Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Are Tikka's free floated all the way to the receiver?

No idea if this is trivial or not,

If I try to slide a piece of paper down the barrel and between the stock, The paper suddenly stops 4 inches in front of the Action,

Yours too?

There is a “speed bump” about middle of forearm. Mine shoots so well I hate to fiddle with it.

That is not intentional. The only contact point around there should be the very front of the action, 1/4" to 1/2" ahead of the recoil lug. If it shoots fine I'd leave it alone. Otherwise pull the action and float the barrel.

They are all made with a pressure point, except for the CTR. Relieving it may or may not help with accuracy, especially on a non bedded factory rifle... I generally remove the pressure point and then properly glass bed the action.. Over time, if you do not glass bed the Tikka's, they will loosen up


and start shooting un tikka like... If you don't plan on shooting it more than 300 rounds in your lifetime, you should be alright... Some guys that only shoot a box of ammo/year should be fine...

My hunter does the same thing. Paper stops about four inches in front of the receiver.

bsa is that the newer lug or the old style? What caliber in your CTR?

Still waiting for my non bedded 1999 Tikka 695 7Mag to "loosen up".

I’m the oddball that likes Loctite.

This, there are intentional contact patches on the plastic Tikka Lite and Superlite stocks. The Hunter and CTR stocks don't have these. I removed the bumps/patches from my Superlite, load workup seemed to get fussier after that, I'd just leave them next time around.

Did you not read where my Hunter T3X has them?

I am a compulsive rifle fiddler, but don't do anything to my Tikkas other than trigger adjustment. That there might be a pressure point in the barrel channel is a revelation to me. My T-3x 308 Hunter shot great with the original wood stock, and shoots as well with the plastic stock I bought here. The only fitting I did was to make the plastic bottom "metal" fit the recess on the plastic stock.

I never thought about the recoil lug loosening up over time, either.

Its an inherent problem. It was even worse when they tried aluminum for the recoil lug. Hence the upgrade to steel. However, ive found the steel they use to be quite soft. I replace all of them with a stainless recoil lug. They are much stronger than what the factory uses. Just glass bedded one of my CTR's yesterday as a matter of fact.

Bsa, any words of wisdom on bedding technique for these?

I don't know about "words of wisdom", but I think I've heard formid even talk about the benefits of a good glass bedding job and freefloat on these Tikka's. He shoots far more than I do. My best suggestion is to glass bed everything tight, so there is no noticable movement of the barreled action in the stock. I check this by removing the action screws and see if the action rocks in the stock. Mine all moved side to side and the ones that show wear on the recoil lug even moved endo (forward to aft a slight bit). If yours is moving, chances are, it's affecting accuracy. The second CTR I bought had plenty of play when I checked it and this is how it shot before glass bedding:


The first 3 shots would cluster in nice and tight, but after that, it would start to open up. As you can see from the pic above^^^^

After glass bedding that CTR, groups shrank considerably:
. I call this one CTR #2 because it's the 2nd CTR I have bought. When I found it, the price was right, so I snagged it. It's a great shooting rifle now, after glass bedding. Here's one of the moa all day long targets I shot with this rifle:

Again, this was shot after glass bedding. This is what the glass bedding looks like when I'm done:

This one is not pretty, but it sure does shoot better now. My superlite was bedded and freeloated and shoots like this on a regular basis:


My sako A7 6.5 cm was the same way as my Tikka's, kind of sloppy barreled action to stock fit and shot like crap when I got it. Now it is one of my most consistent shooters:

Tag

Kenneth,

It depends on vintage.

Awhile back, T3 Finnish Tikklers didn't have the nubs. I had five of them, and the barrel didn't touch the stock until the barrel shank. However, mine were purchased 8+ years ago, maybe more. I don't own any of them anymore. Sold them all several years ago.

Later T3 Tikklers came with nubs. My buds bought some, and they did have nubs. I was surprised. We removed them to float the barrels. However, I am not saying that anyone should remove them without evaluating.

Jason

I believe that the T3x has carried over the nubbing design from the later T3. At least the latest one in our group has them.

Jason

Rifle is about 1 year old, T3x lefty 6.5

First range day was promising but I'm still hoping for better groups, Now all local ranges are closed so patiently waiting to shoot more.

Don't know if the speed bump needs to be removed or not.

Well, my T3x in 7 mm Rem Mag is a mediocre shooter. It shoots 1 1/4 - 1 1/2 inch groups, typically with factory ammo. I can sometimes get down to 3/4 inch with handloads. I don't know that I have much to lose by removing the nubs.

My bud's T3 7mm Mag had the nubs, and we removed them about 6 years ago. An honest ~1.0 - 1.2 MOA shooter for 9-rounds (magazine loaded 3x), with 168 Berger handloads. Every year, sometimes a couple times per year, he fires a 9-shot group to check on his scope, shooting form, etc. I've seen it perform repeatedly over the past 6 years to know that it's a solid rifle and load, and not just a fluke. Or just a set-up that shoots a good 3-shot group now and then.

That said, I don't recall that it shot that well with factory ammo but I think we only tried Core-Lokts if I remember correctly.

And I wouldn't feel bad about 1-1/2" groups, using factory ammo in a relatively lightweight rifle in 7mm Mag.

I'd happily take a lightweight hunting rifle that could group 1-1/2" repeatedly, to the correct POA. Either several 3-shot groups to create a composite group (one target on top of another, on top of another, and so on) or an 8-10 shot group. Either, one shooting session or several. But the groups need to be centered on the target.

My T 3 Lite SS 270 bought in 2003 -- Very new production -- I'm still waiting too.


Jerry

Im still waiting for you guys to post your entries in the moa all day long challenge here too, but that will likely never happen. Like i said, they wont loosen up, if you only shoot a box/year. So, you guys can either put up or shut the fu ck up. Whats it going to be?

I took 1/2 the day off, does this work? If they just made paper that went “ping”

The Sun will turn into Ice Cream before I WASTE that kind of ammo.

Secondly, YOU don't have ANY idea of how much or often I shoot! ! In SEVENTEEN years it has seen HUNDREDS of rounds.

YOU can't tell ME or anyone ELSE to Shut UP !

You are now DOOFUS II
[IGNORE]

Jerry

I have two older 1975-1978 M65 Tikkas in 30-06 -- wood stocks and blue steel. I'm not oging to say they shoot sub MOA all day long, for two reasons. 1.) I've never shot one all day long, and 2.) I cannot shoot sub MOA all day long on any random day.

On a good average day, mine will shoot a little over an inch to an inch and a half from a hunting type rest with hunting grade bullets. On my better days, I have shot groups as tight as 0.625" with premium bullets and handloads. My favourite hunting bullet is a Barnes TSX 168 grain. That one is pretty consistently between 0.750" to an inch WHEN I DO MY PART. The triggers came from the factory at 3.25 pounds which I have not adjusted. They barely move and break cleanly every time. Each one of them has digested 100 rounds a year for 40 years. The stocks are free floated to the front of the recoil lug, and they don't jiggle or wiggle.

My T3 is a synthetic stainless in 6.5 Swede. Now there is a rifle. My worst group has been 2" at a hundred yards -- not the rifle's fault. Two days later with no adjustments it put 3 shots into 9/16" at 100, and routinely keeps most groups under an inch when I'm on my game. Any hunting rifle, and mine are all hunting rifles, that consistently puts 3 shots from a hunting type rest in the inch to inch and a half groups will fill freezers for years to come.

Hello there paper queen. While you're busy running your mouth and "busting" paper, I've whacked dozens of hogs and about 25 whitetail does. Instead of wasting my time with your dumbasss game I think I'll continue to whack pigs with my "loose" Tikkas.

BTW, you telling me to "shut the f*^% up" is laughable. It wouldn't take me 5 seconds to knock the taste out of your mouth.

See you’ve been hitting the Thunderbird again.

Find any pics of you and all your elk yet?

Ok well, this thread has its course of attempting to be helpful.

Nope, I was going off of what I'd seen on my T3 Hunter, it didn't have speed bumps or any sign that they'd been removed, but I bought it used and don't know how old it was. My CTR didn't either, but Lite and Superlite did.

Do you have a pictures of the speed bumps on your stock that you can post? They are formed into the plastic stocks, I'd be interested to see how they show up on the new wood stocks.

That's one reason I probably won't mess with it. Although it doesn't group spectacularly, it seems to hold that first shot well from session to session.

The same with my T3 Lite SS 270 bought in 2003 shortly after they were available.
Don’t know about free float.... Don’t care.

The ONLY time I’ve had to adjust the scope was in 2012 or 2013 AFTER I and the Rifle took a hard fall. Bounced to be exact.

It not only holds zero but still groups 1” or less when I’m calm & not rushed.

I also have a T 3X in 7 RM but just got it in 2017.


Jerry

Do you have access to Reloader 26, and 162 gr Hornady ELD-X?

Regarding the original question, my CTR was fully floated. My 270 stainless light was not, A 708, then the seven rem mag, then a 708 superlite, then another 708 were all not floated.

I floated them all. It only took a few minutes with the Dremel wheel. I really think it helped especially when shooting from field positions or on different rests.

Years ago after reading about the imprints on the lug I pulled the rifles I had at the time to check. The seven rem mag had faint impressions. They were too fine for me to measure it with my calipers. The gun shot so well I didn’t worry about it.

One thing that I have found with consistency is when I reassemble the rifles I stand them on their butt and give them a smack. Then I tighten the front screw to about 25 pounds then I do the back screw till about 15, then the front to 35 inCh the back to 35. I have not had any problems with them walking or opening up. I have not shot the MOA challenge with them I suppose I could when the Ranges reopen. I am down to two 708s right The older one has a high round count and it’s still doing fine.

Regarding the post where @ 7/rem mag will not shoot with factory ammo as well as wanted, maybe try another brand and weight? Mine loved 162 Amax and ELD over each 1000 at 2950 and mag length

IDMilton - I tried Winchester, Remington-Peters, and Federal. Since I knew my handloads would do better, I abandoned the factory ammo after those three. BTW, those were 3 shot groups. Tikka says their rifles will shoot 5 shot groups an inch or under, right? Guaranteed! But as many others have pointed out, when you have one that doesn't, there's no procedure for getting another one from them. I'll stick with X-bolts and Vanguards, both of which are more accurate than Tikka's IME.