What barrel length for Tikka 223?

Travis224

Travis224

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Minuteman
Oct 7, 2010
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Council Bluffs, Iowa
#1
got myself a tikka 223 varmint with the 1:8 twist barrel. It shoots pretty good with light bullets but haven't messed with any heavy bullets yet. My question is, I have a supressor that I would like to add to it and use for fun shooting out to 600-800 yds. Would cutting it back to 18" keep me from running 73-77 grn bullets to those distances? Just looking for maneuverability without too much velocity loss.
 
#2
That would keep you from it? No but it would be that much more difficult. What are you doing that 18 would be that much more maneuverable over 24? I ask this as a guy who shoots a 16" but I see how much more difficult it gets from 400 to 500 much less further compared to some longer barrels. I built mine to maneuver out of a truck window, not shooting elr.
 
#7
308pirate said:
Nonsense. The velocity loss is so minor (and can be made up with reloading) that it merits no consideration.
Click to expand...

So let me surmise: you think 150 fps is so minor that one could magically stuff the case so full of powder for which volume doesn't exist and make it up? Sounds like you know how to give advise for making a bomb, not safe reloading practices.

Also, I guess it bears considering the target size. Maybe a 3 moa target is more plausible but I don't have any steel that large so that plays a large part as well. You really get 2800 out of an 18"? I was lucky to get 2775 with a 60 gr in my 16" and that was with 4064. My xbr load only got 2670 and both of those loads were only a few tenths away from pressure signs.
 
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#9
spife7980 said:
So let me surmise: you think 150 fps is so minor that one could magically stuff the case so full of powder for which volume doesn't exist and make it up? Sounds like you know how to give advise for making a bomb, not safe reloading practices.

Also, I guess it bears considering the target size. Maybe a 3 moa target is more plausible but I don't have any steel that large so that plays a large part as well. You really get 2800 out of an 18"? I was lucky to get 2775 with a 60 gr in my 16" and that was with 4064. My xbr load only got 2670 and both of those loads were only a few tenths away from pressure signs.
Click to expand...

Factory black hills 77gr ammo runs 2750 with the sierras. 24 gr 8208 with a 75gr BTHP got me over 2800 which according to QL is exactly at max pressure(that is after I calibrated my MV/Case capacity).
 
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#11
spife7980 said:
So let me surmise: you think 150 fps is so minor that one could magically stuff the case so full of powder for which volume doesn't exist and make it up? Sounds like you know how to give advise for making a bomb, not safe reloading practices.

Also, I guess it bears considering the target size. Maybe a 3 moa target is more plausible but I don't have any steel that large so that plays a large part as well. You really get 2800 out of an 18"? I was lucky to get 2775 with a 60 gr in my 16" and that was with 4064. My xbr load only got 2670 and both of those loads were only a few tenths away from pressure signs.
Click to expand...

I used to get a Hornady 75 BTHP going 2750 - 2800 fps out of a 20" AR using 24.7 grains of Reloder 15 in Lake City cases and with Rem 7 1/2 primer with ease, back when I competed in highpower/leg matches. And I flung shitloads of them out to 600 yards.

Getting 2700 out of an 18" barrel with the same or similar bullet would not be that big of a challenge.

And even IF you lost 100 fps (down to 2650), your windage per 10 mph increses by .2 mil at 600 - 800 yds. I don't see that as that much of a challenge.
 
#12
Thanks for the response guys, a full 23.5 inch barrel with a 8" can is super unwieldy. I have a .260 Tikka for the windy days but see the 18" Tikka 223 as a fun gun and see it as a trainer of sorts. Plus a prairie dog gun on occasion.
 
#15
I run 80 vld Bergers in a stock 22 inch , which incredibly has
just ticked over 7000 rounds ! It's still holding 5/8 Moa . I've
never run so many rounds before changing a barrel : this rifle
is the one I give to new shooters to beat on , it's the safe ' whore '
anyone gets a turn of it ... velocity is down to 2680 with the 80's .
Its becoming something of a joke amongst my friends , ' when are
you gonna throw that f$&@ing barrel ? '

Its ts in a carbon Manners , and is slightly nose heavy due to the
extremely light stock ,
 
#17
Take this with a grain of salt, because I use factory ammo (Fiocchi 50 grain V-max) for prairie dog hunting, but when I was using a 20" barreled gun, my distance calls were MUCH more critical than when I went to a 26" barrel... especially at 300+ yards. Close in, it's no big deal... but the velocity that you give up makes distance shots considerably more challenging, in my experience.
 
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