Tikka won’t group…rifle bedding questions

[ColPenguin]

I don't know if the surfboard epoxy will be hard enough. Does it have a lot of flex to it when it cures?

There is definitely no need to go buy an expensive batch of devcon for a little DIY bedding job. Get some original JB Weld, not the Kwik Weld kind, at a local hardware store. A dime size dab of compound will be enough to bed behind the lug.

I would rule out other issues first though.

 

[DeepMauka]

From that angle it looks seated fine to me.

Do you think bedding will help my issues?

Going back to your loads. The 1:8 twist should be just fine with 77TMKs, 75BTHP and 77 Areomatchs from Hornady and the Berger 80.5 Full bores all loaded at listed COAL. 75/80 ELDMs and Xs like to be loaded longer that what the factory Tikka mag allows. What was your recipe with the 77TMKS?

Off top of my head with 77tmks before I opened up the stock:
2.26”
8208xbr 23.5g
4895 23g
24g varget

0.030” off lands
24g 4895
25g varget

The ones loaded 30thousands off lands shot best and I would like to reshoot those groups since I opened it up stock, but didn’t know if I should just bed the action first.

I shot staball match and lever too, just don’t remember those loads off top my head.

Only group I did since opening up stock was 24g varget at 2.28” (tikka mag length) and it was over 2”, hence think g bedding the stock and not trying anything else until I did.

 

[DeepMauka]

I don't know if the surfboard epoxy will be hard enough. Does it have a lot of flex to it when it cures?

There is definitely no need to go buy an expensive batch of devcon for a little DIY bedding job. Get some original JB Weld, not the Kwik Weld kind, at a local hardware store. A dime size dab of compound will be enough to bed behind the lug.

I would rule out other issues first though.

That’s why I was going to mix in the milled carbon fiber. Figured adding that would harden/stiffen up if there was any inherent flex in the epoxy.

 

[DeepMauka]

How’s it shoot with factory ammo?

Only shot 75hpbt Hornady frontier in it. Similar groups to my handloads. I only shot them when it had sub 100rds, but since everything shot bad I figured shoot any more wouldn’t help address issues.

I cannot order any of the factory ammo lots of you guys shoot. Hawaii does not allow ammunition to be shipped to your house like other states.

 

[mwoolsey5]

I don’t know if this has been checked for yet, but I’ve seen a few people mention their T3X stocks are not rigid enough and/or do not have sufficient channel clearance between the stock and barrel. Have you checked for contact between the two or watched to see if they touch when shooting?

 

[The Harbor Master]

Do you think bedding will help my issues?

I've never felt the need with my Tikkas, but if it's done correctly I can't imagine it hurting anything. At worst you're out the cost of materials and time.

Your situation on factory ammo is tough, trying a few factory loads might help narrow some things down. I don't reload so can't help with load advice... if it was me, and I knew for sure everything was free floated and torqued properly, bedded if you wanted to give it a shot, then I'd be trying to get hands on some ELDm or Bergers.

 

[Kauaihunter]

I would work out the ammo before getting deeper into the stock.

Did you shoot it with the contact points, before you opened it up?

 

[ResearchinStuff]

Those are good powders. Are you doing something goofy like putting the barrel on your rest instead of the stock? If not, it's probably just your barrel. Try the 73 elds maybe.

 

[Timjohnson11]

Last two tikkas I’ve bought have been super picky and were a far cry from the Tikka consistency I had grown use to.

My buddies knew Tikka had action screws’ finger tight from factory.. This was just last month. I’d check there first.

 

[Macintosh]

The picture in post 16 appears to show a noticeable gap along the edge of the action, and what looks like sanding marks on the stock there where it should be tight to the action. You didnt remove any material behind the barrel channel itself, did you? If so that could be part of the issue.

 

[glock233]

Remount Scope base. Remount Scope rings. Try factory 223 like 80 ELDM or BH 77tmk.

I bet you’ll find it doing 1-1.25

 

[DeepMauka]

The picture in post 16 appears to show a noticeable gap along the edge of the action, and what looks like sanding marks on the stock there where it should be tight to the action. You didnt remove any material behind the barrel channel itself, did you? If so that could be part of the issue.View attachment 1017477

Didn’t sand that far back, but there was no sanding done with the previous bad groups.

I sanded it yesterday, and have only fired one group of 24g varget for 10rds before range closed and no substantial improvement.

I put up this post to see if bedding would help before I reshot everything I’ve tried again after opening up the stock some more.

 

[DeepMauka]

Remount Scope base. Remount Scope rings. Try factory 223 like 80 ELDM or BH 77tmk.

I bet you’ll find it doing 1-1.25

There is no scope base. UM tikka rings are installed directly to dovetail. Unfortunately those are not available options for purchase where I reside.

 

[DeepMauka]

I would work out the ammo before getting deeper into the stock.

Did you shoot it with the contact points, before you opened it up?

All groups were shot before opening it up minus the last group. Last group no improvement, so I wanted to see if bedding would help before I ran 100+ more rounds through chasing my tail

 

[glock233]

There is no scope base. UM tikka rings are installed directly to dovetail. Unfortunately those are not available options for purchase where I reside.

I’d reinstall the rings and scope. It’s usually the problem with mystery inaccuracy.

 

[Kauaihunter]

All groups were shot before opening it up minus the last group. Last group no improvement, so I wanted to see if bedding would help before I ran 100+ more rounds through chasing my tail

This has been my experience with the factory synthetic stock. Removing the contact points made no real difference.

 

[kopmantrey]

My tikka 223 went from shooting 1.5 to 1.7 inch 10rnd groups with 77tmks and lever/tac to .6 to .9 for 10 with 77tmk and benchmark.

 

[Matt5266]

Is 1.5 inch 10-15 round groups bad? These arnt 1000 yard guns. Id say that's about what mine shoots and I killed at cow at 410 this year..shot her till she dropped. 3 rounds all hit right where I was aiming.

 

[Q_Sertorius]

Is 1.5 inch 10-15 round groups bad? These arnt 1000 yard guns. Id say that's about what mine shoots and I killed at cow at 410 this year..shot her till she dropped. 3 rounds all hit right where I was aiming.

His groups are larger than that.

 

[benjohnson311]

Dropping my Tikka in a stocky’s CF stock made a huge difference. The have blems on eBay for cheap.