half hours, twenty Hornady ELDxs and twenty Hornady Match 180 grains. The gun did not like the match 180 grain ammo which shot closer to two inch groups.
Overall I’m confused as to why the gun didn’t shoot. I understand that not all factory Tikkas are going to shoot sub MOA out of the box, but I was definitely expecting one group to be under an MOA at least. Is anyone else having issues with these new 7mm PRC Tikkas or just me? I will be shooting again Monday and will capture pictures for proof. Hopefully I will have pictures of 1/2 to 3/4 inch groups and I can chalk this up just to a bad one time experience.
I just wanted to get this experience out there as a potential precautionary tail for new Tikka 7mm PRC buyers and to get ideas how I can remedy this in case I went wrong somewhere.
I took it to the range today after putting a Salmon River Solutions picatinny rail and Maven RS 1.2 on the gun. The RS 1.2 was torqued to 18 inch pounds in Talley Sporter scope rings and 25 inch pounds to the Salmon River Solutions picatinny rail. The Salmon River Solutions Rail was torqued to 15 inch pounds to the receiver, all screws were thread locked with blue Loctite 242. I was shooting at 5000 feet elevation, 80 degrees and almost zero wind.
After building a solid shooting position using a bipod and rear bag I began to sight in the rifle. My shots were all over the place. The best group I was able to get was 1.5 MOA with Hornady ELDx hunter 175 grain ammo which I chronographed at 2775 fps. Sometimes I shot high, low, left or right all in the same shot 3-5 shot group. Thinking it was just me, which I haven’t completely ruled out yet, I grabbed my AR with a 1-6 LPVO and had a second round impact on steel at 500 yards. I proceeded to hit the steel 10 more times before going back to the Tikka.
My results were the same. I shot 40 rounds over the course of two and a half hours, twenty Hornady ELDxs and twenty Hornady Match 180 grains. The gun did not like the match 180 grain ammo which shot closer to two inch groups.
Overall I’m confused as to why the gun didn’t shoot. I understand that not all factory Tikkas are going to shoot sub MOA out of the box, but I was definitely expecting one group to be under an MOA at least. Is anyone else having issues with these new 7mm PRC Tikkas or just me? I will be shooting again Monday and will capture pictures for proof. Hopefully I will have pictures of 1/2 to 3/4 inch groups and I can chalk this up just to a bad one time experience.
I just wanted to get this experience out there as a potential precautionary tail for new Tikka 7mm PRC buyers and to get ideas how I can remedy this in case I went wrong somewhere.
