Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Tikka T3 superlight chambering issue

I bought a Tikka T3 Superlight in 270 Winchester a while back and just got around to buying Some Ammo for it(130 Grain Federal Fusion.
I Put a round in the magazine and chambered it.
The Bolt was difficult to close on the round.I can hold the pistol grip and reach up with my thumb and with some difficulty close bolt on cartridge using just my thumb,
I took round out of the chamber and examined it and it was slightly shiny on the base of the cartridge head .
I then examined the bot face and there was brass coloring on it where the case head rest against the bolt face.

I then took a majik marker and marked over the case head and around the begining or the case shoulder(the radius where the shoulder first starts coming from the primer end of the case)
Then I worked the bolt up and down 5 times and found the marker was rubbed off of the cartridge head and also a shiny ring around the radius where the shoulder first starts.

Is this just a slightly short chamber ,with Minimum headspace and nothing to worry about or an issue that needs to be corrected ?

Thanks
Craig

Here are a couple of pics
First is cartridge case blackened wit Marker
The first pic shows the tiny shiny ring through the Marker.
This was produced after 5 up and down bolt cycling.
I gripped the pistol grip with my right hand then moved my thumb to the right side of rifle and with some difficulty pushed bolt forward and pulled down bolt fully,then used palm to raise the bolt.I did this 5 times.


Next image is where i used marker on cartridge head and after 5 up and down bolt cyclings this is all that was left of marker

Had this problem on a 700 ADL, borrowed a go gauge and it wouldn't chamber. Short chamber, and the thing kicked like a mad Kentucky mule no matter what I did.
Had a smith redo the chamber with a match reamer for proper head space and all was good with the shooting gods after that. No more scraping of the case head.

Before i got to excited i would try another brand or lot of factory ammo

If the bolt closes fully, I would just shoot it. It will reform itself to your chamber, and shoot just fine after that.

Had the same issues with a nice new BDL 30-06... I'd have a smith check the headspace/chamber..

I had the same problem once with a Sako 75. Some factory ammo would chamber fine but some forcefully and some not at all without beating it shut. That rifle shot 1/2" 100 yard 3 shot groups with several different factory loads. I got worried and sent it to Sako. They wound up destroying that rifle and the new one never shot as well.

Later I told the story to a local gunsmith and he said that I just had a rare tight chamber rifle and would have had a better than average accurate rifle if I had just hand loaded for it.

I'm not saying that's the case, just that I would seek the advice of a good gunsmith familiar with tight tolerance target rifles before sending it back in.

Thanks Guys,yea I have experience with sending rifles back and never again !
Since the bolt handle will close with thumb pressure I think I will Just shoot it like it is,and try a different brand or lot of ammo first.
Then again I may find a gunsmith who has a go guage and see .

I don't see anything I'd be concerned about. Could be that chamber might be to spec but a tad short and the ammo a tad long. If it will chamber it, shoot it.

My Tikka 6.5x55 won't chamber winchester brass, but Lapua brass fits great. I have never tried factory ammo.

Much ado about nothing !
Rifle has been shot
Rifle will Put 3 into 3/4 inch at a hundred Yards(off a bench) With the Federal Fusion 130 grain Ammo.
Leupold VX1 3-9x40 set on 9x

Thanks all for your input.