Tikka T3x Hunter Accuracy

[mxgsfmdpx]

Thank you for all your replies. Maybe I will have my gunsmith take a look at it.

Wouldn’t hurt but I have seen very low round count and brand new tikka barrels give mild pressure signs with factory ammo. Superformance can be pretty hot ish for factory ammo.

Not saying to do this, but if it was my gun. I’d shoot another 100 rounds through it and hard cycle the bolt a few hundred times, not chambering anything. See if that relieves the brass marking and hard bolt close/open issue.

 

[jbrun63]

This is a strange issue. I have one of these in 308 and it shot great out of the box

 

[manitou1]

Do you believe cleaning will improve accuracy? I certainly don't, especially if someone is trying to shoot groups directly after cleaning the bore.

Accuracy standards are certainly individual.

Some rifles foul quickly and lose accuracy in 20-30 rounds. Some need 20-30 to become accurate. All are individuals.

 

[cattledog04]

My Tikka T3x is a 7mm-08. I worked for quite a while playing with loads and can confirm that when I went to hornady bullets it began to shoot very well. I use 139 grain Interlocks with h4350 powder.

My Tikka 7mm likes Hornady as well.

 

[Macintosh]

Id go through a checklist to ID any assembly issues or scope, either the one in this thread or listen to the shoot 2 hunt podcast on diagnosing rifle issues. Ime thats most likely. If possible try a different scope on it before you spend $200 on ammo just to get to the point where you start checking things.

Ive owned or been related to (brothers) 5 tikkas, and 4 of them shoot sub-moa 5-shot groups most of the time, right out of the box, using just about any ammo. one was a dud and never shot better than what youve described (occasional 1-moa 3-shot groups but 5 into 2-2.5” was normal)—maybe someone would have gotten it to shoot better with a ton of experimenting with ammo and reloading, but a crazy finicky rifle wasn’t worth it to me. Between pillars, bedding, additional floating, every type of ammo I could buy locally, 2 sets of mounts and 2 scopes…I could have saved a pile of time and $ by just verifying assembly, trying a known good scope to verify that wasn’t the issue, and moving on at that point. Its unlikely—I think a scope or mount issue is far more likely—but it does happen.

 

[HandgunHTR]

I am surprised nobody has asked yet.

What scope, rings, and mounts are you using?

Also, if your first three shots are usually good and it is shots 4 & 5 that are opening up the group, that normally points to the shooter as the issue, unless something is bound up.

Do this. Shoot three shots. Then step back from the gun, take 10 deep breaths, and then shoot the final two. Or better yet, just shoot five 3-shot groups at the same target dot.

 

[Oldrifle]

It would be best to just shoot it instead of cleaning it. Make sure scope parallax isn't creating problems, and 1.5 moa is okay.

 

[Bergeron96]

I am surprised nobody has asked yet.

What scope, rings, and mounts are you using?

Also, if your first three shots are usually good and it is shots 4 & 5 that are opening up the group, that normally points to the shooter as the issue, unless something is bound up.

Do this. Shoot three shots. Then step back from the gun, take 10 deep breaths, and then shoot the final two. Or better yet, just shoot five 3-shot groups at the same target dot.

I have a Vortex Viper 2.5-10 mounted on Talley Rings. I remounted and checked everything today with 17in pounds on the rings and 20 to the receiver. I checked the barrel and it is free floated. I can fit 2 dollar bills all the way to the receiver. I have the receiver bolts torqued to 45.

I am going to take your advice and take smaller groups. I’m hoping either I am the problem or the barrel is just getting too hot. I am in Florida and it’s usually around 90 out right now in the summer.

 

[HandgunHTR]

I have a Vortex Viper 2.5-10 mounted on Talley Rings. I remounted and checked everything today with 17in pounds on the rings and 20 to the receiver. I checked the barrel and it is free floated. I can fit 2 dollar bills all the way to the receiver. I have the receiver bolts torqued to 45.

I am going to take your advice and take smaller groups. I’m hoping either I am the problem or the barrel is just getting too hot. I am in Florida and it’s usually around 90 out right now in the summer.

I doubt it is the barrel getting too hot.

I would try a different scope, if you have one.

 

[Jhedum]

I don't know, I've got a Browning A-bolt 7mag that will shoot 2-3" groups at 100 after it's been completely cleaned, then takes about 40 rounds until they're stacking again. It hates a clean barrel. Which is why I only clean it when the accuracy starts to waiver a bit.

My Tikka T3X hates a clean barrel and takes a dozen or so rounds before it starts shooting amazing again. I hate cleaning it but keep a cheap box of round handy to foul the barrel before shooting my reloads. I thought I was the only one.

 

[jjohnsonElknewbie]

Watch this one... Spoiler-- in the vast majority of cases, cleaning and "breaking-in" barrels are unnecessary.

 

[Macintosh]

Better yet, this is exactly on topic to troubleshoot your issue.

 

[MattB]

I have a Vortex Viper 2.5-10 mounted on Talley Rings. I remounted and checked everything today with 17in pounds on the rings and 20 to the receiver. I checked the barrel and it is free floated. I can fit 2 dollar bills all the way to the receiver. I have the receiver bolts torqued to 45.

I am going to take your advice and take smaller groups. I’m hoping either I am the problem or the barrel is just getting too hot. I am in Florida and it’s usually around 90 out right now in the summer.

Are those manufacturer specs? Seems to me I’ve read here that ring caps need to be in the 23-25 in./# range to reliably keep the scope from shifting.

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

There are lots of variables to eliminate before he moves to scope and rings. Those are last after checking everything on the rifle first.

Sounds like you have checked and are good on fully free floated, that's good. Make sure that when you put the gun in the shooting position that you then don't introduce enough flex to cause the barrel to touch the stock anywhere. This can happen on Tikka factory stocks without folks realizing, meaning some shots are fully free floated, but some shots have a contact point introduced.

If you are confident that this isn't happening, and that your action screws are fully torqued and paint penned in, and that the action is fully seated properly into the recoil lug, and that you indeed don't have a head spacing issue on the gun (rare), then I'd say move to ring base screws, scope, and ring cap screws to look for issues.

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

Are those manufacturer specs? Seems to me I’ve read here that ring caps need to be in the 23-25 in./# range to reliably keep the scope from shifting.

So the torque value on ring cap screws in my experience needs to be set by the ring manufacturer. Clamping force from one style of ring to the next can vary a lot in what I've seen. Meaning, 23-25" lbs on one style of ring cap screw, could have the same clamping/hold force as 43-45" lbs on another style/design.

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

Better yet, this is exactly on topic to troubleshoot your issue.

How have I never heard of these videos before? I need to go watch all of them now haha! Thanks!

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

I’m hoping either I am the problem or the barrel is just getting too hot. I am in Florida and it’s usually around 90 out right now in the summer.

On Saturday I shot 300 rounds out of my Tikka .223, 200 rounds out of my Tikka .243, and 100 rounds out of my Tikka .260. The high for the day was 111 F, I was shooting from 90-105 degrees. The barrels were so hot I was only stopping because of slightly too much mirage in the scope. Threw them back in the Jeep in front of the AC vents and switched rifles. Never once was POI shifted or affected because of barrel or action temp, from 100 yards to 800+ yards.

 

[Macintosh]

How have I never heard of these videos before? I need to go watch all of them now haha! Thanks!

Unfortunately, it's just the audio of the podcast, but on the youtubes...no video. Unless you like watching the screen.

Makes linking easy, though!

 

[thinhorn_AK]

How have I never heard of these videos before? I need to go watch all of them now haha! Thanks!

I can’t understand the dudes voice on half of those podcasts.

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

I can’t understand the dudes voice on half of those podcasts.

I'm on my PC with headphones and it's good. A bit "darth vader" like but nothing causing me to not understand.