Bedding a Tikka

[dtucker]

Well, it has been up and down lately with me on projects and the older i get the less i want to full with collecting parts or doing a full on build. I think after the years of having stuff built and parting with many i am kinda in a burn out phase. All my life my passion has been varmint hunting and being outside in the woods. I have faded in and out of it trying other things only to be led back to what i enjoy most. I am not a collector of firearms nor do i have a problem parting with them. So over the last 4 years or so i have said my good by,s to just about all of them . The rifles seem to get a bit lighter all the time due to the hauling around of the LV and HV rifles and that really sucked. So off down the road it all went over time and off went all the Remington stuff and parts i just had for a couple builds.

So after all this non related stuff about my question i just blabbered about leads me to the Tikka. ;D It was time for something i have never had and do something i never due, that was purchase a factory rifle. I am honestly going to try and shoot it and not change anything on it if my will power will hold out. : The rifle is a 22-250 Tikka varmint. I have heard and researched these things and all i have heard is good things. For you fellows that have these, have you bedded them? I hear the only draw back to these is the recoil lug. I am thinking of getting a new lug and sending the rifle out to have pillars installed and bedded. Do you think it would be a waste of money on these smallers calibers and the only time i heard about problems was on the larger calibers and that was no problem to fix that. Let me know what you guys think and send me in the right direction.

 

[40X Guy]

Mount a scope on top and take it out with some good handloads and have fun. If it does not shoot well enough for you, then look at doing some of the minor mods you mentioned. Got any pics of this Tikka?

Frank

 

[RGRobinett]

I purchased a [wood stocked] .300WSM T3, which, "right out of the box", shot pretty well: 100 Yd., 3-shot groups averaged about .75".

But, I couldn't stand the recoil-lug concept, so, installed aluminum pillars, and, using JB Weld, bedded the action, allowing the "glue" to replace the recoil-lug. With the glue cured, and the trigger adjusted to 1.0# pull, getting it to average .5" for 3-shot, 100 Yd. groups was pretty simple. I also installed a muzzle-brake, which, with a 165 Gr. bullet, at considerable MV, subjectively, rendered the recoil to roughly .25/06/100Gr. bullet level.

These rifles are a very good value - I walked out of the local Sheel's store, less only $714.00, and that included 7% sales tax for Mr. Branstad. RG

 

[racesnake]

Hi, Dan...A while back I bought a t3 action from a guy and waited around until I found a deal on a Manners A4 which was inletted for a t3. I scratched my head for a while trying to decide weather to use the factory recoil lug or not. In the end I used it and this is how I did: Put a small dot of super glue in the bottom of the lug slot, then place the lug in the slot and let the glue set. This will temporarily hold the lug in the slot. Coat the receiver with release agent but do not put any on the part of the lug that protrudes into the stock. The idea here is to end up with lug glued into the stock and not in the receiver. Bed the receiver with your favorite bedding compound making sure you dab some in the lug slot in the stock. I also used pillars. I barreled and chambered the rifle in 6XC and it shoots bugholes with 105 VLD's and I have not touched the scope adjustments since the initial zero after load development. If you have any questions PM me.
Dave

 

[K22]

I purchased a Tikka T3 Lite in 243 last year. Like you, I'm an avid varmint and predator hunter and I've been transitioning to lighter and lighter rifles.

The stock is a lot stiffer than the typical plastic style stocks. The recoil lug system is odd but mine shoots reasonably well for a sporter weight rifle shooting in the .5's to .7s with tailored reloads. The barrel is suppose to be free floated and my was touching at a few points. I relieved these pressure points and the groups tightened. Other than that, the rifle is as it was when it came from the factory.

I wouldn't change anything until you go out and try it. It will probably shoot fairly well since most of the ones I've seen around here shoot very well without modification.

 

[dtucker]

I have the varmint model and have looked into the T3 lite also. I think B&C is the only 1 to make an after market stock without going with a Manners or McMillan and it is only offered in a sporter version. Have you by any chance seen 1 of these stocks? I have just got mine and on the lookout figuring what scope to put on it. The only thing i would have liked to have seen different is that it had a 12 twist instead of a 14.

 

[22BRGUY]

I and my son both have Tikka 595's, mine is a wood stock standard weight barrel, my sons is a "Continental" with the varmint 26" heavy barrel. They are awesome varmint rifles just as they are. Also have a close friend with T3 Tikkas and he really likes them and they shoot very well also. The 22-250's really like the bullets jumped a long ways but once you find that place itsvery accurate and consistant. Very smooth actions. Be sure tho to clean out all of the grease inside the bolt as mine seized up on me in below 0 weather once when I had a coyote dead in my crosshairs. You'll not be sorry with a Tikka
Best to you