Sticky Bolt with Accurate Load

6.5 Creedmoor
IMR 4451 42.0 grains
143 grain ELD-X
.3 MOA accuracy
Stiff bolt lift and light ejector Mark Tikka T3x
.015 off lands

Should I drop down .3 grains to 41.7 grains?
.3 grains isn't enough... more like 2 or 3 grains ejector marks don't start 'till you are over 70K... usually 75 or so will give you a good one with heavy bolt
 
I'm kind of getting the same thing on a tikka 22 creedmoor bolt seems a little stiff but no other signs but the bolt lifts a little hard on a empty chamber after de- cocked might just be the nature of the beast. David

Im not going to lie, Tikkas have some of the smoothest actions and this bolt is way too hard to lift sometimes. I need to drop down although I hit the numbers I liked.
 
Im not going to lie, Tikkas have some of the smoothest actions and this bolt is way too hard to lift sometimes. I need to drop down although I hit the numbers I liked.
my action is smooth also I'm using 38.5 of h 4350 which shouldn't be hot pushing a 85.5 Berger at 3232 with a brux barrel it's hard for me to believe it's a pressure problem I hope not 200 yard groups that a dime will cover would be hard to give up. David
 
Tikkas are known to have slow barrels. There is a lot out there about them being 100-150 FPS slower. Some Tikkas are quick but many are slow but very accurate.
Many factory guns are a bit slow. I had a remmy lh bdl 30-06 that would barely break 2600 fps with a 165 and I 4350 but it shot sub 1/2 moa.. My Tikka 270 is only a 22" pipe but will do 3050 or so with a 130. My 300rum rifles are right on... It all varies and winding them up when they are showing distress on the case (just because they finally make velocity there) can get you into trouble (like the O.P. has had) in a hurry.
 
Along with reducing the load, you can try finding a seating depth node that's a good bit farther away from the lands, that is if your load isn't compressed already. Some bullets seem to show increased pressure close to the lands than others will in my experience. You might try to find a seating depth node around .050" or more off. I'm not saying that you don't need to back off of the load.
 
6.5 Creedmoor
IMR 4451 42.0 grains
143 grain ELD-X
.3 MOA accuracy
Stiff bolt lift and light ejector Mark Tikka T3x
.015 off lands

Should I drop down .3 grains to 41.7 grains?
A tight neck/shoulder area could cause pressure. Measure the neck diameter of neck on a fired case and do the same on a loaded round then subtract. Difference should be about .002-.003
 
Tikkas are known to have slow barrels. There is a lot out there about them being 100-150 FPS slower. Some Tikkas are quick but many are slow but very accurate.
I am not sure what you mean by slow barrel unless you mean slower barrel twist. A twist rate is for bullet stabilization, and a faster twist does not necessarily mean more velocity. I have SAKO M995 1:11" 24" that is propelling the 190 Berger VLD at 3043 FPS with 75 H4831SC, no slouch in my opinion.

Does Twist Rate Make a Difference in Velocity? Yes. Our tests show that, with the 80-90gr bullets, a 1:10 or 1:12 barrel will give you as much as 80fps more velocity than a 1:8 barrel, shooting the exact same loads. Fast twist (1:8) barrels have more drag and friction, which can slow the bullet down. Ideally you want to use the slowest twist rate possible that will stabilize the bullet you choose to shoot. For a dedicated "point-blank" 100/200 yard Benchrest gun, you want a twist rate from 1:13 to 1:15. But if you want to shoot both light (60-80gr) and heavy (100gr+) bullets, stick with a 1:8.
(SOURCE: https://www.6mmbr.com/barrelfaq.html)

Found a sweet load for my 7mm STW Sendero today. 168 gn VLD, 2972 FPS, ES 12 SD 4 IMR 8133 78.5 grains. Perfect for whitetail.
I am surprised that's all the velocity you're able to generate out of 168g VLD. I am propelling the 190 Berger VLD out of my .30 Gibbs 1:10" 24"

4-shot series, 57 RL17: AVG = 2806, ES = 15, SD = 6
 
David on your Tikka hard bolt lift on an empty chamber,I have seen this on a Savage rifle.
The slickest stuff on earth is Tungston Disulfide.I put a teaspoon of the slick stuff and put it in an old pill bottle and add a couple of ounces of Rubbing Alcohol and mix well then I apply the liquid to the clean bolt and bolt raceways.
The more you cycle it the more it works itself into the metal.Fixed my problem and others that have tried it say the same.
Old Rooster
 
I used to use a old RCBS digital powder scale and was loading some already hot loads for my 284 winchester and started seeing pressure signs on formulas that never had an issue before. I happened to keep an old beam scale and did a check and found the scale I was using was almost 2 grains off. Bought a new digital scale, checked it and have not had an issue since.
 
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