Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Tikka barrel free float gap. Too big?

Good buddy of mine just picked up a new Tikka T3x SL in 6.5CM from Sportsman’s.
We were elk hunting together and he said it’s kicks more than he thought it would. But it is an accurate shooter. I looked at it and noticed the gap between the stock and barrel was pretty significant. Compared to my T3X SL 6.5.
Would this attribute to excessive rocoil?

Is this normal or should he take it apart to look at the stock and re install the action/barrel.
Or contact tikka?
Thanks in advance

https://imgur.com/a/ettPVuL

Could the action be riding on top of the recoil lug? Would be worth backing out the action screws and see if it will drop down.

Bill

if you have a noticeable barrel gap like described take the action out and when installing it be sure that the recoil lug is fully engaged into the action slot. I have had a couple of friends who took their action out and did not get it properly seated when it was installed.
I will qualify that experience a bit though - in both cases when the recoil lug was not properly seated neither gun had good accuracy.


As far as contributing to more recoil I am unsure why it would. Maybe he was just expecting less recoil and was a bit surprised that it didn't meet his expectations.

drover

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That looks like an excessive gap to me.
Take it apart and see if something is fouling the recoil lug pocket or the action channel.
If not, then maybe the stock is out of spec.

The action is sitting on top of the recoil lug. Happens often when the rifle is re-assembled. GD

.
This ^^^
I forgot that Tikka uses a separate piece for their recoil lug.
It has to nest into a slot in the action.

+1

When you take it apart make sure the recoil lug doesn't have burrs or bent edges from shooting without it seated.. Sometimes they can be a bit tough to get if you haven't done it much. Try putting the barreled action in your lap and putting the stock on upside down. Should be able to feel the lug and cut line up and engage.

This is the standard gap on a Tikka T3

Thanks everybody
McKay, I showed him my tikkas and other rifles with free floated barrels
They all look like yours 👊🏻

Looks like the action is not sitting down on the recoil lug.

Your buddy probably took the barreled action out of the stock and did not put it back together properly. I've seen them like this in the used rifle racks. You'd be surprised how many guys do this. Judging by you not knowing this, I'd speculate you never remove your barreled actions from their stocks. And just so you know, the Tikka Superlite does not have a freefloated barrel from the factory.

I have taken my rifles and tikkas apart before.
He said the rifles came like this from the factory.
I noticed almost immediately it while at camp and now that I’m home I’m asking because I wasn’t about to take his rifle apart on his limited time up he was in the woods.
But I have alway thought the tikkas were free floated. I suppose 3/4 of free float doesn’t count .