Was checking zero on a T3, after installing a full length stock for my daughter today,
and it went "CLICK" on the first shot. Thought maybe(fingers crossed) I hadn't gotten a round in the chamber.

But I had.

The firing pin strike was so light you wouldn't have noticed it looking at a box of loaded rounds.
Closed the bolt on an empty chamber, and it snapped nicely. Several times.
Fired 2 rounds, slightly left, a few clicks, and 2 more were perfect.
(Gotta love Tikka, swapped from a bedded stock to a stock stock🙂 and still pretty
much zeroed)

Just pulled the bolt apart, some small chips.
But looking down inside the bolt, there is a little bead on one side of the smaller diameter bore near the face of the bolt. Nothing I can get in there will move it.
Thought of a saw file, but I'm not sure how bad an idea that is.
Cleaned it all out, except that lump, and reassembled it.
With the firing pin in the fired position, the cooking lug freely falls to the bottom of the
camming grove.

Do I let Em use it tomorrow?
Not sure she would want to use the 308 or 30-06 that are ready.
Other ready choices are magnums.
Odd to suddenly realize one has few good choices.🤣🤣


What are the odds the chips were the problem, vs that lump.
The lump doesn't move, so I'd think it wouldn't suddenly cause an issue.
Bought this gun used several years ago, we have over 100 flawless rounds through it,
until now.

Use it.

Don’t tell her.

Post dead deer pics.




P

Kind my thoughts, but if it goes click on a buck for her......
I'd rather use it myself, IDGAS about any one deer anymore.
But she wouldn't like my Brown stocked 660 308.
And has never used a 760 the 30-06.


Probably will just let her use it.

I’d probably do the same too but I doubt that she’d ever notice the recoil from shooting a single round while hunting.

When my son was 8 I had him shooting light field loads out of a 20 gauge before turkey season to see how well he could shoot and to familiarize him with it. I loaded magnum turkey shells for actual hunting he didn’t notice any difference for one shot.

Good luck tomorrow.

Let soak in trans fluid with a bit of acetone added.

Osky

I missed a big buck this year when a $3000 rifle went click instead of bang. I think the bolt was up a bit, but it made that nice tight hole small primer pin custom action clone seem like less of a good idea than the normal size rem pin imprint.

Tiny little ding on the primer but no deer. Just when I was really starting to like bighorn origin actions. I'd noticed the tiny little pin imprints on primers at the range but hadn't worried about it much until after I missed that buck because the gun didn't fire.

Bb

I had a rifle not fire once but the primer popped causing the firing pin to get jammed up inside the bolt. Remingtons top notch quality control caused the issue!

Burleyboy,
For years I hated that my bolt actions had to be off safe to unload,
just seemed dumb and more dangerous than necessary.


Then I bought a newer 700, and a model 7.
Thought they were the beans, no off safe fumbling.

First I missed a shot, jumped out of a vehicle and thought it was off safe.
Fumbled around.....my fault.


Then, an experience like yours.
And many times finding the bolt lifted, or open.

Those guns sit, it's a Tikka, old Sako, or a 660.
I get what I expect, a safety getting bumped off is my only worry.
Something I frequently check. Almost never find.

For some reason, I've never had a Winchester, never hunted a Savage or Ruger.

THIS! I missed a coyote for the same reason. If the bolt handle is lifted up just a smidge, it will only lightly tap the primer, but won't fire. Use it, just make sure the bolt is all the way down just before you take it off safe.

Never a problem with Tikka.
The bolt is locked down by the safety.







On another note.
Dad had the same problem with his Vanguard.
The tip of the firing pin broke back in the 80s, and he had it replaced.

Has been flawless since, hunting elk, caribou, moose, and deer.
This morning he got a click, and didn't get a doe.
His primer looked like mine.
No rubbage, just oil. Not sludge. 25 degrees wasn't cold enough to be an issue.
His spring didn't seem to have much pressure.
Odd to have the same rare problem, on consecutive days, with known good guns.

If both you and your dad are having the same issue, it could be that you are oiling the inside of the bolt too much/improperly. Likely he taught you this? You really should not be seeing oil inside there. A lightweight lubricant that is resistant to low temps is also a must. At 25 degrees, that is enough to cause issues, if indeed you are using the wrong lubricant in there. My rifles always go bang, without issues like this. So it sounds like a problem caused by negligence and improper care of maintenance.

My bolt has never been lubed or messed with.
He does lube, but uses stuff that don't gunk up.

Like I said, no sludge. Just a little light oil.

25 degrees, that shouldn't be an immediate concern.


Pulling the bolt apart on that gun relieves the compression on the spring,
not sure if it should still have much pre-load, it doesn't.
He is going to use his Finnwolf for now, and get a new spring.
Comparing the two might tell something.


I loaded the rounds for both, but not at the same time or with the same primers.
200 in the Swede, 250 for the 7mag.