tikka t3??

[ahairymole]

hey guys new member here cant wait to learn more from you guys heard lots of great things about this forum. Anyway I have been in the market for a tikka t3 and say a post on here before about a reverse recoil lug but what i didnt get from the discussion is pros and cons about the lug. Or is it just one of those things berretta did to be different and it really doesnt matter? Can you guys help me out please. thanks in advance.

-mole-

 

[jrob300]

Re: tikka t3??

The recoil lug on the Tikka is an aluminum block that slides into a slot in the stock. The receiver then engages this block when installed in to the stock.

The biggest problem with this design is that the block is made of aluminum and is fairly small (not much surface area).

In heavy recoiling rifles the block will become dented in just a few rounds, evidence that it is NOT keeping the action from moving in the stock. In addition, because of the small size, I've had them loosen up in the stock, allowing even more movement.

I installed a Rem. 700 style Tubbs lug on my build. But a budget fix would be to have a block milled from steel and made larger and have the stock milled to accept it. Or better yet, open up the area and Devcon it into place. This would be far cheaper than the route I chose.

Again, this is probably not an issue for .223's and the like. But my 300WM and 300WSM beat the hell out of that little block and stopped grouping because of it.

John

 

[Eagle_Eye]

Re: tikka t3??

have you got any pics of this?

 

[Dick D]

Re: tikka t3??

When McMillans inlets a stock for the Tikka T3 we have a steel lug of our own manufacture that we install in the stock for these rifles.

 

[Eagle_Eye]

Re: tikka t3??

dick, how far off are the stocks from being finalised?

 

[jrob300]

Re: tikka t3??

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Eagle_eye</div><div class="ubbcode-body">have you got any pics of this?
</div></div>

Which this?

Not sure what you're looking for here.

My rifle as modified?

Or the stock recoil lug?

Or a damaged lug?

John

 

[Dick D]

Re: tikka t3??

Eagle eye, not sure what you mean by "finalized" but we have been inletting for the T3 since the first of the year. We can put them into any of our Sako stock designs like the Sako Hunter, Sako Classic and Sako Varmint. In the tactical stocks we have versions of the A2, Adj. A3-5 and A5 for the Sako and Tikka actions.
I bought a T3 rifle for the shop to write the CNC programming about 3 years ago, but when I saw the factory recoil lug set-up I thought it was a bit of a mickey mouse recoil transfer system (no offense to Walt Disney or Sako intended) and that we would probably have a lot of service problems with it down the line so we opted to just not inlet stocks for this rifle. Quite frankly we would rather pass on a sale than send out a stock that we think customers will have a problem with. However the T3's are such a good value for the money (along with Savage) and we got so many requests for them that we finally had a steel recoil lug made up and we bed the lug in the stock with marine-tex. So far no one has had any service problems with them that I know of.

 

[jrob300]

Re: tikka t3??

Dick,

That sounds like a very good solution and as far as I know you're the first that has recognized and addressed this glaring shortcoming to an otherwise well-executed rifle.

John

 

[Eagle_Eye]

Re: tikka t3??

sorry guys,
JROB300
was after pics of both the following...

the stock recoil lug?

damaged lug?


Dick.. sounds like you have overcome the fault which is great, i wasnt aware of the issue, does it occur only in rifles that have aftermarket stocks fitted or is it a problem regardless if standard or aftermarket stock are used???

 

[Yakko Warner]

Re: tikka t3??

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Eagle_eye</div><div class="ubbcode-body">sorry guys,
JROB300
was after pics of both the following...

the stock recoil lug?

damaged lug?

Dick.. sounds like you have overcome the fault which is great, i wasnt aware of the issue, does it occur only in rifles that have aftermarket stocks fitted or is it a problem regardless if standard or aftermarket stock are used???
</div></div>

There are pictures of the stock recoil lug and how it fits in the stock and action here.

I'd guess potential problems come from the lug being made of aluminum, how it's not fixed to either the stock or action, and the small engagement surface with the action. [Though I'm a newb, so don't necessarily believe any of my opinions.]

 

[jrob300]

Re: tikka t3??

Here's what my 300WM lug looked like with less than 50 rds. on each dent (I rotated it often until I could fix it).:

My 300WSM lug never got rotated and the dent was roughly .040" deep. I learned.

John

 

[Dick D]

Re: tikka t3??

Eagle eye, well, I really don't know if it is much of a problem. I only shot about 10 shots thru the one I bought for the shop and it was a heavy barrel .308. I could see a small outline of where the action had imprinted on the factory lug but it was only a thousandth or so. I knew the factory aluminum lug was not a 7000 series aluminum from the hardness, and probably not even a 6000 series, and I didn't like the fact that it was finger loose in the stock and could move a bit under recoil. Basically I just didn't think much of the system and was worried that we would have problems if we just inletted a slot for the factory lug and let the customer push it in with his thumb. So, we just didn't inlet for these rifles for a couple of years until the number of requests got to be quite regular. We got to be about out of the little steel lugs we used for the Sako TRG-S rifles which is similar to the T3 system, so I just redesigned a slightly larger one we could use for both the TRG-S and T3 stocks.
I don't know of many aftermarket stocks for them other than ours and Manners. I don't know if Tom sets his stocks up for the factory lug or if he glues them into the stock solidly. Maybe someone who knows can chime in. There have been no mention of any problems with however he is doing it on this site.

 

[jrob300]

Re: tikka t3??

Dick, EagleEye,

I've had 4 Tikka T3's. A .270, 2 300WM's and a 300WSM. A good friend has a T3 in .223. The .270 and the .223 shot the lights out from day one.

The boomers have never shot consistently. The 300WSM was returned to the factory.

This is what inspired me to find out "why?"

A 6.7 lb. rifle combined with that kind of recoil only results in one thing. Violence.

And that amount of violence required solid precautions to be controlled. My take is that Tikka built a great, cheap, small caliber rifle, but I've heard from others across the country on several different forums, that the big calibers just don't exhibit the same <span style="font-style: italic">consistent </span>accuracy as the smaller.

Almost everyone that I've been in contact with that has modified the recoil lug, pillar bedded or both have seen a significant improvement in consistent shot placement.

My T3 in a Manner's stock shoots great, but I have the Rem. style lug on mine, so I'm not sure how it's working for others.

Dick, I think you've taken prudent steps towards heading off future trouble. Good thinking.

John

 

[jagged77]

Re: tikka t3??

I'm waiting for my Manners to be delivered and wondered about the recoil lug too. I'm sure I've read somewhere that it utlises the OEM lug but could be wrong. I'd be grateful if someone could clear this up?

If it does use the OEM I'll check for fit and try it (its going on a .243 which should be fine). However it wouldn't hurt to replace the ally one with one made of steel and maybe bond it in place.

I also looked at the Roedale ACIS style system and had the same question. Pete emailed back and stated that his chassis mates straight to the flats in the action. I'm considering this system for my .270

Ed

 

[Pete Lincoln]

Re: tikka t3??

we did away with the T3 factory lug in our RCS chassis sytsem.
it isnt needed, the surfaces of the action that are 90° to the bore mate up with shoulders in the chassis.

Pete

 

[Eagle_Eye]

Re: tikka t3??

Pete.... PM sent

 

[jfk]

Re: tikka t3??

I have a Manners stock and it utilizes the factory lug. I went ahead and made one out of steel. I didn't need to bed it into the stock.

 

[chrisj]

Re: tikka t3??

When I had the Tikka 595's with essentially a similar type lug setup...I had the face of the action turned down about .050 and used a Rem style recoil lg when I rebarreled. To date, It is the most accurate rifle I have ever owned. It shot 5 shot 200 yard groups into 1/4- 1/2" groups..Ir was a 243 with a cheap chrome-moly Wison bbl to boot!