Jon Bischof
Well-Known Member
If you read the whole thread you would have noticed that Ryan has already bought a new gun and is having the same sort of trouble with both Tikkas.
What does this grouping mean?
- Thread starter Tac-O
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Sorry, well did he check his optic?
Sure did. I sold my Vortex and bought a Maven RS2, because I'd been wanting to go in that direction regardless of any potential optical issues.
I actually really love my Tikka, despite it being hard for me to figure out. I've got my family's new savage 7mm-08 to play with now, so that will keep me busy if I get frustrated with my .30 06.
Jon Bischof
Well-Known Member
Shooting the 7-08 for a while may even help you with your 30-06 groups if recoil sensitivity is the problem. No man wants to admit any sensitivity to recoil. But it is a physiological fact that recoil affects us whether we know it or not even if we real men never admit it. most of the time, if you think you may have a slight flinch or quiver--you do. That's why the 22 LR shooting can help you overcome it. You can't shoot T-Rex Ultra Mags for too many rounds before it has an affect on you. Ideally, you should only test hard kicking rifles for a few groups at a time and then shoot something softer or quit for the day.
And a Tikka T3 Hunter in 30-06 (what I have) is a pretty stout kicker due to the light weight of the rifle. Sometimes I actually wish it were heavier.
Used to have a 7 WSM A-Bolt. Nice rifle, good cartridge but no fun to shoot because it was just punishing at the bench. Didn't need that much for whitetails anyway, so when the original owner asked to buy it back I was happy to let him buy it back.
Sold my 300 Win Mag for the same reason. Still have my 338 Win Mag just in case I need to shoot a dragon--you never know
And a Tikka T3 Hunter in 30-06 (what I have) is a pretty stout kicker due to the light weight of the rifle. Sometimes I actually wish it were heavier.
Used to have a 7 WSM A-Bolt. Nice rifle, good cartridge but no fun to shoot because it was just punishing at the bench. Didn't need that much for whitetails anyway, so when the original owner asked to buy it back I was happy to let him buy it back.
Sold my 300 Win Mag for the same reason. Still have my 338 Win Mag just in case I need to shoot a dragon--you never know
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Shooting the 7-08 for a while may even help you with your 30-06 groups if recoil sensitivity is the problem. No man wants to admit any sensitivity to recoil. But it is a physiological fact that recoil affects us whether we know it or not even if we real men never admit it. most of the time, if you think you may have a slight flinch or quiver--you do. That's why the 22 LR shooting can help you overcome it. You can't shoot T-Rex Ultra Mags for too many rounds before it has an affect on you. Ideally, you should only test hard kicking rifles for a few groups at a time and then shoot something softer or quit for the day.
And a Tikka T3 Hunter in 30-06 (what I have) is a pretty stout kicker due to the light weight of the rifle. Sometimes I actually wish it were heavier.
Used to have a 7 WSM A-Bolt. Nice rifle, good cartridge but no fun to shoot because it was just punishing at the bench. Didn't need that much for whitetails anyway, so when the original owner asked to buy it back I was happy to let him buy it back.
Sold my 300 Win Mag for the same reason. Still have my 338 Win Mag just in case I need to shoot a dragon--you never know
I'm pretty sure I'm flinching part of the time. I didn't take my .17 because I didn't have the scope mounted. So, I went out with my 7mm08 and my 3006... I could feel my spine tingling and wanting to jump while holding my 06 vs the 7mm.
I'll have to get my scope mounted to my .17 and practice with that and my 7mm for a bit. I've also considered putting a bunch of lead shot into the open spaces in my stock and covering it with modeling clay to hold in place. I'm not sure how much weight that would add, but surely it would be a noticeable help.
Jon Bischof
Well-Known Member
Ryan: "I could feel my spine tingling and wanting to jump while holding my 06 vs the 7mm. "
You are not the only one, you are just willing to admit it which means you are still able to learn and do better.
I can think of three things that will help tremendously. Four things if you get into rimfire rifle practice first. But the three that will help with centerfire:
1. Sims Laboratories Limbsaver Recoil Pad. I have one on every hard-kicking long gun I own. Huge felt difference.
2. Caldwell Lead Sled weighted shooting rest.
3. Bud's Bulls Bag filled with 40 lbs of sand. Just run the rifle sling underneath the bag, pull the rifle back toward your shoulder until the sling is snug against the bag and then position your shoulder normally against the rifle' butt and when you shoot, you will feel very little recoil due to the 40 lbs of sand. Makes a pretty nice front rest too.
"You are not the only one, you are just willing to admit it which means you are still able to learn and do better.
I can think of three things that will help tremendously. Four things if you get into rimfire rifle practice first. But the three that will help with centerfire:
1. Sims Laboratories Limbsaver Recoil Pad. I have one on every hard-kicking long gun I own. Huge felt difference.
2. Caldwell Lead Sled weighted shooting rest.
3. Bud's Bulls Bag filled with 40 lbs of sand. Just run the rifle sling underneath the bag, pull the rifle back toward your shoulder until the sling is snug against the bag and then position your shoulder normally against the rifle' butt and when you shoot, you will feel very little recoil due to the 40 lbs of sand. Makes a pretty nice front rest too.
Ryan: "I could feel my spine tingling and wanting to jump while holding my 06 vs the 7mm.
You are not the only one, you are just willing to admit it which means you are still able to learn and do better.
I can think of three things that will help tremendously. Four things if you get into rimfire rifle practice first. But the three that will help with centerfire:
1. Sims Laboratories Limbsaver Recoil Pad. I have one on every hard-kicking long gun I own. Huge felt difference.
2. Caldwell Lead Sled weighted shooting rest.
3. Bud's Bulls Bag filled with 40 lbs of sand. Just run the rifle sling underneath the bag, pull the rifle back toward your shoulder until the sling is snug against the bag and then position your shoulder normally against the rifle' butt and when you shoot, you will feel very little recoil due to the 40 lbs of sand. Makes a pretty nice front rest too.
Thanks for the suggestions!
Yes I'll need to get my scope back onto my 0.17 and start practicing with it. I was also going to do a lot more dry-fire practice at home with with my '06 so I can get it trained into my brain with that gun.
Sims recoil pad: I DO have one that is on an old T3 stock that I don't use because it lengthens the LOP just enough so that I can't get into a comfortable position behind the gun. Any ideas/suggestions on how to attach the pad to the plastic tikka stock if I were to cut the stock shorter?
Bulls bag - I had looked at these a fair bit a couple of months ago and didn't buy at the time due to price. I think I may have to bite the bullet and do it
Jon Bischof
Well-Known Member
Ryan: I attached my Limbsaver pad before I mounted my scope so that I would have the proper eye relief. That may be what you have to do also. Sure ya didn't want to hear you may have to remount your scope, but that is the only way to get the eye relief just perfect.
I've actually got my scope ALL the way back. No more room for adjustment. The maven rs2 has slightly less eye relief than some other scopes in the same category, like the leupold 3vxi, so that doesn't help. I've got the Talley lightweights positioned so I can have the scope as far back toward the butt as possible. It may also partially be the way I set up at the bench. I'll have to mount it on my stock and see if I can play around with my setup at a table while practicing dry-firing.
Here's an update.
I got a couple snap cap rounds and have practiced dryfiring a fair bit. I've taken my 17hmr and 7-08 (with reduced loads) out a couple of times and feel much better about my trigger control and occasional flinching. The last time I went out and shot my 06, it was particularly bad, and I think that's because I smacked myself in the face with my new scope a couple times (less eye releif than old scope) which caused the slight flinching later.
Anyway, went out yesterday and shot prone from the back of my truck bed, with my pedestal rest and bunny ear rear rest, and removed the butt pad from my stock and putt the slip on Sims pad on.
The terrible groups in the picture are with a strap on cheek riser pad... The straps on the bottom were screwing with my recoil on my rest, so ignore those. Top right, bottom right, and bottom left felt pretty good, except the one I marked as a flier on the bottom left group.
This is the first time I've shot this gun prone, since my range doesn't allow prone shooting. What a difference it makes being able to get my body completely behind and line up with the gun!! I felt so much more solid and stable and the gun recoiled more consistently. It also made it easier to make my hold pressure consistent.
After reading a bit last night about techniques for shooting ultralight rifles, I'm convinced this is just a ridiculously hard gun to shoot and I'm proud that I can manage to put as many shots as close together as I can. I think most of my previous troubles had to do with inconsistent holds, even though I tried to make them consistent, and likely a slight flinch at least 25% of the time. After reading about people trying to shoot ultralight rifles for groups and how finicky they can be, I feel better. It's remarkable how pressure sensitive the light guns can apparently be.
I think attempting to get 1/2 moa consistently with a field ready 6lb 14oz .30-06 with a fluted pencil barrel at full power loads is quite unrealistic for my first year in shooting groups of the bench. I'll be really happy if I can get it to 0.75moa consistently.
I'm excited to get out again next weekend and see if I can improve at the bench with a few of the recommendations from the ultralight fans.
I got a couple snap cap rounds and have practiced dryfiring a fair bit. I've taken my 17hmr and 7-08 (with reduced loads) out a couple of times and feel much better about my trigger control and occasional flinching. The last time I went out and shot my 06, it was particularly bad, and I think that's because I smacked myself in the face with my new scope a couple times (less eye releif than old scope) which caused the slight flinching later.
Anyway, went out yesterday and shot prone from the back of my truck bed, with my pedestal rest and bunny ear rear rest, and removed the butt pad from my stock and putt the slip on Sims pad on.
The terrible groups in the picture are with a strap on cheek riser pad... The straps on the bottom were screwing with my recoil on my rest, so ignore those. Top right, bottom right, and bottom left felt pretty good, except the one I marked as a flier on the bottom left group.
This is the first time I've shot this gun prone, since my range doesn't allow prone shooting. What a difference it makes being able to get my body completely behind and line up with the gun!! I felt so much more solid and stable and the gun recoiled more consistently. It also made it easier to make my hold pressure consistent.
After reading a bit last night about techniques for shooting ultralight rifles, I'm convinced this is just a ridiculously hard gun to shoot and I'm proud that I can manage to put as many shots as close together as I can. I think most of my previous troubles had to do with inconsistent holds, even though I tried to make them consistent, and likely a slight flinch at least 25% of the time. After reading about people trying to shoot ultralight rifles for groups and how finicky they can be, I feel better. It's remarkable how pressure sensitive the light guns can apparently be.
I think attempting to get 1/2 moa consistently with a field ready 6lb 14oz .30-06 with a fluted pencil barrel at full power loads is quite unrealistic for my first year in shooting groups of the bench. I'll be really happy if I can get it to 0.75moa consistently.
I'm excited to get out again next weekend and see if I can improve at the bench with a few of the recommendations from the ultralight fans.
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Jon Bischof
Well-Known Member
Ryan: Just so you know, my son and I took the Tikka 30-06 out yesterday and neither one of us could get a group smaller than 1" @ 100 Yds. I need to get a better rear bag because all of our groups are strung out horizontally. If I had a firmer rear rest, I know that those groups would tighten up a bit. But on the other hand, my son and I both managed smaller groups using the same rests shooting my Sauer Creedmoor. So the Tikka 30-06 is just harder to wring good groups out of than the Sauer. This could be because the Sauer is just more accurate, or it could be because the Tikka is lighter. I believe it is a combination of both.
I won't really be able to see what these rifles are really capable of until I sort out my rear rest.
Just thought you should know that you aren't the only fellow who has a difficult time shooting light, hard-kicking rifles consistently. My son mentioned the recoil on his shoulder and we talked about squaring your chest up against the rifle butt--that helps a lot to absorb the recoil without pain to your shoulder.
I won't really be able to see what these rifles are really capable of until I sort out my rear rest.
Just thought you should know that you aren't the only fellow who has a difficult time shooting light, hard-kicking rifles consistently. My son mentioned the recoil on his shoulder and we talked about squaring your chest up against the rifle butt--that helps a lot to absorb the recoil without pain to your shoulder.
