ballistically challenged Tikka T3 Lite 30-06

[Sparkyaber]

No help to mikeooa, but I shot again last night. I only shot one group, triangle less than one inch with the hornady sst 165 grain custom. My bud shot and he also had one flyer, his first round, with the other two rounds touching each other. He shot the fusion ammo. I did a super clean on this last one, gun slick until there was not a trace of green on the cleaning patches. I am leaning toward this is being a head thing, or just being sloppy on the rest, not the gun. I will shoot again here in a week or two and see what happens.

 

[MajorSpittle]

Last week I got my pentax back from the factory, they sent me a Pentax III 4-12 for the Pentax I 4-12. Anyway I mounted it and fired from my clean rifle 2 rounds to zero it then I shot a 3 round group that 1 holed (federal Fusion 150gr.). I had my rifle cinched down tight to me in a shooting sling and used a front rest.

I then remounted my Redfield and fired 1 round then adjusted zero and shot a 3 round .6" group with 150gr SST. The next group I shot was .8" with 165gr Core Lokt PSP. These groups I didn't use the sling but just shot from the rest as usual holding the gun tight against my shoulder and on the forearm.

My gun just likes to be held tight. If I let it free recoil it opens up my groups by about 2x it seems.

On a side note I had 1 of my 150 grain Winchester Super X bullets that wouldn't chamber. Looked the same as the rest, but just couldn't close the bolt. The headspace must be hella tight on my rifle, not sure if this is a good thing but it has only been 1 round out of over a hundred so far.

 

[JeffP40]

That sounds a lot better, hopefully it continues. Sometimes it is something as simple as that.

 

[73driver]

The ammo that you've listed isn't worth buying, you'll get much farther ahead much much faster using A LOT better quality components.

Federal Fusion might not be expensive or "premium" but it has given me sub MOA performance in several rifles and calibers.

 

[MajorSpittle]

Federal Fusion might not be expensive or "premium" but it has given me sub MOA performance in several rifles and calibers.

i don't think there is a major manufacturer producing large rifle ammo that isn't capable of sub MOA performance at 100 yards.

Loads and components are pretty consistent coming off the production lines.

What a person's particular rifle likes, is what shoots well. Spending money on premium ammo won't make your rifle shoot tighter groups if the rifle doesn't like the load.

I also have found 150gr Federal Fusion is liked by all 3 30-06 rifles I have used it in and they all did sub MOA groups. The reloading community has known for awhile that there are some loads that almost all rifles of a particular cartridge seems to like. It seems Fed-Fusion ammo must be loading some of those in their ammo line.

 

[imyourhuckleberry]

You guys are responding to a post almost 7 years old.

 

[jjmp]

With Respect there's a lot to learn in this thread, good on you OP! and those that stuck by you !!! congrats all round !

 

[19Wyoming]

You guys are responding to a post almost 7 years old.

I noticed that too! There is a lot of good information in it though. Some guns can be a real struggle for a
variety of reasons.

 

[Tommo64]

So I got a Tikka T3 Lite 30-06 and put a Pentax Game Seeker 4-12 scope on it in the rings that come with the rifle and it was shooting about 1.5 in groups with various cheap ammo (150 Win Super X, Federal Power Shock 150/180, Rem Core lokt PSP 165)

Needless to say I was ****ed so I pulled the thing apart and dremeled out the barrel channel got everything locked down good and replaced the rings with some steal weaver bases and 1" rings, I also bought some aluminum tube and pressed it in between the action and the trigger guard filed it down to length as kind of an ***-backward pillar bedding job. Tighted the **** out of everything with lock-tight on and went to the range and shot 1.5-2" groups that wandered everywhere.

So I decided that the Pentax was crap and sent it off to the factory. I bought a Redfield Revolution which I mounted, leveled with the breach, centered the crosshairs, and boresighted with my laser (perfect left and right 1" high at 20ft without touching any adjustment ).

Took the rifle to the range with Fed 150 power shock and first shot at 100 is 3/4" low and 1" left. I think great, everything is lined up well . I make adjustments 10 up and 4 right. Then shoot a 3 round group that is right where it should be but is about 1.5". Go to Fed 180 Power Shock 3" groupe. 165 Rem Core Lokt 2.25" group but 3" higher then the other ammo...... ????? ***??? Proceed to waste a box of Fed shooting 6 round groups that balloon out to around 2-3".

Everything is tight, I know I can shoot sub MOA groups from a bench all day long ( .5 -.75 groups with my Win. 7mm Mag ). So I cus and spit then pull the thing apart at the range and pull the aluminum tubes out of the stock and put it back together.

Shoot another box of ammon getting same results. Everything is being shot at 12x on the scope, Everything is tight, these are my last groups with the rifle and this is the Rifle. Any suggestions, do you think tikka would honor their < MOA policy even though I dremeled the barrel channel to free float the barrel:

I would say clearing that barrel channel without pillar and/or glass bedding the action is very risky and likely to worsen your groups rather than improving them. I suspect those lugs are put there by Tikka for a reason, i.e., their rifles don't come with any type of bedding.

 

[T3ninja]

The first page is making my head hurt.....



I just looked at the date of the OP. Why the @/7! is this on my "most recent topics"?????