Solution to a slow Tikka barrel

Tikka barrels are not remarkably fast, but a 107 out of a 6.5 is a different way to skin a cat for sure. Seen plenty of folks using powders other than H-4350 and getting good speeds from Tikkas with 130 & 140 grainers. What speeds were you getting with your 130?

I'm not a speed junkie, so I'm happy with the 140 at 2,750, which is about what I'm getting now with H-4350.

I have a ctr that shoots lights out but is slllooooowwwww.
42.3 grn of h4350 pushing a 140 grn Berger at 2676fps

It has been my experience after having a chronograph, that there seems to be three basic grouping of rifles as per velocities.
First and largest group, are those which product velocities well blow published data, and in some cases a couple hundred FPS - OR MORE - below what is expected.
Then, the second and smaller group are those rifles that come close to matching published data.
Then the 3rd and smallest group of rifles are those that exceed published data, all while staying within the published guide lines and without signs of excess pressures.
As was alluded to above, this can be attributed to a number of reasons, bore size and condition, chamber dimensions, Amount or absents of free bore, case wall thickness, not to mention the lot to lot differences in powders.
I have seen velocity drop with no other changes, by about a 100fps with just the change from one lot number of powder to another.
One time in a Speer loading manual, they listed a velocity for a 300 Win Mag that would make the high velocity lovers slobber all over them selves. Good luck to come any where close.
My test were with a rifle that would be mid range in the three grouping, yet it was hundreds of fps off the listed velocities.
WOW, to have a jug of that powder lot number.
So, bare in mind that the critters will never know that you bullet didn't make the listings, but your experience is not out of line.
Sorry that your rifle appears at this point to be one of the first group, but remember it and enjoy the next time you chronograph a friends hot wizz banger and it is a couple hundred or more FPS slower then he/she had expected. It happens.
Another example, I had a 30/06 that was in the slow group. I had the chamber opened up to a 30 Gibbs which makes for a sizable increase in powder volume plus the guy that chambered the rifle allowed the reamer to run a bit deep and the increase in powder volume was even greater then normal for this wildcat.
Well even with all this increase powder space, the 30 Gibbs never shot at velocities high then what can be expected with a mid group or fast group standard 30/06. It was simply a slow rifle even on it's best day

I am running 143s at 2905 fps out of my 24" CTR and 147s at 2870 fps. brass is on 4th firings and still going strong and no pressure signs but just work up what you are comfortable with and all that. Give RL-26 a whirl. I will say my CTR shot 30-40 fps faster with factory 143 ELDX ammo when compared to a RPR shooting from the same box to compare for S&Gs.

Are there any theories out there on what is causing them to run slow?

I think it comes down to barrel tolerances and maybe metallurgy between stainless and carbon steel barrels. Tikka's are hammer forged barrels. The mandrels used may have different tolerances. I imagine Sako/Tikka produce a lot of barrels to supply worldwide production. I had a factory blued varmint in 7-08 and it took a couple of hundred rounds to settle down (to produce both good groups and velocity) It shoots Berger 168gr classics into 3/4" groups at 200m at very good speeds (2800+fps). A couple of mate's rifles (7-08 varmint) in stainless were 150-200fps slower with the same loads but were just as accurate. Chamber specs appeared the same within my abilities to measure. Ive got a factory 20" barrel CTR stainless in 7-08 but haven't yet had time to shoot it. Will be interesting to compare velocity with the same loads. It would be interesting to see if the stainless rifles are the ones producing slower speeds. With either I'd at least put a few hundred rounds through the rifle before making a final assessment.

alaskalanche said:

I am running 143s at 2905 fps out of my 24" CTR and 147s at 2870 fps. brass is on 4th firings and still going strong and no pressure signs but just work up what you are comfortable with and all that. Give RL-26 a whirl. I will say my CTR shot 30-40 fps faster with factory 143 ELDX ammo when compared to a RPR shooting from the same box to compare for S&Gs.

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What kind of groups are you getting? That's blazing fast.

My 6.5CM CTR is not stainless and it is slow also. I don't reload so trying to decide which factory round to stay with. This weekend I chronographed 30 rds of both Hornady 140 Eldm and Federal 130 Bergers. Both shoot well from 100 to 850yds. Leaning towards Hornady for a slight edge on consistency and a little cheaper although I like the faster speed of the Bergers.

Federal 130 Berger @100yds .36" squares

The data

Hornady 140 Eldm @100yds .36" squares
The data
Any Thoughts?

patriot07 said:

What kind of groups are you getting? That's blazing fast.

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Almost always 5 in 1/2" it seems, but occasionally it does this:



I will say virgin Lapua brass I was getting around 2850 fps with this same load. Once fired I gained 50 fps to get me just north of 2900 fps with the same powder lot and same charge. Go figure. Accuracy is as good or better than virgin brass so I will continue to run it this way. Like I said 4 firings in and primer pockets are still tight as ever. I don't have any illusions my barrel life will be as long as if I ran only factory ammo though.

The land / groove dimensions on most custom barrels are tighter than factory . The rifling profile
is slightly different to say , a Bartlein , the combination of these factors is the velocity difference .
The hammer forging process produces a very smooth finish . Short answer , get a custom barrel .

JohnDeereGuy1996 said:

I have a ctr that shoots lights out but is slllooooowwwww.
42.3 grn of h4350 pushing a 140 grn Berger at 2676fps

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What length barrel?

Bradu said:

What length barrel?

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24 inch

As I have only ever shot factory 143 ELDX as the only factory loads I have shot in my 20" and 24" CTRs in 6.5 CM.

I picked up a box of 200 Prime 130s to use in the PR1 class coming up here in July with Frank and Marc in Alaska so I can save my hunting ammo (143s at 2905 fps with 143 ELDX) I have loaded up.

Anyways the 20" CTR averaged 2790 fps over 10 shots and the 24" at 2880 fps over the other half of the box of 20. Seeing the box says 2850 MV with whatever barrel this used, I am pretty happy with the speed these CTRs are getting. Sometimes you just get lucky. That said the 20" CTR def did not care for the Prime ammo that i used for the barrel brake in. But handloaded 147s at 2710 fps it put 5 into 1/4" so go figure, though that is using the exact same load I use in my 18" Barrett Fieldcraft and the Tikka 20" gets the same velocity even with the 2". The 24" CTR with roughly 750-800 rounds seemed to like the prime stuff just about like it likes anything else @ 1/2 MOA.

Both of my 6.5C bolt guns are slow, even for their shorter barrels (20" and 23"). One is a Bartlein and one is a Blaser. Shooting factory Federal 130 Bergers. The difference in elevation and wind compared to a normally faster 6.5C is so meaningless, that I don't understand why anyone would care.

Using a magneto speed on my tikka 20 inch .260 ctr with factory hornady match 130 eld's I was getting velocities of 2400fps but dime size groups. I gotta shoot more as the barrel only has 50 rounds down the tube but I'm not impressed with the velocity, the groups though are fantastic.

I get 2650 FPS with my tikka ctr 24” stainless with American gunner and factory eldm. I get 2700fps with my 26” bartlein with the same ammunition. This is all at sea level, 90 degree weather trued at 825 yards as I don’t have a chrono. So basically my custom and my factory barrels are shooting the same speed relative to barrel length. I never get close to what every one else posts. My buddy has a 26” savage rifle that he hand loads for. Guess what, we can switch ammo between his rifle and my bartlein barreled rifle and use the same dope for both his reloads and my factory ammo and make hits. I just don’t see the speed increase of the high dollar barrels.

RL16 will give you more speed, if you handload. Im throwing 140 grain pills at 2685 through a factory 20” CTR barrel. Factory ELD 140 ammo is 2540

That said, its being rebarreled for this reason next week. Great action, love the trigger, just too slow.

Lunchbox27 said:

RL16 will give you more speed, if you handload. Im throwing 140 grain pills at 2685 through a factory 20” CTR barrel. Factory ELD 140 ammo is 2540

That said, its being rebarreled for this reason next week. Great action, love the trigger, just too slow.

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Yes sir you def can get some back with handloading. I am at just over 2700 fps in my wife's 20" CTR with 147s and RL-26. Not sure how that compares to other after market barrel and length, but it is nearly 170 fps slower than my 24" CTR with the same bullet.

It is a head scratcher... I'm at 2563 out of my factory CTR 6.5CM with the factory Hornady 140s ELDs.

wade2big said:

I get 2650 FPS with my tikka ctr 24” stainless with American gunner and factory eldm. I get 2700fps with my 26” bartlein with the same ammunition. This is all at sea level, 90 degree weather trued at 825 yards as I don’t have a chrono. So basically my custom and my factory barrels are shooting the same speed relative to barrel length. I never get close to what every one else posts. My buddy has a 26” savage rifle that he hand loads for. Guess what, we can switch ammo between his rifle and my bartlein barreled rifle and use the same dope for both his reloads and my factory ammo and make hits. I just don’t see the speed increase of the high dollar barrels.

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How do you get your speed quotes without a chronograph?

rsb said:

How do you get your speed quotes without a chronograph?

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I use a ballistic calculator and the bc coefficient of the projectile I am shooting. I estimate my muzzle velocity and plug it in the calculator. I dial my scope and shoot at a known distance such as the 825 yards that I referenced earlier. I spot my impacts and measure my corrections with my reticle. Now I just found my actual elevation to make hits at this distance. I play with the velocity on my ballistic calculator until it matches my actual data that I dialed to make the shot. Now my numbers aren’t just theory. They are fact.

I have a 3’ x 3’ target I will use to get this done.

Sounds like the OP has a higher round count, but for those with new rifles; Not a tikka but the 6.5 Creedmoor barrel for my AIAT took 600 rounds to finally speed up. It was sitting at 2735 consistently then over the course of about 40 rounds it jumped 90 fps. Velocity has been stable over a 1000 rounds sence then.

24” 6.5 Creedmoor Barrel from MileHigh with a Thunderbeast ultra 7 30 cal suppressor. Hornady 140 ELDs seated 0.020” off the lands, 42.3g of H4350, Hornady brass and Fed 210GM primers.