Tikka 7mm-08

[the blur]

I heard problems specifically with 7mm-08 in Tikka. But all over Tikka's are ok. Something about the recoil lug. Was this problem ever corrected ?
I'm looking for a 7-08, and I love Tikka's. They handle so well, and are accurate.

Is the 7-08 Tikka ok in the hunting rifle ?

 

[Elk Fire]

I have one for my kids. It's a straight up killer out to 500 yards. It likes 140 partitions, and I run them pretty mild. I have shot lots of others bullets on steel out to 700 or so with good results. This is straight up factory with average scope and average brass. No complaints here

 

[Idaho Lefty]

My son, shot a NICE 5x6 Bull Elk with his 7 MM-08 at, 247 Yards , using a 150 gr. ELD-X Bullet. The Bullet had, 70 Percent, Retained weight and punched thru, his shoulder Blade at, an angle, clipped a Lung and penetrated, deep into the Ham area breaking the Femur bone.
My son, popped him, a second time in the Neck, to Finish, the Bull, when he was trying, to get back up ( the first shot was, at, a Steeper Angle than, he had originally, thought ! ). Judging by, the amount of Penetration, thru Meat and Bone, it looks like, the 7-08, Hits,.. pretty hard !
Tikka T-3's, in 7mm-08, ARE, a "Solid", Buy for most, Hunters ! Great for using, Bullets from, 120 grains for, the Young'un's & Ladies for, Deer, up to, 150-160 grains for, Elk ! Make sure that, you have, a STEEL Recoil Lug ( early versions, HAD Aluminum ), an Ernie the Gunsmith Trigger Spring, a Limb Saver Recoil Pad and a Cheek Riser, to get your head up to, Scope Level and you are, "Good to Go" ! We have, 4 Tikka's, in my Family.
We are thinking of buying, a 5th Tikka, in 7 Mm-08 for, my grandson to hunt Elk, with !

 

[Idaho Lefty]

To answer, the blurs, Question,..
The "other Problem" with, Tikka's, specifically in 7M-08, is that, the Leade Angle is STEEP at, 3* and NOT, the Typical 1*- 30 Min. that, most Chamber's, have. My son rented, a Reamer and Hand Reamed / Polished, his 7mm barrel's chamber to, the better Leade Angle to shoot, the Higher BC, / Longer, VLD "type" Bullets with, a Tangent Ogive design !
Hybrid's and most other, Hunting Bullets ( like AccuBonds / Bal Tip's ) are of, Secant Ogive, Design, and will work fine, in the 7-08 without reaming.
He's found, an accurate, 168 grain, Berger H-VLD, Bullet / Load combo with, a near Max. Load of StaBall that, should "reach out" even further than the 150 gr. ELD- X load . My Son "found" and researched this "Issue" when, attempting to get the higher BC, 162 grain, ELD-X's to "shoot" !
Real freakin' frustrating, for him until, he studied the Tikka 7-08's Chambers, Leade, Dimensions !

 

[dennisinaz]

I've loaded 168 Bergers for a Tikka in 708 and it scary accurate

 

[Idaho Lefty]

Maybe, a certain "Run" of 7-08 Tikka's had, the 3* Leade angle,.. ALL I know, is that, he could get NO, accuracy, "Consistency" with, the 162 ELD-X's or, 168 VLD, Bergers,.. Before,.. "Reaming"
Several other guys that, he talked to online, have HAD,.. the SAME, "Issue'".
Makes NO difference, anyway as, the OP,.. won't be, using them.

 

[dennisinaz]

I just did a rifle last month with the 3⁰ leade angle but i can't recall which it was

 

[the blur]

I'm a box ammo guy. I'll always buy the same after I figure out what the gun likes, but always off-the-shelf. and for whatever reason, my previous 7mm-08's don't like any ammo.

 

[Idaho Lefty]

I'm a box ammo guy. I'll always buy the same after I figure out what the gun likes, but always off-the-shelf. and for whatever reason, my previous 7mm-08's don't like any ammo.

@ the blur,..
That's, strange ! A 7-08 Tikka, should shoot, most "Tangent Ogive" Bullet design's from, 120 grain's up to, 150 gr's, like Berger's Classic Hunters, Nosler Bal-Tip's, AccuBonds, Hornady ELD-X's to 150 grs, most, Sierra Game Kings, etc. ).
Maybe have, a Gunsmith, check, the Rifle, out ?
We have, 4 Tikka's and all are, "good shooter's" and until, my son had problem's with, the heavy, Long, high BC, VLD's, ( the Secant Ogive, designed, bullets ) there were, No issue's with, his Rifle. He killed, a nice Bull Elk with his, good shooting, 150 gr. ELD-X load, BEFORE finding, the issue's with, the Heavier, High BC, Bullets.
Good Luck !

 

[birddog 68]

I'm a box ammo guy. I'll always buy the same after I figure out what the gun likes, but always off-the-shelf. and for whatever reason, my previous 7mm-08's don't like any ammo.

That is strange indeed! I've had a Remington 700, browning a bolt and now have a X bolt in 7-08 and they were all very accurate except the a bolt didn't like heavier bullets. They all shot good enough with factory ammo and excellent with hand loads. I love my 7-08 and works great for deer and that's all I need it for.

 

[xsn10s]

I'm a box ammo guy. I'll always buy the same after I figure out what the gun likes, but always off-the-shelf. and for whatever reason, my previous 7mm-08's don't like any ammo.

Maybe it identified itself as a CM It could of been a barrel issue. One new production rifle I had to QC wouldn't shoot. I borescoped it and it was missing sections of rifling. "Who let Carl run the rifling machines today?"

 

[Thorny]

I've had a stainless 7mm-08 Tikka for about 10 years now. I'm pushing a thousand rounds through it and it is still deadly accurate. I've shot all kinds of powder and bullets combinations with zero problems. This rifle has counted for many critters on the ground. Using mostly 140 grain bullets (Barnes TSX), the farthest any animal went was 40 yards. Most animals were dead right there with one and done! Game taken (deer, elk, bear) ranged from 25 out to 300 yards.

 

[Janno05]

I am not familiar with cartridge specific issues with the 7mm-08, but I can say that the t3x super light in .308 that I have had been great. Plenty accurate for hunting and the recoil lug works fine.

 

[JKennedy]

I purchased a Tikka 7MM-08, fluted stainless barrel. Grouped ~2" @ 100yds. Under 100 rounds through barrel, cleaned with Sweets & checked with bore scope; found a deformed section on lands ~1" long about where fluting starts on chamber end of fluting. I have not reached out to Tikka yet; was wondering if damage to lands occurred during process of cutting the fluting?