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Tikka T3 Thread

I tried pretty much everything i had. Just wondering if I'm wasting my time and components.
No worries. I do think the purpose of the rifle comes into play. All the heavier 69-70 stuff is reportedly marginal at 10 inch twist. so it comes down to trying again with 50-55gr or makign a tough call to rebarrel a rifle.
 
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About to order a T3x TAC A1 in 6.5 Creedmore with a 20"barrel. Does anyone have any experience shooting Hornady factory 140 Gr ELD Match out of this particular setup (I have a bunch I'd like to use)? What has been your most accurate factory ammo? Finally, any suggestions on a good powder/bullet combo for out to 1000 yards.
 
About to order a T3x TAC A1 in 6.5 Creedmore with a 20"barrel. Does anyone have any experience shooting Hornady factory 140 Gr ELD Match out of this particular setup (I have a bunch I'd like to use)? What has been your most accurate factory ammo? Finally, any suggestions on a good powder/bullet combo for out to 1000 yards.
That’s kind of like asking has anyone tried mustard on a hotdog :). Yes 140gr eldms are great. Kinda one of the standards for factory loads. Also Bergers are great if you can find them. They should shoot great out of the t3x. That said w a 20” barrel don’t expect super fast velocities, the tikkas are known to be slow… but very accurate, sub MOA (.5 if not better).

For 1000, 140 eldms or berger long range at 140 or 144, and h4350 but loaded to and for your chamber. Do you hand load?
 
That’s kind of like asking has anyone tried mustard on a hotdog :). Yes 140gr eldms are great. Kinda one of the standards for factory loads. Also Bergers are great if you can find them. They should shoot great out of the t3x. That said w a 20” barrel don’t expect super fast velocities, the tikkas are known to be slow… but very accurate, sub MOA (.5 if not better).

For 1000, 140 eldms or berger long range at 140 or 144, and h4350 but loaded to and for your chamber. Do you hand load?
I have a lot of experience handloading 308. I have not loaded 6.5 yet. The Hornady I have stockpiled did shoot well out of my 24" Savage BA Stealth. I was curious if the 140s would shoot sub .75 with the shorter barrel or do better with 130s. I saw a lot of stuff about the 16" sig cross shooting all over the place with factory loads then going Gucci with some hand loads.
 
If this isn't the right thread to ask, let me know.

Are .223s with a 10 twist still in favor? I came home with a Tikka T3 Varmint for about $400 from pawn shop.
From what I've researched, Tikka stopped making their .223s with the 10 twist.
I have tried factory and hand loads and can't seem to get any groups under 1 inch. The best is right at 1 inch. I've tried M193, M855, Federal 55 grain bulk, 55 grain vmax handloads, 65 grain sierra gamepoint handloads and 69 grain SMK handloads.
Checked torque on all mounts and screws. Shot with clean and fouled barrel.
Should i just give up and get an 8 twist barrel? Or is 1 moa good for this rifle?

My 1-10” T3 Lite Stainless (not T3x) shoots 50 gr V-Max and 50 gr Ballistic Tip Varmint into little bitty groups with a max charge of Benchmark at 2.276” oal. Work up to it. 3400 fps at the muzzle.




P
 
That’s kind of like asking has anyone tried mustard on a hotdog :). Yes 140gr eldms are great. Kinda one of the standards for factory loads. Also Bergers are great if you can find them. They should shoot great out of the t3x. That said w a 20” barrel don’t expect super fast velocities, the tikkas are known to be slow… but very accurate, sub MOA (.5 if not better).

For 1000, 140 eldms and h4350 but loaded to and for your chamber. Do you hand load?
I have a lot of experience handloading 308. I have not loaded 6.5 yet. The Hornady I have stockpiled did shoot well out of my 24" Savage BA Stealth. I was curious if the 140s would shoot sub .75 with the shorter barrel or do better with 130s. I saw a lot of stuff about the 16" sig cross shooting all over the place with factory loads then going Gucci with some hand loads.
I was shooting factory 140s from my tikka t3x w a 20” at around .5 MOA easily. They’ll do great. I also had them out to a 1000 so much trouble too. You should do great with them. Like I said, they won’t be as fast but they be accurate! Good luck! And if you ever want to go longer check out Patriot Valley Arms for prefit rebarrels! Spin the old 20” off (with some work) and throw on a 26” pre fit at home! Then ya got a hunting barrel and a long range steel ringer :)
 
I was shooting factory 140s from my tikka t3x w a 20” at around .5 MOA easily. They’ll do great. I also had them out to a 1000 so much trouble too. You should do great with them. Like I said, they won’t be as fast but they be accurate! Good luck! And if you ever want to go longer check out Patriot Valley Arms for prefit rebarrels! Spin the old 20” off (with some work) and throw on a 26” pre fit at home! Then ya got a hunting barrel and a long range steel ringer :)
Thanks man.
 
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My 1-10” T3 Lite Stainless (not T3x) shoots 50 gr V-Max and 50 gr Ballistic Tip Varmint into little bitty groups with a max charge of Benchmark at 2.276” oal. Work up to it. 3400 fps at the muzzle.




P
Thanks for the real world experience! I'll have to try lighter bullets.
 
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Stupid n00b question(s):

what do I get with the varmint barrel vs the lite barrel? It is as simple as the heavier barrel that heats up slower?

I know the actions are the same.

M
 
Stupid n00b question(s):

what do I get with the varmint barrel vs the lite barrel? It is as simple as the heavier barrel that heats up slower?

I know the actions are the same.

M
You get a heavier barrel that you can have threaded 5/8-24, 5rd mag instead of a three, and a stock with a wider beavertail on the forend and a higher comb to better line your eye up with a scope.
 
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You get a heavier barrel that you can have threaded 5/8-24, 5rd mag instead of a three, and a stock with a wider beavertail on the forend and a higher comb to better line your eye up with a scope.
this is going into a chassis, so some of that stuff is irrelevant

M
 
A refresh on my shorty Tikka….
T3 action with 17.5” Carbon Six barrel in 6.5CM, in a KRG Bravo with XRay rear end. Steiner 4-16x. Sponge camo, pretty happy the way it turned out. Usually wears a Sandman-S too.

Haven’t had the stones to paint my Tac A1 😂
 

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A refresh on my shorty Tikka….
T3 action with 17.5” Carbon Six barrel in 6.5CM, in a KRG Bravo with XRay rear end. Steiner 4-16x. Sponge camo, pretty happy the way it turned out. Usually wears a Sandman-S too.

Haven’t had the stones to paint my Tac A1 😂
How does it shoot?
 
Pretty good I’d say, but I haven’t really gotten this one to longer ranges yet. 0.5 - 0.75 MOA depending on my part at 100-200 yards so far. So hard to say definitely.

My Tac A1 on the other hand, is a hammer and I’ve taken it out to 1,000.
 
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The Tikka Varmint that's on its way is all y'all's fault! Y'all are like the pusher man.

Can't wait!

Add one more style of PRS shooting to the quiver: 22, gas gun, and now centerfire

ONE of these days I may figure it all out and actually do well in the matches

M
 
It is stupid, that how come Tikka does not do any of modern .243 calibers, only shit is 243win.
Where are 6 creedmoor, 6gt, 6xc, 6 dasher etc.
Only one old fart on the list.
Or modern 30 cals like 300 PRC. Bergara does a great one. Why not Tikka? A sweet 28” barreled heavy contour barrel on a Tikka action?! I’d be all over that! They JUST came out w the 6.5 PRC w a 24” but no 26” barrel…. Missed opportunities!
 
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I got my new Tikka CTR build out today for the first time. 20 inch stainless 308 CTR, McMillan A3 Carbon Edge stock, Warne Mountain Tech rings, NF NXS 2.5-10x42, and a DA Nomad LT can. I tried a ballpark load with some Varget, 168 Amax in new Lapua brass. This is one of the first groups with less than 20 rounds down the pipe.

Another Tikka satisfies the less than 1 moa guarantee... again.
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Or modern 30 cals like 300 PRC. Bergara does a great one. Why not Tikka? A sweet 28” barreled heavy contour barrel on a Tikka action?! I’d be all over that! They JUST came out w the 6.5 PRC w a 24” but no 26” barrel…. Missed opportunities!
Im not sure, who is the person in the factory.
Maybe people should write to the factory, that could you do these calibers.
[email protected]
Send email to factory.
More posse sending i want messages, maybe they will listen to customers.
 
A Tikka T3 .223a.i. with Hart barrel and average furniture/glass. That rig shot boringly accurate. A 12 twist old school 55 grainer rifle.
aa.i. chamber
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The Tikka Varmint that's on its way is all y'all's fault! Y'all are like the pusher man.

Can't wait!

Add one more style of PRS shooting to the quiver: 22, gas gun, and now centerfire

ONE of these days I may figure it all out and actually do well in the matches

M

75 ELDM and TAC is your huckleberry.



P
 
Ok wow what a nightmare. Few pages back we were talking about taking a factory barrel off my T3 to swap in a 6.5 Proof prefit.

Well that didn’t work in any normal way. Kroil, external Wheeler #1, etc. And I didn’t want to relief cut the factory barrel.

So I ordered a spare T3x stripped action. Easy right? Wrong lol. The new Proof prefit + T3x action is headpsacing 0.002 past the NOGO gauge. In the factory barreled action the bolt will not close on the NOGO. I’ve ordered another T3 bolt to check in this new setup as another data point.

Good news is, headspace should be within the FIELD gauge, that delivers tomorrow and will confirm. I don’t reload so I don’t care about the brass but wondering what if any affect this will have on accuracy. Going to talk to proof Monday. Could have my local smith take a couple thou off the shoulder but I won’t have time to do that before my next course. Thoughts?

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There is no standard to no-go gauges. Order from a different place and it might not close. You'll be fine.
Good to hear, I was going off of the Forester set I have, and the SAAMI specs for 6.5

Per Forster

GO: 1.541
NOGO: 1.545
Approx headspace w Proof prefit (NOGO + 2thou thick tape): 1.547
FIELD: 1.549 (which I assume is max per SAAMI)
 
Good to hear, I was going off of the Forester set I have, and the SAAMI specs for 6.5

Per Forster

GO: 1.541
NOGO: 1.545
Approx headspace w Proof prefit (NOGO + 2thou thick tape): 1.547
FIELD: 1.549 (which I assume is max per SAAMI)
Did you torque the receiver on or just hand tight?
 
My lil Thumper, started life as a Tikka T3 Boar Cabelas exclusive. Replaced the front bead with the Tikka Battue fiber and placed it in a Boyds Walnut Platinum stock. Simple and clean. 300WM 8lbs 5 oz with scope, 6 lbs 15 oz with irons only. Kinda my own Tikka version of the Sako Grizzly.

View attachment 7170195
I just ordered this same stock and then found this post. I ordered the same thing down to the recoil pad. I hope my wood is as beautiful as yours.
 
The Tikka sisters zeroed in and ready for the hunting season.

.22LR T1x shooting SK Rifle Match, for now. Will try SK Long Range Match if I can ever get my hands on some.
6.5 Creedmoor T3x CTR shooting 143 gr ELD-X still, planning on moving on to 120 gr Sako Blade.
9.3x62 T3 will continue delivering 220 grain Naturalis LR monolithics.

All have the swept Sterk bolt handles from @cannoncrossfire
Sorry for the extremely poor lighting.

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Just wanted to give a plug here for PVA prefit shouldered tikka barrels here. @bohem has done an insane job at offering a killer screw on at home barrel for the Tikka actions.

The fist pic is of my “break in” rounds. 20 shot group w shitty factory ammo, not trying to hold a tight group but she did anyway. 5 shots, clean, repeat 4x. Also gained about 50fps over my 20” w the new 26” barrel.
 
Or modern 30 cals like 300 PRC. Bergara does a great one. Why not Tikka? A sweet 28” barreled heavy contour barrel on a Tikka action?! I’d be all over that! They JUST came out w the 6.5 PRC w a 24” but no 26” barrel…. Missed opportunities!
300 PRC COAL is too long for the action and the stock mags.

Love my Tikkas... But they are best as XM or short action.
 
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