.223 Barrel Options for Tikka T3

[Captnemo]

My little Tikka T3 Lite has the OEM .223 barrel with a 1-10" twist that I put into a KRG Bravo stock to use as a suppressed range trainer and predator / varmint rifle. The hunting action it sees will be for short walks and not high altitude mountain hunting so weight isn't hyper critical.
Obviously, the OEM barrel twist & profile both limit stabilizing heavy projectiles, how fast the barrel heats up and stiffness of the barrel when using a suppressor (POI Shift).
Shooting 5.56 spec ammo in this barrel leaves brass with faint ejector marks, so I'm "twisting the dragon's tail" shooting the higher pressure stuff in this chamber / throat combo.
I saw a 20 % discount code for X-Caliber barrels ( ACCURATE20 ) a couple of days ago and checked it this AM to verify that it's valid. With a new Barrel in 5R rifling in 1-7" twist with a Heavy Palma contour, it pretty much checks all of the boxes for my issues with the OEM tube on the barreled action.
I'm going to keep the .223 Breech face bolt ( 0.378" dia ) with this action. I just bought 300 pieces of Lapua brass for this rifle, so .224 Valkyrie is not a viable option.
I have other .223 Rem rifles so the reloading dies I purchased 2 months ago will not go to waste.

Here are my Questions / Concerns:
Should I have it chambered .223 Wylde or "Go Big or Go Home" and have X-Caliber ream it as a .223 Ackley Improved ?
Is 20" enough barrel length or should do a 22" or 24" tube ? - Keep in mind that the suppressor is 8.5" long
I know I'll need an AI Sizing die but will my Forster U0022 Ultra Seater Die be able to pull double duty with both the standard and the AI Brass ?

Waddaya think ?

 

[B23]

My opinion may not be the most popular but I'll give it anyway. The 223AI is a fantastic little cartridge, I have one and it is easily one of the most accurate rifles I own, BUT, do I think AI'ing a 223 is worth the tiny little bit of extra velocity you get, 75-100fps, not really. Now, there's probably going to be guys posting about how their 223AI shoots hundreds of fps faster than a standard 223. Hell, I've seen guys post speeds that rival a 22-250 and they're probably even getting those velocities, but it's only because they are running the bejeezus out of them and wayyyyy over recommended pressures, yet they'll still claim "and that's without any pressure signs".

It's laughable, ridiculous, and just flat out ignorant to think such a tiny increase is going to yield a few hundred fps. You can't hot rod the shit out of one and not the other then stand and pound your chest about how much faster it shoots over the other. Loaded to equal pressure, you'll be lucky to see 100fps increase. These little cases can take a ton of abuse and when you straighten out the case taper and square off the shoulder it does a great job of hiding pressure, but again, you aren't going to get these much higher velocities without extreme pressure.

If you don't mind fire forming and you just want something a little different, by all means, go for it and have a 223AI chambered up and FWIW my fire forming loads in my 223AI shoot just as well as fully formed brass.

 

[K22]

Here's my 2 cents worth:

I have two Tikka's 223 Rem, the Lite and Varmint model. For the life of me I can't figure out what this heavy bullet craze is all about in a 223 rifle used for varmint and predator hunting that have lower velocities and trajectories like a rainbow. I guess the idea is that the heavier bullets shoot better at long distances if you can compensate for the drop. 95% of my varmint and predator shot opportunities are under 300 yards so the slower twist rates and lighter bullets (i.e. 50 to 55) work best for me.

I wanted a 10" or 12" twist Tikka but they stop making the 10" and the 12" is not available in the US so the dealer told me I so I had to settle for the 8" twist.

Anyway, with 55 grain Nosler, Vmax's or Sierra's your 10" rifle should shoot terrific and be an excellent choice for varmint and predator hunting with very effective terminal performance. I shoot 55 Nosler BT's in mine and they shoot in the 1/2 moa range. Also the 60 Vmax shoots extremely well and should shoot great in a 10" twist.

If you want a really long range effective varmint rifle I'd look at the 22 250 or 243 in the Tikka Varmint Model and keep my 10" twist rifle as a stalking rifle.

 

[JAlfred]

K22,

A lot of the fast twist 223 are out there, not because we are planning to shoot heavies all the time, but because it gives us the ability to run them when we want to stretch our legs while still giving very good results with lighter 50 and 55 grain bullets. Nosler ballistic tips rock in my 1 in 7 and 8 twist barrels.

 

[flatlander]

I just ordered a Tikka T3X Lite last week. Have been reading a lot of glowing reports on the accuracy of Tikka rifles - in practically every cartridge they chamber them for - and wanted to see for myself how one would compare to a couple of my rifles with custom barrels in both 223 & the AI version. If the OEM 1-8tw bbl is reasonably accurate, I'll leave in on and enjoy having a light 223 for a truck gun (both the M70 & M700 customs have relatively heavy sendero 26" contour bbls), and I have no intentions of hauling my nice little 1971 Sako Vixen in 223 around and getting it banged-up. The M70 has a PacNor 1-7.5tw bbl that I chambered with my PTG 223 Match reamer, while the M700 is a 1-7tw Krieger in 223AI (my 2nd one of the Ackley 223s). I don't get that much extra velocity with the AI, but neither do I have to trim them after every firing either. It's an accurate rifle, and seems to like Berger 90VLDs better than any other bullet I've tried at 600 - just like its predecessor did. If we still had plenty of prairie dog towns out here like we did 50yrs ago when I was still in high school, the longer, heavier bbl'd rifles would get the nod over something like the Tikka. But those days are long gone, along with all the praire dogs I used to hunt, so the little Lite Tikka should be great for hauling along on my walks in the hills on the creek bottoms in our pasture - you never know when you might jump up a coyote...

 

[K22]

I just ordered a Tikka T3X Lite last week. Have been reading a lot of glowing reports on the accuracy of Tikka rifles - in practically every cartridge they chamber them for - and wanted to see for myself how one would compare to a couple of my rifles with custom barrels in both 223 & the AI version. If the OEM 1-8tw bbl is reasonably accurate, I'll leave in on and enjoy having a light 223 for a truck gun (both the M70 & M700 customs have relatively heavy sendero 26" contour bbls), and I have no intentions of hauling my nice little 1971 Sako Vixen in 223 around and getting it banged-up. The M70 has a PacNor 1-7.5tw bbl that I chambered with my PTG 223 Match reamer, while the M700 is a 1-7tw Krieger in 223AI (my 2nd one of the Ackley 223s). I don't get that much extra velocity with the AI, but neither do I have to trim them after every firing either. It's an accurate rifle, and seems to like Berger 90VLDs better than any other bullet I've tried at 600 - just like its predecessor did. If we still had plenty of prairie dog towns out here like we did 50yrs ago when I was still in high school, the longer, heavier bbl'd rifles would get the nod over something like the Tikka. But those days are long gone, along with all the praire dogs I used to hunt, so the little Lite Tikka should be great for hauling along on my walks in the hills on the creek bottoms in our pasture - you never know when you might jump up a coyote...

I don't think you'll be disappointed with the Tikka T3X. Mine shoot terrific, even the lite version. Even with the 8" twist I've been able to get the 55 Nosler to shoot well in mine but I had to slow the velocity down a bit compared to my 12" twist rifles to achieve the same tight groups but that may be just a nuance of my rifle. It's a great walking around varmint / predator rifle.

I love the Tikka Varmint model. Mine really likes the 60 Vmax with H4895. The extra weight makes it easier to shoot tight groups.

The Tikka action are some of the smoothest I've ever seen. The extractor system is terrific. It's a great value.

 

[K22]

K22,

A lot of the fast twist 223 are out there, not because we are planning to shoot heavies all the time, but because it gives us the ability to run them when we want to stretch our legs while still giving very good results with lighter 50 and 55 grain bullets. Nosler ballistic tips rock in my 1 in 7 and 8 twist barrels.

Understand - I got my 8" twist Tikka's to shoot the 55 Nosler BT's, one my favorite bullets, but I had to slow the velocity down a bit compare to my 12" twist 223's to obtains the same tight groups.

Also the 60 Vmax's shoot really well in my Tikka 8" twist Lite and Varmint Models.

Big fan of Tikka's - also have a 243 and 308. However the 308 is a shoulder buster for sure in the lite model with full loads for the 150 and 165 grain bullets. But I've tamed it with reduced loads of H4895 and 125 grain Nosler BT - down to about 2,600 f/s - more than adequate for deer under 200 yards and perhaps beyond.

 

[SurgeonCO]

I had an ai barrel done for my tikka last winter. Feeding was difficult at best. Krg chassis and Accurate-Mag and mdt mag. Hot garbage. Cut off the chamber and went 223 wylde. 75’s at 3k and 88’s at 2.8k. Shoots lights out. Feeds like a dream

 

[NZ_Fclass]

Slightly different - but...I rebarrelled my Tikka 595 with a new 8 twist Tikka T3 barrel - they are the same tenon thread, and had it wound back and chambered for .222 Rem, as it was originally ( I have enough 223s thanks. ) No issues. Shoots 55g anything fine, ( 19.6 N120) even at the reduced velocity. Just as an aside - I found a Tasco TR 4.5-18x scope for sale locally, and the only ranging ring on it was suitable for 55g in the 222. Result. With a silencer on, it's an awesome varmint set up. oh - and before someone points out the difference in neck diameter - yes - I do get a light ring mark on the brass, but it makes little or no difference to the performance.