Tikka T3X Tight or will not Chamber on Reloads

[capona]

dup.

 

[JAYgs8163]

More than likely you bumped your shoulders back too much or not enough to function in the Tikka. Get yourself a set of Redding competition shell holders and follow the directions. These will bump your shoulders back in .002 increments. After sizing a couple of pieces see if the brass chambers, if it doesn't then you use the next shell holder which will bump it another .002 and see if it chambers. Repeat until the brass chambers. After it chambers check oal of brass and trim as needed. Don't mix reloads between rifles.

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[Stetson05]

I had a similar problem. I had a set of Hornady die that wouldn't resize very well. I had to cam over really hard and sometimes 2-3 times to bump the shoulder back far enough. The manufacturer date on the set was 2018. I read somewhere that it happened to someone else. Measuring the shoulder was the way to catch it. Replacing the die fixed the issue but not before I had to pull 200 rounds.

 

[Panteradave]

You need to measure the shoulder on the brass that will chamber, and resize all your brass to that measurement.

If you can find some factory Ammo buy it and compare. I would start with a headspace gauge. Make sure die is set up correctly and check sized brass in your chamber before you load.

 

[Tatergunner]

I always use a Wilson chamber checker on my sized brass before powdering and seating. I have too often had my sizing dies back up (loosen) on my press and not noticed until I have some of the loaded cartridges giving me trouble chambering at the range. It was frustrating enough that I started using the chamber checker on the finished ammo as well. It's a cheap and easy way to figure out the source of tight chambering issues.

 

[Huntz]

The best answer was to use different brass for the two rifles.What happened to you is not uncommon on factory chambers.No two are alike.

 

[Lefty G-gear]

I picked up a new Tikka T3X in 6.5 Creedmoor and took it to the range. It is a great shooter after setting up the scope, all shots were touching with reloads at 100 yards. Pics attached. I shot various handloads and bullet weight combos.

The problem I encountered was that not all of my reloads would chamber. I have Montana Rifle Company 6.5 Creedmoor.

• Nine of the ten reloads would chamber in the Montana Rifle Company rifle.
• Three of the 10 had a stiff bolt handle as it was closing but still chambered.
• Only one of 10 would not chamber.
• Bullets were seated to factor spec. and COAL is factory.
• The brass is Nosler (only thing I could find at the time). I have Lapua now but not loaded.
• I trimmed and resized (Redding Dies) my spent brass.
• Feeding it into the Tikka it would not chamber. It did chamber in the Montana Rifle Company gun.
• Feeding the new Lapua brass into the Tikka is no problem.

Conclusions are I have a very tight chamber in the new Tikka.

What would you do if you were me?

1. Load the Lapua brass shoot it and then trim if needed and resize it to see if there are problems with the die.
2. Order a go gauge or take the rifle to a gunsmith and have them measure the chamber with a go gauge. ( I have heard of some problems with barrels being over-torqued from the factory when the barrel is set to 75 lbs problems go away.)
3. Order a Wilson Cartridge gauge to see if cartridges meet the minimum SAMII spec
4. Do something else I haven't thought of. Please explain.

Thank you!

View attachment 355053

Wilson Case Gauge (first)
Go, No-Go, and Field Gauge (second)

OR, CHECK Cartridge Overall Length? (Use digital or dial calipers!)
Maybe bullet Ogive varies too much! (Bullet to bullet.) = Crappy box/lot of bullets!
Are there lands marks on any bullets? cramming it into the barrel on some?

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If you try different boxes of factory ammo - just cycling it. (Know anyone with some?)
If they don't chamber good, then I'd suspect the chamber head-space (too tight), then reloading dies.

 

[Dirtrax]

Get yourself an open slotted Sheridan gauge so you can see exactly where your issue is if it is a sizing related issue.

6.5 Creedmoor Ammunition Gauge

Choose between SLOTTED or NON-SLOTTED. AMMUNITION GAUGES are uniquely designed to check loaded ammunition, giving you the ability to check your factory ammunition or reloads against a spec chamber. The gauge is machined to the SAAMI minimum chamber spec for the 6.5 Creedmoor caliber. This…

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That is a cool tool! I did a similar thing with a spent case by cutting a slot in the neck to the shoulder junction to visualize bullet depth to the neck/shoulder relationship. All the measurements in the world wouldn't console me as much as actually seeing it with my own eyes. BTW my measurements were correct.

 

[JAYgs8163]

Nothing better than using the chamber of your rifle to determine properly sized brass matched as close as possible to your chamber. Bumping the shoulder back in .002 increments until the bolt closes with ease. As I mentioned above (post 16) get yourself the Redding Competition Shell holders. Buy once and never look back.

 

[jaspepp]

I ran into the same issue with a tikka and nosler brass last year. The rifle ended up being fine. Come to find out the nosler brass was springing back a ton and wasn't fully sizing. Sanded down the shell holder a bit and it resolved my issues. This method will probably shorten case life from working it super hard. The other option would be to get your brass annealed

 

[vancewalker007]

I picked up a new Tikka T3X in 6.5 Creedmoor and took it to the range. It is a great shooter after setting up the scope, all shots were touching with reloads at 100 yards. Pics attached. I shot various handloads and bullet weight combos.

The problem I encountered was that not all of my reloads would chamber. I have Montana Rifle Company 6.5 Creedmoor.

• Nine of the ten reloads would chamber in the Montana Rifle Company rifle.
• Three of the 10 had a stiff bolt handle as it was closing but still chambered.
• Only one of 10 would not chamber.
• Bullets were seated to factor spec. and COAL is factory.
• The brass is Nosler (only thing I could find at the time). I have Lapua now but not loaded.
• I trimmed and resized (Redding Dies) my spent brass.
• Feeding it into the Tikka it would not chamber. It did chamber in the Montana Rifle Company gun.
• Feeding the new Lapua brass into the Tikka is no problem.

Conclusions are I have a very tight chamber in the new Tikka.

What would you do if you were me?

1. Load the Lapua brass shoot it and then trim if needed and resize it to see if there are problems with the die.
2. Order a go gauge or take the rifle to a gunsmith and have them measure the chamber with a go gauge. ( I have heard of some problems with barrels being over-torqued from the factory when the barrel is set to 75 lbs problems go away.)
3. Order a Wilson Cartridge gauge to see if cartridges meet the minimum SAMII spec
4. Do something else I haven't thought of. Please explain.

Thank you!

View attachment 355053

I have two 7mm LRMs that cannot cross brass. The shoulder bumps are the same but the chambers are slightly different. You will really need two sets of cases and two sizing dies. The shoulder bumps are likely different.

 

[Doom2]

Resizing dies do not always do a good job of resizing the base of the cartridge. This isn't a problem if the case is reused in the rifle it was fired in. If fired in a different rifle it may not resize enough to chamber. The problem is magnified if using a standard FLS die to just bump the shoulder. Small Base FLS dies are machined to size the base smaller than standard dies.

 

[Stonyman88]

Lessons I have learned from having multiple rifles chambered in the same cartridge.
1. Buy and use separate dies
2. Buy and use separate brass
3. Chambers vary
4. Don't shoot reloads from one rifle in the other
5. A .002 shoulder bump in one rifle could equal .000 in another or .004.

That is the answer you needed, he has it correct, and check the head space on the shoulder first of all.

 

[Josebigsky]

Thanks Guys PROBLEM SOLVED. See my last post on Saturday at 3.34pm