The 30-06 ammo your Tikka T3x and you prefer

[MichaelP]

What title says. What ammo do you find to work well (in terms of tight groups at 100-200 yd or so) with your 30-06 Tikka T3x?
Do you use it for short and medium range hunting (deer, coyotes, etc)?
Thank you.
Mike

 

[MichaelP]

Any ammo brands/variations you stay away from?

 

[Spoonbill]

I had good luck with federal blue box and hornady 180 gr superformance before I started reloading 165 sierra game kings. It is a tikka so it will likely shoot most quality ammo well.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

I load 180g accubonds. Moose, caribou, bear, aoudad.

 

[AZ_Hunter]

Between myself and friends, every 30-06 tikka we have prefers 180 gr anything compared to other weights.

 

[MichaelP]

Interesting! Do you guys feel that 180gr ammo groups well with Tikka Lite version? Having no experience with the light rifle, I'd expect heavier recoil negatively affecting tight grouping...

 

[Rich M]

You don't need sub-MOA ammo to shoot stuff inside 300 yards.

Federal blue box traditionally shoots an inch or less.

 

[ProStaffSteve]

Federal fusion soft points. Tikka t3x lite. 160 & 180 grain. I’m not much of a shooter, but I feel my gun, ammo, and scope far outperform my personal ability. I get bored of pulling the trigger and walking down to my target before I feel like my grouping is an issue. About $40/box

 

[Laelkhunter]

If you reload, 55.0 grains of IMR-4350 pushing a Barnes 168 TTSX shoots 1/2 to 3/4 inch groups out of my Grandson's Tikka T3.

 

[Ringbill27]

For deer and coyotes, 150gr win gray box, Fed blue box or Hornady is where I would start.

 

[Ringbill27]

If you reload, 55.0 grains of IMR-4350 pushing a Barnes 168 TTSX shoots 1/2 to 3/4 inch groups out of my Grandson's Tikka T3.

My rifle seems to like this bullet a lot. Took nothing to find a load that produced good accuracy and speeds. I don’t remember off the top of my head what that load was though.

 

[AZ_Hunter]

Interesting! Do you guys feel that 180gr ammo groups well with Tikka Lite version? Having no experience with the light rifle, I'd expect heavier recoil negatively affecting tight grouping...

It boots. Limbsaver pad and a suppressor really helps.

 

[Laelkhunter]

My rifle seems to like this bullet a lot. Took nothing to find a load that produced good accuracy and speeds. I don’t remember off the top of my head what that load was though.

If I remember correctly, it was around 2800 fps. Not a barrel burner, but adequate. Brass lasts a long time too at that loading.

edited to correct fps: After getting home and checking my shooting log, the velocity was actually 2700 fps.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

Interesting! Do you guys feel that 180gr ammo groups well with Tikka Lite version? Having no experience with the light rifle, I'd expect heavier recoil negatively affecting tight grouping...

It’s not that “light” of a rifle. Mine is well over 8lbs with scope and silencer.

 

[EastHumboldt]

+1 for 165 game kings and my brothers tikka shoots them well also. Both our rifles are tolerable with limbsaver pads. 178 eldx group well out of both guns but the recoil is getting up there where my shooting suffers a bit. These rifles weigh about 7.5 lbs field ready.

The 178’s shot well in hand loads, Hornady Precision Hunter factory ammo. The hand load was 178 eldx over 63 grains of Staball 6.5. YMMV. Use standard hand load safety precautions etc……

 

[Jim1187]

Factory loads for deer and coyotes and even black bears inside 200 yards I'd just try a few different readily available loads that are within your comfortable budget. If it shoots less than 2" and you like the box art buy yourself a case and go forth and kill stuff.
Handloads Barnes' 130 ttsx being pushed by the fastest load they listed(I worked up to it) gave me just over 1 inch groups at 100 yards and given the work they've been doing in a friend's .308 and .300 Savage will be my choice if I have to go unleaded. Speers 165 and 180 grain offerings are always on my bench

 

[Thegman]

One nice thing about a lot of Tikkas is that it seems more loads work well than not.

I had a bunch of 150 ETip seconds that never really shot well in any of my 308s/30-06s. The first load I put through the Tikka 30-06 was with that bullet and was sub-moa. Finally found a place to use those bullets and have used that load it in that rifle ever since. One of the few "one-and-done" rifles I've owned.

 

[MTHunter10]

I've tried Barnes TSX 165 , Barnes LRX 175 , Federal Trophy Copper 165 & 180, Winchester Copper impact 165?, Federal Core Bonded 180, Sig Elite Copper 150, Federal Terminal Ascent 175. My gun shoots the best in order:

1-Terminal Ascent 175
2-Sig Elite Copper 150
3-Core Bonded 180
4-Trophy Copper 180
5-Trophy Copper 165
6-Barnes LRX 175
7-Any Barnes TSX wasn't great
8-Winchester Copper Impact so so for short range


I shoot the Terminal Ascents for Deer & Elk and then I like the Sig 150s for smaller game like antelope. The ballistics are almost identical so I can shoot either very well.

I'd like to try some of the Hornady Copper or ELDX rounds but found the Terminal Ascents do really well so sticking with them for now.

 

[Pharmseller]

Are you guys talking about shooting factory ammo?

Federal blue box.

 

[AZ_Hunter]

I recently did some load dev with 138gr Hammer HHT’s in my chopped and suppressed tikka 30-06. Tried Varget and Big Game. Both powders with each shot a different charge (finding pressure) put 12 or 14 bullets into just over an inch at 100. I was shocked that it didn’t care what weight or powder type… just basically same holed. 3130fps without pressure signs in the 19” ish barrel.

The recoil reduction over my 180/178gr loads was substantial and I think contributed to my better shooting. The rifle is 9.5lbs on the nose. I want to shoot an elk with it later this month.