Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Bedding a Tikka T3 recoil lug?

Has anyone glass bedded a T3 recoil lug into their wood stock?

Did it have any noticeable effect on accuracy?

I have heard people fully bedding with pillars but if just the recoil lug would make a difference?

Thanks, Roger

I'd like to know myself and what's the best way to do it. powdr

I have a plan to shim it with whatever thickness of brass stock I can fit in the pocket, just to help hold the lug a little more vertical. Hoping it stays flatter against the receiver channel and doesn't get beaten up as fast.

My thinking is that an aluminum lug is cheap and easily replaced as needed. The titanium lugs are silly expensive, and not really much lighter. I'd rather have the wear and hammering happen on the cheap and easily replaced part than on the receiver groove.

A lot of attention has been focused on the T3 aluminum lug. In my opinion it performs its function perfectly as it is designed. All of the lugs in my T3 rifles are imprinted by the receiver.

I am sure the designers of the rifle where well aware that the specified aluminum alloy was softer than the steel of the receiver and purposely selected the material for that reason. It makes a perfect mating seat with the receiver.

Bottom line; does the rifle shoot precisely in stock form?

Every one I have had did despite imprinted or loose lugs. In truth is I have observed loss of precision when I have swapped out the tight fitting factory stock for some "upgraded" high cost aftermarket stocks.

I think the OEM Tikka stock, action and recoil lug are designed to work in harmony as a system that does away with the need for traditional bedding work that older designs benefited from. The Ruger American is another perfect example of a better way to attach an action to a handle.

I've bedded a few Tikkas.... in laminated and IM factory stocks. It has always made them more consistent. No weird little fliers or small POI changes once they're bedded. I've never made one shoot worse by bedding it as seen below (though I usually trim off anything touching the barrel)... most shot a little better.

Your pictures are exactly what I was talking about.
I've got a wood 25-06 that may be my first project, no problems just trying to improve what I got.

In classified I have a WTB Tikka stock, with 5 T3s It could be interesting what I come up with.

Titanium lug that i used fit perfectly in the lug inlet (laminated stock) the aluminum lug was sloppy fit although the rifle shot well. The titanium lug is softer then the receiver material and fits the groove in the receiver better, it still imprints to a degree but not like the aluminum lug. Its a win win and I never used epoxy on the laminated stock nor was there a need for it or shim material. Expensive LOL it was a couple of bucks more then the factory lug and it is a one time investment.

People bed Tikkas?

Disease acquired by visiting this site

Come on 16bore you know more about a T3 than most of us.

But you seen the pictures of the lug being bedded and buy firming up this area certainly won't hurt and it is not too labor intensive.

Have you ever wondered how Cooper gets their rifles to shoot 1 ragged hole before they leave the factory? My guess is it's little tweaks like this.

Thanks again for the great Talleys.

My guess is they shoot them at 40 yards....

Only thing I know is when shots 3, 4, and 5 (little windage adjustment after #2) look like this out of a brand new rig with factory ammo, I don't touch nada......

Good one

Install rings and scope
Load magazine
adjust trigger(if needed)

shoot

I am in Tennessee's camp on this issue. I have put a lot of rounds down range with the 4 Tikkas that I have owned and have had absolutely no problems with the factory stock lugs. I also believe that the Finnish engineers used aluminum in this application for design purposes and not cost savings. But that is just my guess... CP.

Considering its not got going to shear off, I ain't worried. Naysayers are a lot smarter than metalologists anyway....