Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles tikka t3 accuracy issues

Ok so I got a brand new tikka t3 7mm-08 ss. Took it to the range the other day to get it all sighted in with a box of federal fusion 140 grain. I got it sighted in I thought. Shot 17 rounds through it all letting the barrel cool between shots. Best group I could get was 5 inches. I thought what is going on here people say these guns shoot anything. So I come home took the stock off adjusted the trigger and torqued everything back on the stock. Checked my scope torque also. Barrel is floated all the way till the pressure point about half way down this is a normal thing so I here. Then I clean the barrel really good. Take it back to the range today no wind of anything first shot dead center just top of the dot. Let barrel cool for 10 min next shot just under the dot. I thought well this isn't bad been better than it has shot so far. Let cool then shot the 3rd shot it was 4 inches low. So what the heck is going on. Like I said very first shot was dead on just a tad high in the dot. Anyone got any ideas why it is opening up. Thanks

Do you have the modified Talley's on it? If you do, check the rear screw on the front base and make sure its not hitting the bolt. Actually, regardless of what bases, check it anyway. I think that screw in right in the middle of the bolt race.

Next thing to check is that the lug is seated fully in the recess.

I might try some other ammo too.

Nothing feels to be hitting the bolt I got Talley low rings on order I'm using the tikka rings right now but I have checked the torque multiple times. And everything seems to be setting in the stock fine

I've seen the aluminum lug get a little "shaved" by the action of not seated properly.

Pretty odd, because generally all you have to do to get one to shoot bugholes is load it.

This one is far from a bug hole gunn

?????? Scope???????? Maybe try it w/ another scope?

I don't have another scope on hand to try took this of another gun I had

I just took the stock out again and double checked fitting it popped right in so I torqued it back

I guess I will take the scope off put it on the other gun and see if it will shoot fine then that will tell me

Sounds like a scope/ring/base problem.

I have a couple of T3's including this exact rifle. Both are free floated all the way from the lug forward, no pressure points, nowhere anywhere along the barrel channel where the stock and barrel are touching.

I own two Tikka t3s. Both shoot anything into an inch and a half and several hand loads into a half inch regularly. Both are free-floated and skim bedded at the lug and tang.

JG Raider is right. It should be free floated all the way from the receiver. If you are comfortable removing material touching the barrel, I would do so. If not, I would call Beretta CS and see what they say.

My 2nd guess would be the scope has an issue.

One more thing; I think it was mentioned before, but you can definitely put the wrong screws in the Talleys. I had a guy who brought me a new Tikka claiming it had light primer strikes and would not always fire factory loads... I guess so! He had the wrong screws in the front base and the bolt (hitting the protruding screw) would close enough to let the trigger break, but not enough to completely lock the lugs. Just something to be aware of.

Maybe it just hates that Federal Fusion Ammo. Go buy you a box of Factory Remington Corelock ammo. It shoots lights out in all my 7-08's.

Sounds like a scope problem to me, but I'd try some different ammo first, if you have allready checked the rings and stock.

I was told that there was a pressure point on the stock

Unfortunately, there's no "Start at the Start" thread for Tikkas, since its usually over before it starts.

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbth...kka_t3_not_fully_free_floate#Post9228705
Here is the thread where I ask about the floating of the barrel

Might be some good info on this thread

LETS TALK TIKKA T-3's

I can't get that link to work

Just went to the gun store to check a tikka sure enough pressure point on same place as mine dollar bill won't go past it

Cut and paste this.

http://forum.snipershide.com/snipers-hide-bolt-action-rifles/93817-lets-talk-tikka-t3.html

You have a lot of good ideas here. But the best one is to test the rifle with another scope, even if you have to borrow one from a friend.

I agree lot of good ideas think that is the best plan. Only thing I worry on if I take those bumps off the stock that was posted in the link and that don't fix the issue then Berreta will not warranty the gun if there is any alterations in the stock.

Couple of years ago I bought a new rifle (Ruger Hawkeye). Put a Bushnell scope on it and started working up loads. Shot pretty well, but I wanted a higher power variable, so I bought one. Rifle accuracy started out good, but started to get worse. Thought it was the loads. Went through several powders and bullets and it just got worse. Cleaned it to within an inch of its life and it still shot poorly. Lord knows how many reloads I put through it until I was shuffling stuff on the workbench and found an old target (back when the Bushnell was on there). Great group, so I loaded up some more of that and it shot poorly. Hmmm. Swapped the scope out. It was the darn scope. Took me forever and a couple pounds of powder and bullets to figure that out. So yes, try swapping the scope out if you haven't already.

That's the problem with a new rifle. There's no basic load that you know works good. If I'd had that, I'd have known quickly that the scope was the problem and not the rifle.

Don't alter it beyond changing the scope. If it still won't shoot , contact Beretta.

I think I might take it off and put it on another gun see how it shoots on it

My guess would be "scope". What is on it now? New, old, proven?

I've owned five Tikklers and recently helped a bud with his T3. As mentioned in your other thread, the stock fit is tight for the first few inches. Not floated from the receiver and not floated halfway down... the stock fit is tight for a few inches then it floats.

My buddy is an aerospace engineer and extremely critical about his hand loads and his super lite 223 rem shoots like chit. He's pulled most of his hair out trying to get it to shoot well, but the best it does is 2" 3 shot groups at 100 yards. Moral of the story: not every Tikka shoots "bughole groups". This is, however, contrary to popular belief ..

Maybe reloading IS rocket science....

Couldn't resist.

Ha ha. Good one. I totally agree . Whatever is wrong with the OP's rifle, I'm sure it is an easy fix as most Tikka's are damn good shooters. I hope he gets it figured out..

Well Talley rings should be here by the weekend

I called berreta today and talk to them they also told me that the action screws they recommend starting torque at 48 inch pounds so I'm going to try this with new rings and putting the scope on the other gun to see if it will shoot like it has in the past that should let me know about the scope.

just curious,What did Berreta have to say about the barrel float?I had a T3 6.5SE,the paper check went down to the recoil lug,no speed bumps on mine and it was a shooter.

I ask them I said the barrel is not floated all the way they said it was designed to have a rib in the stock like that. But I don't like that. I hope I get it to shooting and it is going to get a bel and carlson to replace the stock. I don't want to mess with the stock on a chance I half to send the gun to them. But what I worry about is if they don't find anything wrong they charge you $70. That would be my luck

I also torqued the action screws to 48 from where I had them at 35 I should get to shoot it next week but honestly I don't see that changing anything but we will see

Scope...

I sure hope it is the scope I'm gonna go out this weekend try to find something thinking vx2 but I have been wanting to try a vortex

scope.

PS. I torque mine to 40 inch pounds.

3-9x40 VX2 with dotz would be the cat's ass.

Got one of those on the .223AI...it IS the cats zzz....


+1 on that vote!

Got one on 260 Rem and it is pretty awesome.

Although I might switch the FFII with dotz on the .223 plastikka
with the vx2 with dotz on the 7/08 plastikka after this season..

Veddy intriguing..

Not really. I just like the ff2 hash marks better than the loopy dots.

Cats azz of cats azzezz..........

With the level of scientific thought you obviously go through life with should you even be giving advice?

A good rig will shoot chit ammo better than a chit rig will shoot good ammo...

See if it says "Tikka" on it anywhere. Sounds like you might have your rifles confused.

I've had a few of them and they all shoot great. You might have got a lemon but I'm guessing the scope or it just doesn't like the ammo.

Rancho, have you tried Leupold's LR duplex reticle. I had a 4-12x40 with that set-up and it was very similar to the FFII ballistic plex..

Isn't that the truth!!

Great shooting buddy, but what was that you were just saying about good rifles shooting chit ammo well. No flies on the 155 scenar. Like I told mathman a while back, anyone can make matchkings shoot. The same can be said for the scenars. Really chit ammo begins with seconds and Winchester powerpoints. Your groups make all 30-06 lovers proud. Here's one of mine with a good rifle and real "chit ammo"...



I dialed this load in for 2 rifles so it's a happy medium but still works. Same ammo taken from the same box, but shot in a different model 70:



Had to re-check that load in my fwt after I glass bedded it into the swirly the other day. Still shooting it well:



Shoots the plain jane blemished partitions alright too:


Hey, do you want to get rid of some of those 53gr. V-max??

For sure, and power points are about as bottom barrel as you can get. If I had spent as much time chasing mechanicals as much as I have a couple thousands OAL and tenths of powder, I'da figured alotta chit out long ago.

Not sure about "53 Vmax" as I ain't even got a .224 these days. 6x45 is the soup de jour. Bedded, rebedded, tip pressure, mag box nip, stock fooked, torque values and the list goes on.

None of the ammo chit means chit when you overlook the bolt lug riding the action screw. Starting at the Start and a $0.99 Sharpie REALLY is a guys best friend....

Good post. It is all about mechanicals. I'm glad to see that in your post. Oh, by the way. Look on the shelf on the right hand side and you'll see those 53gr, V-max bullets . My .223 rem loves them..

Ha, didnt even catch that. That's an older pic than I thought. You didn't catch the old Winchester silvertips next to the 53's.

Ha ha....

Well I wanted to give a update. I went and bought a new leupold along with a set of low Talley rings. Took some 140 grain corelokts and it is shooting really good shot it into a 3 shot 1/2 inch group. I tried to post pics from my phone but says file is to big. Anyways I have not got to shoot the original scope I will put it on the other gun and try it soon see if the redfield needs to be sent off. Just wanted to say thanks for everyone's help can't wait to see how it shoots with reloads

Whew, that was close......

Damn sure was. A Tikker that won't shoot? Never heard of such.