Tikka's Slow Barrels

[Rlandry]

I'm constantly reading comments about Tikka barrels being slow. I'm wondering how this be being determined. Are you comparing chrono readings to what the published data for a given load says it should be, or against other rifles with the same configuration?
Also, has anyone offered up a theory that would account for this phenomenon?
I just picked up a new T3X CTR but the stock is at the shop getting a Cerakote and I havn't shot it yet.

 

[strike33]

its been confirmed by replacing the barrel with and after market and chroming with the same load. Generally folks are seeing that their factory barrel are producing numbers les than published data or data by rifles with the same barrel length. It is then conformed when replacing the barrel.

 

[86alaskan]

my factory 25-06 was slower than my custom KP fast twist 26-06 by about 100fps with the same load. while very accurate, it was definitely slower. I shot it out, and the new barrel is great. If speed matters, either shoot lighter bullets or immediately pull that factory tube and gt a custom.

 

[dntworry]

Have a T3X CTR, can confirm it is slower than it should be but with how well it shoots just waiting for it to be shot out before replacing, do not regret the purchase for a minute.

 

[Prebanpaul]

It has been heavily documented that the Tikka barrel are slower. Typically in a centerfire about 100fps. That being said, it also documented that they shoot lights out. It has to do with the Button rifling they have. The amount of FPS that you lose, is offset grossly by the accuracy.

 

[lawofsavage]

I’ve got a 24” ctr Tikka T3X and a bighorn tl3 with a 24” bartlein, both are 6.5 Creedmoor. Shooting them both side by side with the same factory Hornady ammo out of the same box, the tikka definitely requires more elevation adjustment and is slower. It’s a hammer though, for sure.

Does anyone know the reason(s) why the tikka factory barrels are slower velocity wise, by the way?

 

[FCS]

Freebore length, lead angle, land / groove ratio, land / groove diameters and how barrel is rifled (cut, button, hammer forged) are a good start to list of why lower velocity from Tikka bbl.
Starter list, far from comprehensive but I don't have the time to do a full list with explainations at the moment.

 

[JMGlasgow]

It has been heavily documented that the Tikka barrel are slower. Typically in a centerfire about 100fps. That being said, it also documented that they shoot lights out. It has to do with the Button rifling they have. The amount of FPS that you lose, is offset grossly by the accuracy.

To my knowledge, Tikka barrels are hammer forged.

And this is anecdotal, but I've seen a Tikka 223 barrel with a gap in the rifling that's about 2" long. Run a patch through the barrel and it jumps somewhere around 6" from the muzzle. Not my rifle but I am friends with the guy. Pretty disappointing if you ask me. And his barrel is slow as well compared to his AR15 with the same length barrel.

 

[generalzip]

The freebore is crazy long on them. You need to handload to reap the benefits of a tikka. load 147s long in a 6.5CM and stuff it full of RL26 and from a 24" barrel you'll hit 2800-2850 no problem.

 

[Lunchbox27]

Mine is currently getting a new barrel for this reason. Put close to 1,000 rounds through it, and it was very accurate...but it was slow.

 

[CaptNemo]

Copied from the main Tikka thread:
My personal Tikka is about 150 to 170 FPS slower than my Savage 12 LRP. The Tikka has 120 rounds down the pipe vs. about 500+/- on the LRP.
Now, 50 FPS right off the bat is going to to be 26" barrel on the Savage vs. 24" barrel on the Tikka. That still has it 100 to 120 FPS slower looking at it as barrel vs. barrel.
I also noticed that the Tikka has a throat like a giraffe compared to the LRP. There's a llllooooonnnggg jump between the ogive and the rifling lead, Roy Weatherby would be jealous.
My best option right now is to live with the low speed until I get another barrel blank threaded & chambered to swap out

 

[rsb]

Loading my Tikka 3X TAC A1 with Hornady 147g bullets as long as I dare and still leave the bullet in the full length of the neck still leaves these bullets about 20 thousandth off the lands. And still under 2800 FPS.

 

[Jefe's Dope]

Mine's slow too.

When you buy a Tikka you know three things.

1. It's going to be buttery smooth.
2. It' going to be slow.
3. It's going to be accurate.

 

[Carl_Ross]

If you stick with factory loads, it's going to be slow. However, if you hand load, you can account for it easily. Pressure corresponds to velocity. In factory barrels (or any barrel really), I load to a velocity while keeping an eye out for pressure indicators and don't worry much about the exact quantity of powder it takes to generate that velocity.

 

[mattwaage1]

With handloads all my factory Tikka barrels have wound up running pretty high velocities for the give cartridge. I suppose if you're shooting only factory ammo that .1" jump to the lands lowers the pressure curve.

 

[wade2big]

I would rather have a slow barrel that shoots well than a speedy one that shoots like crap.

I have several tikkas in 6.5 CM and they do run 50 FPS slower than my customs in the same barrel length using factory Ammo.

 

[CaptNemo]

The term that we Tikka Owners are going to use for the OEM barrels is: “Meticulous”
It’s accurate but not the fastest out there.

 

[Primus]

Good thing I just bought 32lbs of rl26...

Warner flatlines over rl26 sounds like a cure.

 

[BigTex]

FWIW I have a stock 24" CTR and a 24" Proof barreled Tikka, both 6.5 Creed. The Stock CTR runs 2725, and the Proof runs 2740 with identical loads. I also have a stock Lite in .260 that spits 140gr Bergers @2835fps form a 22" tube. Slow Tikkas have not been my experience.