Tikka .223 won’t group

[HighCascadeHunter]

Posting this hoping to get some help on a DIY tikka build I put together.
Specs: tikka action, 16.5” McGowan .223 lite profile barrel 1/7 twist.
Mountain tactical bottom metal on a bell and Carson stock.
UM rings, mark4hd 2-10

I took off the old 7 rem mag barrel, cleaned everything up, applied some anti seize to new barrel threads. Torqued to 100 ft lbs
That all went smooth.

Next I worked on the stock and sanded out a fair amount of barrel channel to ensure free floating, also drilled in two studs for a SRS arca rail.
Took a few attempts to get everything fitting right. But seemed to work out.
Then put it all together with the mountain tactical bottom metal and torqued action screws to 65 in lbs .

All in all the rifle is a blast to shoot. Everything works.
But I’ve been surprised at how “picky” the rifle is with ammo selections.
Only thing that shoots is the AAC 556 77OTM
10 rounds 1.5 inch group at 100 yards. Great! Happy with that.

But almost everything else is between 2-3 moa accuracy, including factory eldm, the AAC 77TMK ammo, and anything else I tried.

Even tried handloads, 75 ELDM, hornady brass, StaBall match powder. Still lousy groups.

I’m wondering where to start, bad barrel? Action screws torque specs? Barrel channel? Bedding?

Overall I’m very happy with 10 round 1.5 moa out of the 77OTM and I’m training in the field ringing 10” plates to 450 consistently. But I don’t love that bullet for hunting and would really like a tmk or eldm to shoot well.

I appreciate any feedback on this build or things to correct. My experience has been when a rifle shoots, it just shoots. No drama. Correct me if that’s wrong.
Thanks

 

[blacktailcentral]

Posting this hoping to get some help on a DIY tikka build I put together.
Specs: tikka action, 16.5” McGowan .223 lite profile barrel 1/7 twist.
Mountain tactical bottom metal on a bell and Carson stock.
UM rings, mark4hd 2-10

I took off the old 7 rem mag barrel, cleaned everything up, applied some anti seize to new barrel threads. Torqued to 100 ft lbs
That all went smooth.

Next I worked on the stock and sanded out a fair amount of barrel channel to ensure free floating, also drilled in two studs for a SRS arca rail.
Took a few attempts to get everything fitting right. But seemed to work out.
Then put it all together with the mountain tactical bottom metal and torqued action screws to 65 in lbs .

All in all the rifle is a blast to shoot. Everything works.
But I’ve been surprised at how “picky” the rifle is with ammo selections.
Only thing that shoots is the AAC 556 77OTM
10 rounds 1.5 inch group at 100 yards. Great! Happy with that.

But almost everything else is between 2-3 moa accuracy, including factory eldm, the AAC 77TMK ammo, and anything else I tried.

Even tried handloads, 75 ELDM, hornady brass, StaBall match powder. Still lousy groups.

I’m wondering where to start, bad barrel? Action screws torque specs? Barrel channel? Bedding?

Overall I’m very happy with 10 round 1.5 moa out of the 77OTM and I’m training in the field ringing 10” plates to 450 consistently. But I don’t love that bullet for hunting and would really like a tmk or eldm to shoot well.

I appreciate any feedback on this build or things to correct. My experience has been when a rifle shoots, it just shoots. No drama. Correct me if that’s wrong.
Thanks

Not sure if it would effect accuracy but your bolt face is the wrong size for the case head, you have a magnum bolt .532 inch and you need the 223 bolt face

 

[HighCascadeHunter]

Not sure if it would effect accuracy but your bolt face is the wrong size for the case head, you have a magnum bolt .532 inch and you need the 223 bolt face

Forgot to mention, I traded out the mag bolt for 223 bolt.

 

[blacktailcentral]

Forgot to mention, I traded out the mag bolt for 223 bolt.

Agh gotcha good good

 

[TxxAgg]

Seems unfair to say “Tikka” won’t shoot with all those changes.

 

[mtnbound]

Posting this hoping to get some help on a DIY tikka build I put together.
Specs: tikka action, 16.5” McGowan .223 lite profile barrel 1/7 twist.
Mountain tactical bottom metal on a bell and Carson stock.
UM rings, mark4hd 2-10

I took off the old 7 rem mag barrel, cleaned everything up, applied some anti seize to new barrel threads. Torqued to 100 ft lbs
That all went smooth.

Next I worked on the stock and sanded out a fair amount of barrel channel to ensure free floating, also drilled in two studs for a SRS arca rail.
Took a few attempts to get everything fitting right. But seemed to work out.
Then put it all together with the mountain tactical bottom metal and torqued action screws to 65 in lbs .

All in all the rifle is a blast to shoot. Everything works.
But I’ve been surprised at how “picky” the rifle is with ammo selections.
Only thing that shoots is the AAC 556 77OTM
10 rounds 1.5 inch group at 100 yards. Great! Happy with that.

But almost everything else is between 2-3 moa accuracy, including factory eldm, the AAC 77TMK ammo, and anything else I tried.

Even tried handloads, 75 ELDM, hornady brass, StaBall match powder. Still lousy groups.

I’m wondering where to start, bad barrel? Action screws torque specs? Barrel channel? Bedding?

Overall I’m very happy with 10 round 1.5 moa out of the 77OTM and I’m training in the field ringing 10” plates to 450 consistently. But I don’t love that bullet for hunting and would really like a tmk or eldm to shoot well.

I appreciate any feedback on this build or things to correct. My experience has been when a rifle shoots, it just shoots. No drama. Correct me if that’s wrong.
Thanks

I could not get the 75eldms to group until 2.4 coal, and using CFE223. The 73eldms grouped well, as did the 77tmks, and the Hornady 75bthps. They liked Varget, 8208, and Stabal Match.

 

[HighCascadeHunter]

I could not get the 75eldms to group until 2.4 coal, and using CFE223. The 73eldms grouped well, as did the 77tmks, and the Hornady 75bthps. They liked Varget, 8208, and Stabal Match.

Thanks for the info, I was at 2.39 if I recall correctly for the 75eldms I tried over staBALL match. I think 10 rounds was around 2.5 moa.

I’m unsure of how much work to do reloading if there is a problem with the rifle itself in how I put it together.

 

[Kaleb]

You have changed a lot no big deal but just more I’s to dot and T’s to cross.

I’m not a Tikka expert or any expert for that matter but I think something is in a bind or getting pressure in a spot that you don’t mean for it to. With all the changes it could be in a number of places but a bolt action rifle isn’t that complicated even though they’ve made anyone who’s honest or done much chase our tails before. Get the horse back infront of the cart and start there.

Is your action seating in without being in a bind?
Is your barrel trigger etc clear from the stock?
Is your scope a proven scope?

Not necessarily on a Tikka but I’ve spent a lot of rounds to find out I had a trigger making contact with the trigger guard or a screw was making contact with the stock. I’ve had base screws too long hitting the barrel but that’s not you’re problem here.

Have you measured your headspace from factory and fired cases? I doubt you’re unlucky enough to have a bad barrel but could have excessive headspace. I doubt that too but thinking out loud.

Make sure the action screws aren’t too long. I just think something is in a bind somewhere.

 

[Kaleb]

I’ll go measure one but I think you’re jumping them pretty far. 26.0-26.3 of Lever generally works. I can’t speak to the other powders.

 

[mtnbound]

Thanks for the info, I was at 2.39 if I recall correctly for the 75eldms I tried over staBALL match. I think 10 rounds was around 2.5 moa.

I’m unsure of how much work to do reloading if there is a problem with the rifle itself in how I put it together.

Even when they sort of grouped, I was not happy and finally just walked away from the 75eldms.

 

[Kaleb]

2.450 is my oal’ish with 75amax seconds

The case base to ogive is 1.890 for my older tikka. The COAL measurement will vary but that measurement doesn’t.