Accurizing Tikka T3x Varmint

[MichalS]

While  checking out a newly bought Tikka T3x I noticed the barrel touching the stock a couple inches from the chamber. I'm wondering if it would be sensible to remove a bit of material to make the barrel truly free floating?

TIA,

Michal

[oak tree]

Be careful on this one.  A guy I new had a T3 and was having a job getting it to group anywhere near acceptable.  He noticed that the stock was touching the barrel so he set to work to open up the barrel chanel in the synthetic stock.  He still could not get it to shoot and after trying lots of different ammo and scopes etc decided to contact the dealer.  It was returned to Tikka and they noticed the work he had done to the stock and said that was the problem because the stock is meant to be semi-contact.  I have heard of this before but they wanted £400 for a new stock.  I think several months later a lot of frustration he traded it in for another T3 and it shot well.

So if I was you I would leave well alone if it shoots well.  If not contact your dealer before doing any DIY

[banus02]

i expect your paper if thats what you have used to slide down the barrel channel ,is touching the recoil lug,do not alter the stock.your newly bought tikka will after 10/15 rounds down shoot superbly.i hope you pushed a dry .patch down the barrel before you fired the rifle as tikka have an oiled bore for storage  and has to be removed before firing,your seller may have done this for you .mine did, if you really want bullet through bullet hole fit a grs berserk stock and never look back.these are my opoinions others will differ.

[Moorlander]

8 hours ago, MichalS said:

While  checking out a newly bought Tikka T3x I noticed the barrel touching the stock a couple inches from the chamber. I'm wondering if it would be sensible to remove a bit of material to make the barrel truly free floating?

TIA,

Michal

So hows it shooting currently ? 

[MichalS]

I haven't shot it yet - just out a scope on it over Easter, and that's how I noticed the binding... I will report back how the rifle is performing.

M.

[Moorlander]

I certainly wouldn't touch it until I `d put a few different rounds through it , it may well be perfect.

[Andrew]

6 hours ago, Moorlander said:

I certainly wouldn't touch it until I `d put a few different rounds through it , it may well be perfect.

100% This!~Andrew

[verminshooter29]

my t3x shot 3 through the same hole at 100ms straight from the box...ober the moon with its accuracy

[MichalS]

I contacted Tikka regarding the issue, this is the answer I got:

"In synthetic stock model the barrel is not free-floating (synthetic stock does not deform).
The barrel is free-floating only in models with wooden stocks.
With best regards,
Eeva
Sako Ltd"

So, if You want free floating barrel, You have to pay for the Sporter

Michal

[clover]

On 13/04/2018 at 1:22 PM, MichalS said:

I contacted Tikka regarding the issue, this is the answer I got:

"In synthetic stock model the barrel is not free-floating (synthetic stock does not deform).
The barrel is free-floating only in models with wooden stocks.
With best regards,
Eeva
Sako Ltd"

So, if You want free floating barrel, You have to pay for the Sporter

Michal

That's a bit crap.. I assume they're suggesting that the synthetic stocks are more dimensionally stable with respect to changing conditions (temp, humidity etc) so don't need to float for this reason. What about loading on the forend from different resting positions for example? Surely it would have made sense to have floated it anyway, just to be on the safe side.

The only possible benefit I can see from this is that the stock might act to damp barrel oscillations.. however I'd be far more comfortable with it floating tbh. At least it's near the chamber where barrel deflection will be minimal. Does yours have a standard weight or heavy barrel?

[ejg223]

Recon it's the customers own fault.... the quality of a rifle is measured by the gap in the barrel channel. The smaller the gap and the more equal sided to side the better the rifle is. The easy way to achieve this is to pressure bed a barrel. The steel barrel will bend a crooked stock straight. Just have to invent some voodoo about how magically this pressure bedding improves accuracy.

Injection moulded plastic rifle stocks are just about impossible to get 100% straight. The process is not stable, not all the time.

Keeping this in mind... if one removes the pressure point one would also need to open the barrel channel.

A pressure bed, transfers pressure put on a forend 1:1 onto the barrel... simple physics. If you have a 5kg rifle laying up on the forend and on the rear bag rider you might have 2-3kg pressure on the barrel. not nothing.

There is really no disadvantage to a much too large barrel channel.

edi

[VarmLR]

On 15/04/2018 at 10:22 AM, ejg223 said:

Recon it's the customers own fault.... the quality of a rifle is measured by the gap in the barrel channel. The smaller the gap and the more equal sided to side the better the rifle is. The easy way to achieve this is to pressure bed a barrel. The steel barrel will bend a crooked stock straight. Just have to invent some voodoo about how magically this pressure bedding improves accuracy.

Injection moulded plastic rifle stocks are just about impossible to get 100% straight. The process is not stable, not all the time.

Keeping this in mind... if one removes the pressure point one would also need to open the barrel channel.

A pressure bed, transfers pressure put on a forend 1:1 onto the barrel... simple physics. If you have a 5kg rifle laying up on the forend and on the rear bag rider you might have 2-3kg pressure on the barrel. not nothing.

There is really no disadvantage to a much too large barrel channel.

edi

+1

[MichalS]

I have first results. Shot 75gr Hornady Steel Match and 55gr GGG. So no premium ammo by any means... Got around 0.8MOA from both, I have mixed feelings - don't know if its due to barrel, ammo, or stock. I will check with better ammo and report.

Michal   

[Moorlander]

I`m not sure what you are expecting, you should be happy with that for the first batch of factory ammo youve tried , if you can find better ammo fine , if not fine, leave the rifle alone  , knocking up some home load may get you better.

[snakeman]

42 minutes ago, MichalS said:

I have first results. Shot 75gr Hornady Steel Match and 55gr GGG. So no premium ammo by any means... Got around 0.8MOA from both, I have mixed feelings - don't know if its due to barrel, ammo, or stock. I will check with better ammo and report.

 

I wouldn't complain about those as your first group  

If you're not reloading, invest in some 'Federal GMM' - best factory ammo that I found bar none.....

BUT.....

If you are reloading, do like the rest of us did and develop a load  ?

ATB

[VarmLR]

For bargain priced steel match and GGG that's fine...what were you expecting?  You need to learn patience my friend and don't jump to any conclusions based on using factory plinking ammo.

That rifle should shoot well with properly developed hand loads or decent match.  Both my T3's shoot 3/4 moa or better with Hornady TAP factory and closer to 0.2moa with hand loads.

You might want to consider Snakeman's advice above...develop a load before drawing conclusions on the rifle.  There are plenty of shooters who can shoot ragged one shot holes with their factory Tikka .223 rifles...there's nothing wrong with the rifle.

 

[Chris-NZ]

+1 on that. As a model, they are usually extremely accurate straight out of the box. Messing with the bedding is probably going to cause a problem, not fix an assumed one.

[No i deer]

When a bought a new T3 varmint in

25-06 several years ago I noticed the stock was touching the barrel.i took this material off where it was touching before I fired a shot.mine shot great on my home loads