Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Tikka and Velocity issues

So, me buying a chronograph has created an unforeseen issue - both of my Tikkas are slow.

When I say slow, I mean 61.8gr of IMR 4350 under a 150gr ABLR moving at 2800 fps slow. 42.0gr of Re-19 under a 140gr berger moving at 22-2300 slow.

I'm not a velocity hound by any means, accuracy means more to me than anything... however, If I wanted a 7mm-08, I would have bought one... at least I wouldn't be burning 61gr of powder every time I pulled the trigger. I don't expect 3200, but at least 3k would be nice.

In my research, it seems this is a common issue with Tikkas. Has anyone been able to get back some of that velocity? The case still has some room in it, but I don't think its going to fit enough powder(even if no pressure signs are encountered) to make up some 200 or so fps.

I'm going to grab a box of factory to see if that also shoots as slow.

You didn't mention what cartridge you are shooting, so how do we know if its slow?

Sounds like you are shooting a 7mm rem mag???? You don't specify in your post. Book max for that cartridge with that powder (IMR4350) and bullet combo is 63 grains with a listed "3,248" fps... You may want to try bumping up the charge wt. or switch powders. Your tikka isn't the only "slow" 7mm rem mag I've seen. My Winchester model 70 stainless classic was also slow with RL22, so I switched to RL25 and all problems were essentially solved...

Chrono's , have lead to more than one case of depression , especially. Mag owners suffer the worst many times

Tikkas usually have a fair amount of Freebore.... I have always figured in my guns that's worth at least one grain of gunpowder right there.... I use quick load and my actual Chrono results to keep working up to the speeds I want without any worries. Btw...my last batch of re19 is so slow across the board it might actually be slower than my lot of reloader 22!

Sorry but I disagree with your statement about it being a common issue with Tikkas. I own/have owned nine Tikka T3s and loaded for all of them, and also loaded for 3-4 Tikkas owned by buddies. ALL OF THEM produced normal velocities for the cartridges tested, and they ranged from 223 Rems up to 300 Win Mag. While developing loads, I test fire almost every single round over an Oehler 35P chronograph, and the velocity data is recorded along with group sizes, weather conditions, etc. BTW, that chrono is very accurate and consistent since it's routinely used to check velocity on a lot of accurate, subsonic Laupua 22LR ammo.

Shooting test ammo is a decent check but you need to know the barrel length used by the OEM that made the ammo. Plus, keep in mind that the test barrels used by the OEMs are minimum SAAMI-spec so they normally produce velocities higher than routine production line barrels.

So a slower powder might produce better results? I have some IMR4831 and 7828 I can try. Thanks!



Sorry for that - maybe it's not that common, but a quick google search shows that I'm definitely not the only one having this issue.

I would say that you are WAY off the mark on this one. Having owned Tikkas since the turn of the century, I have put a bunch of rounds downrange with them, especially .308s.







The tan stocked Tikka is a now discontinued .308 Varmint. If I recall right, it had a barrel around 24 & 5/8ths". My 165 grain load (which was a warm load) ran a very well documented average of 2840 FPS. That is mid 30-06 velocities.

Hardly slow.

When it was cut to 20"s it still ran loads at velocities that one would expect. That holds true for the other 2 20" .308s in the collection.

I would suggest you do some research and discover which powders and charge weights are optimal for your cartridge.

My 7mm-08 a 595 and my .260 a T3 are much slower than other rifles with the same length barrels.But my sons T3x 7mm-08 is right where it should be.Don't know the reason but some are definitely slow.

I've loaded for several Tikka's Typically have short throats, not long ones and velocity is typically in line with expectations.

As for your specific rifle, THAT'S WHY THE CHRONOGRAPH IS CALLED THE DE-LIAR. I've seen a good number of rifles and load clock 200-300 fps below expectations. It's nothing new, it just means you have some work to do.

If you are shooting a big case, with a long barrel and a heavy bullet, slow powders are your friend.

Your low velocity is probably more a function of the bullet you selected. It has a small bearing surface for it's weight, and the long ojive created freebore, further reducing velocity.

It wouldn't surprise me if you had to really pour the powder to that bullet to reach pressure and velocity levels comparable to other bullets of similar weight.

Making a statement like "Tikkas are slow" with a small sample size is a stretch, but I can see how you could come to that conclusion. Most of my rifles give velocities slower than loading manuals and what's printed on the factory box.

I have owned five Tikkas - a 558 Whitetail Hunter in 243, a T-3 Lite in 7mm-08, a 695 in 30-06, and two T-3 Hunters, one a 308 and the other a 6.5 Swede. All are about where I think they should be for sporter length barrels, which is slower than the manuals and factory specs.

What is remarkable is how well they all shoot.

A chronograph and the Nosler manual can both lead to deep depression. The two T3 7 Rem mags I have owned both easily consumed large quantities of slow propellants. Without signs of excess pressure. Coincidentally,accuracy was also the best at the higher end of the scale. Let the rifle dictate where maximum is in relation to accuracy,and the chronograph be damned. 7828 has been the ticket for both with 160 grain bullets.

The throats in either aren't excessively long,but the rifling can't be engaged at mag length. On the other end of the spectrum. My new 243 stainless lammy will prevent bolt closure well before you run out of magazine.

I've been shooting Tikkas for almost 20 years now myself. The first, and usually last powder I grab for my 7mags is RL22.