Should I let a gunsmith run a reamer in my almost new Tikka?

[EastHumboldt]

update: I got the gun back from the Smith this morning, and he had already fooled with it a little bit. He did not ream the chamber, he just polished the mating area of the lugs on the bolt. By doing that, he gained a little over .001. His service report states that “originally the bolt closed on a go gauge, but nothing bigger. After polishing, the bolt close easily on the go gauge, and closed easily on a go +.001 gauge. Closed hard on a go +.002 gauge.”

For those of you who don’t wanna read the whole thread that’s how this turned out. For those who do want to, Maybe some valuable information contained here.

I’ve been having some issues with hard bolt lift after firing 150 ELDX reloads in my stainless T3x 7mm-08, as well as stiff bolt closing on some factory ammo. I’ve fired about 350 rounds through it. I don’t recall hard bolt lift with this specific hand load during the winter, at least not after every shot. I’m not getting hard bolt lift with lower end loads of hand load test ladders, or with factory ammo. The 150 ELDX reloads were also showing some other early pressure signs like slightly flattened primers and extractor wiping.

After some reflection and research on Rokslide and other forums I decided my main problem was my hand loads are maybe a little hot. Hornady 150 g ELDX over 47.5g Staball 6.5 yielding a muzzle velocity averaging 2790 fps. Hornady book max is 46.9g and I’m still trying to figure out how I decided 47.5 was a safe load. Probably a clerical error on my part… derp.

The bolt closes very smoothly on new PPU hand loaded brass. Closes smooth on all my handloads in fact. Closes a little hard on Hornady Whitetail 139g Factory ammo. I’ve never run anything through it other than PPU and Hornady hand loads, and that one specific factory Hornady.

To summarize: Pressure signs and hard bolt lift with one specific hand load, not with other hand loads. All hand loads close smoothly. One hand load pressure signs. The only factory offering I’ve ever tried closes a little hard.



Local gunsmith says the chamber is tight. Bolt closes a little hard on a go gauge. Wants to run a reamer. Has to rent one. I have only one previous experience with any gunsmith, a negative one. He adjusted the trigger on my Remington 700 from 4-5 lbs …to slam fire. So I’m nervous.

Other than the bolt operation issues above (which may not be issues) the rifle shoots lights out. Is there a chance that lengthening my chamber by a couple thousandths will change the way it shoots? I don’t know anything about reaming. Is reaming a big deal? Is it possible to go too far and now have a chamber that’s out of spec on the long side? Or does a reamer have a positive stop that will prevent that.

 

[Carl Ross]

I wouldn’t personally touch the chamber, unless you just have to use the tight factory loads for some reason. Adding a few thou to the chamber won’t fix your hand load issues, and could screw things up if the smith isn’t sufficiently skilled.

Sounds like your hand loads function, you may actually be seeing premature pressure signs from them if the cases are too loose in the chamber. Pulling the firing pin and testing fit of your sized brass (adding length via scotch tape) will give you a good idea if you’re bumping the shoulder too far and creating excess headspace.

Check out this 7-08, Staball, 150 data from Hodgdon. It’s a different bullet but still a cup and core. Higher charge, higher velocity, and only 58k psi. Your load should be pretty far from an issue.

 

[Sundodger]

I had a tikka in 270 win that was tight on closing the bolt and could pop the bullet loose on some factory ammo.

I initially thought the bullet was touching the lands, but used some layout fluid (or sharpe, can't remember) and found it was a tight chamber on the brass. Doubled checked with some bullets and a Hornedy "lock and load" OAL gauge.

I just ended up going with different ammo that fit better.

I would first see where the excessive contact is, and make choices from there. If it's the brass, try another brand.

 

[Wrench]

Minimum spec chambers are a good thing.....

 

[steelheadmike]

I went through the exact same thing with the exact same rifle.

My conclusion was that the Tikka chamber is on the low end of the SAAMI spec. I also noticed that the Hornady ELD-X factory ammo has a slightly different brass size than some of their other factory offerings (SF 139SST). The brass used in the eld-x was noticeable longer in about 30% of the rounds. I got to the point where I could open up a box ( I had 5), measure them and tell which ones would have a tight fit or not even close.

Other brass worked fine as it was on the low end of spec. Nosler brass, for example was really short.

Whether or not you want to run a reamer through it is up to you. I solved the problem by beginning to reload and bumping my shoulders the standard 0.002.

As far as seeing pressure on the Staball, the Hodgdon book max is pretty dang hot. I saw pressure well under the hodgdon book max for SB6.5 in both 150 eld-x and 162 Eld-m. The hornady data seemed to be much more indicative of when I'd begin to see pressure.

 

[Macintosh]

I had a tikka 7-08 that would not close on some factory ammo. Ive heard a couple others with similar issues. It seems to me that almost all of them were 7mm-08’s. Is it possible this is more than coincidence? Thats certainly my impression.

 

[EastHumboldt]

I think it may be a a combination of tikka being tight on the SAAMI specs, and something about the design of the 7-08 cartridge. I also have a T3x in 30-06 and it seems to be more forgiving about cartridge variations.

 

[kpk]

I'd pick a handload you are happy with and run it. I wouldn't ream the chamber simply because 1 factory load "closes a little hard".

Taking brass from that chamber and bumping the shoulder as @steelheadmike suggested would be a good start.

 

[longrangelead]

Your reluctance towards gunsmiths is warranted. not all are as qualified as you might think.

Done incorrectly, you could be worse off than you are now.

That being said, I wouldn't ream a chamber for the reasons you describe, especially if you will be hand loading most or all the time. Adjust your loads, not the gun.

 

[gbflyer]

It’s not desirable to have a sporting rifle with headspace set that tight. A speck of crud can give you problems in the field. There is no accuracy benefit to minimum headspace.

If it shoots well, I would be reluctant to have a gunsmith give it a go with a rented reamer. If I did, I would accept the risk that it could turn out badly and be ready to rebarrel it if necessary.

 

[ResearchinStuff]

my tikka 6.5 creed makes an ejector swipe just from cycling ammo through the chamber, without firing. no amount of fiddling with the ejector, including replacing it an polishing it have resolved the issue. it shoots great though, so i'm just moving on with my life.

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

NOPE! For all of the reasons above.

 

[EastHumboldt]

I'd pick a handload you are happy with and run it. I wouldn't ream the chamber simply because 1 factory load "closes a little hard".

Taking brass from that chamber and bumping the shoulder as @steelheadmike suggested would be a good start.

This is the way. I’m already set up to bump shoulders, and I’ve been experimenting with some of my once fired brass . The plan is to just reduce my existing loads by whatever it takes to stop the hard bolt lift.

 

[NWBLKTAIL]

So I am running that exact same powder/bullet combo right now in my Tikka 7mm08, when I first purchased mine I bought 100 rounds of hornady whitetail (139gr) to pump rounds down it and collect brass. Same thing you experienced hard bolt close on the brass sharpied it and found the shoulder was a touch long on the brass for my chamber. Did not affect how it shot or extracted.

Ive only ran up to 47gr of SB 6.5 and that was yielding 2790fps 10 shot strings as per Garmin 150eldx. Ive ran over 100 rounds so far @ 46.5gr and that is 2750fps avg. Thats likely where im gonna live. Loaded in both virgin starline and 1x+2x hornady brass. Ive had no hard bolt lift with this bullet powder combo thus far. over 300 rounds now on the gun.

the only time I had hard bolt lift with SB 6.5 was when I tried it with MLR CCI 250's. I only loaded 5 with the 162Eldx but all five had hard bolt lift. The 150eldx loads I tried 10 and although no hard bolt lift it didn't yield any better results then just using standard CCI 200's

I set my dies with hornady comparator gauge and fired brass shoulder bump .001-.002 according to my cheapo calibers and haven't had an issue.

I would leave the chamber alone and just knock that charge down and roll with it.

 

[Thinkingman]

I wouldn’t personally touch the chamber, unless you just have to use the tight factory loads for some reason. Adding a few thou to the chamber won’t fix your hand load issues, and could screw things up if the smith isn’t sufficiently skilled.

Sounds like your hand loads function, you may actually be seeing premature pressure signs from them if the cases are too loose in the chamber. Pulling the firing pin and testing fit of your sized brass (adding length via scotch tape) will give you a good idea if you’re bumping the shoulder too far and creating excess headspace.

Check out this 7-08, Staball, 150 data from Hodgdon. It’s a different bullet but still a cup and core. Higher charge, higher velocity, and only 58k psi. Your load should be pretty far from an issue.

View attachment 879905

I have had great accuracy and velocities from Staball 6.5 and 150 ELDX out of my 20" suppressed T3.

 

[waspocrew]

Like others mentioned - adjust the load. I wouldn’t put a reamer to the chamber for one load. If it was being picky with many types of factory ammo/loads, that’s a different story.

 

[wyosam]

It’s not desirable to have a sporting rifle with headspace set that tight. A speck of crud can give you problems in the field. There is no accuracy benefit to minimum headspace.

If it shoots well, I would be reluctant to have a gunsmith give it a go with a rented reamer. If I did, I would accept the risk that it could turn out badly and be ready to rebarrel it if necessary.

If he is able to bump the shoulder back on fired brass, being on the short side of headspace doesn’t really matter at all. If the shoulder can be bumped back whatever is deemed appropriate (.002- however much you want), then just where that shoulder happens to be is irrelevant.


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[SloppyJ]

Not worth it IMO. Could be as simple as switching brass. I know this is sacrilege but maybe give it a good cleaning?

If it's shooting well then I would keep it as is and adjust other variables. How much is the shoulder growing from a fired shot? I assume you've resized fired brass and tried that again? If not, bump it back a few thousandths and see what that result is. Are you sure that you aren't seating the bullets into the lands causing some extra pressure? Lots of things to check before you pay the same guy to mess up another rifle of yours.

 

[EastHumboldt]

Not worth it IMO. Could be as simple as switching brass. I know this is sacrilege but maybe give it a good cleaning?

If it's shooting well then I would keep it as is and adjust other variables. How much is the shoulder growing from a fired shot? I assume you've resized fired brass and tried that again? If not, bump it back a few thousandths and see what that result is. Are you sure that you aren't seating the bullets into the lands causing some extra pressure? Lots of things to check before you pay the same guy to mess up another rifle of yours.

To clarify, it wasn’t the same gunsmith. That was in another town, and years ago. Since then I’ve replaced the original Remington trigger in that R700 with a Timney. The feel of the new triggers much better.

Update: I got the gun back from the gunsmith this morning, he had already fooled with it a little bit. He did not ream the chamber, he just polished the mating area of the lugs on the bolt. By doing that, he gained a little over .001. His service report states that “originally the bolt closed on a go gauge, but nothing bigger. After polishing, the bolt close easily on the go gauge, and closed easily on a go +.001 gauge. Closed hard on a go +.002 gauge.”

 

[EastHumboldt]

Thanks to everyone who contributed your valuable experience. It’s one of the main things I love about Rokslide. Also, the memes, and the goofy ass threads about stupid stuff!