Tikka accuracy new vs 200 rounds

[BKM]

Has anyone else seen a dramatic improvement in accuracy after 200 rounds? Somewhere between 200 and 250 my tikka 6.5cm went from shooting 1.2” 10 shot groups to 3/4”.

I worked up a 147eldm load early and have been shooting it since probably 50 rounds down the tube

 

[grfox92]

Has anyone else seen a dramatic improvement in accuracy after 200 rounds? Somewhere between 200 and 250 my tikka 6.5cm went from shooting 1.2” 10 shot groups to 3/4”.

I worked up a 147eldm load early and have been shooting it since probably 50 rounds down the tube

Maybe you have become the better shot, not the rifle?

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[Beendare]

Maybe you have become the better shot, not the rifle?

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Yeah, strange huh….Ha, Ha…the more you shot, the better the groups

 

[nobody]

Maybe you have become the better shot, not the rifle?

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This. You’re just learning the rifle. Everything I’ve ever owned has seemed to have its accuracy improve after awhile, it’s just practice.

 

[Formidilosus]

This. You’re just learning the rifle. Everything I’ve ever owned has seemed to have its accuracy improve after awhile, it’s just practice.

Not necessarily. It is very common to have barrels shoot better/more consistent after 100-200 rounds.

 

[BKM]

Well me or otherwise I’m very happy with the way it’s coming together!

 

[TaperPin]

That’s cool! How nice

 

[Pickettpuncher]

I wish mine did. It’s acceptable, but nothing special.

 

[turbobrick]

Triggers tend to smooth out with use too, you could be getting a lighter/cleaner break than you were originally.

 

[Matt5266]

That's how all my rifles shoot. I never clean. Once their good and dirty is when they shoot best.

 

[BKM]

That's how all my rifles shoot. I never clean. Once their good and dirty is when they shoot best.

I cleaned after the first 20 and am letting it go until I see a negative change in group size

 

[Tmac]

I have a 25-06 with a Krieger barrel. It did not shoot very well until almost 250 rounds. Then there were 5-6 different bullets it would shoot very very well, and it still shoots the same many years later. It was dramatic, group size falling by almost 50%, very similar to what you saw. None of my Tikkas have exhibited this, but two have low enough round counts I suppose it could happen.

 

[wind gypsy]

Saw similar with a 300 wsm xbolt. Some of it was likely me as I was early in my learning curve but it was pretty dramatic after 150 or so rounds.

 

[Pharmseller]

Has anyone else seen a dramatic improvement in accuracy after 200 rounds?

No

 

[180ls1]

Has it sped up at all?

 

[RockAndSage]

Has anyone else seen a dramatic improvement in accuracy after 200 rounds? Somewhere between 200 and 250 my tikka 6.5cm went from shooting 1.2” 10 shot groups to 3/4”.

I worked up a 147eldm load early and have been shooting it since probably 50 rounds down the tube

I'm pretty sure I've had it happen with a couple of AR barrels, but not certain. I've attributed it to the surface smoothing out and getting more consistent as the film of copper gets deposited over the steel, but that's just a guess.

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

I’m up to somewhere around 40ish Tikka and Sako barrels.

Most of them have shot as expected out of the box, however, I don’t normally put too much stock into the first 100 rounds. I’ll start getting a realistic and consistent velocity from the chrono at 100-200 rounds. Even with factory ammo and the large potential spreads.

When I used to clean my barrels I would wait at least 50 rounds before taking them on a big game killing trip. Probably not needed but it worked for me.

These days I don’t clean at all and I’ve found the barrels last the same amount of rounds within 200-300ish rounds before being “shot out”.

It doesn’t surprise me at all that your rifle shoots a bit better after a couple hundred rounds. I’ve seen this on multiple tikka and Sako barrels (not all barrels, but probably 20ish percent of them).

Good news with these barrels is, you never need to clean them, and they just keep on shooting very well.

My stainless 22” .243 Tikka barrel is finally dead after 7,000+ rounds. I just recently replaced a Tikka Stainless fluted .260 Rem barrel as well that made it 5,500+ rounds. A Sako stainless non-fluted .260 barrel made it 7,500+ rounds (my buddy in Finland who used to work for Sako at the time had me send it to him). A stainless fluted .204 Sako barrel made it 4,500 rounds before I bought a new one. A blued Sako 20” .223 barrel made it 8,000+ rounds.

Keep in mind that all of these barrels still functioned as expected and shot okay. They just didn’t meet accuracy/consistency specs needed any longer.