Tika bedding

[muleman69]

I was wondering how to go about bedding a Tika t-3 with the drift key type locking lug? The lug seems to be a close fit . How much would a person relieve channel around lug and how much depth? Would lug need to be glued in action before sticking it down into the bedding ?

 

[Dusty Stevens]

some let it stay in the bedding. ruff it up where it'll be in the mud and release agent the part in the action

 

[centershot]

I was wondering how to go about bedding a Tika t-3 with the drift key type locking lug? The lug seems to be a close fit . How much would a person relieve channel around lug and how much depth? Would lug need to be glued in action before sticking it down into the bedding ?

Does anyone have a picture of this lug? Do not know what a drift key locking lug is.

 

[GenePoole]

You can see what he's talking about at about a minute into this video:

 

[Dusty Stevens]

 

[joshb]

The lugs are very easy to make, prolly cheap to buy. I just glue them in. I’ve used a little crazy glue to hold the lug in the action at the correct center for bedding purposes. With the lug in the action, I drop it into the stock. Forget what they say about how strong Crazy glue is because the action pops off the lug with no problems. I make my extra lugs out of 1/4”” aluminum. A little file work on the thickness and they’re snug in the action notch.
On my Custom wood stocks, I cut about 1/16” all around the lug area and fill it with bedding material.
What stock are you using? If it’s the factory stock, leave the lug notch alone and bed around it.

 

[centershot]

Thanks for the postings. I bought one of these rifles for my son and wondered about the lug. It looks in the video that he is replacing an aluminum one with steel. I realize that it is stronger, but for the cost difference, why does the factory not do this? Guess it is more cost effective in the manufacturing process, but it seems a bit cheep.

 

[JFrank]

The newer models do have the steel replacement lugs
You can also purchase them from Mountain Tactical/Tikka performance

 

[joshb]

Thanks for the postings. I bought one of these rifles for my son and wondered about the lug. It looks in the video that he is replacing an aluminum one with steel. I realize that it is stronger, but for the cost difference, why does the factory not do this? Guess it is more cost effective in the manufacturing process, but it seems a bit cheep.

I bet some engineer ran the figures and decided it was strong enough. The plastic “bottom metal” also seems cheap but it functions like it should.
For the cost of these rifles and how well they shoot, I’m not complaining! I own eight of them and they’re all shooters.

 

[centershot]

I had always been a Remington fan. When it came time to buy a rifle for my son, I looked at most of what was out there. The Remington rifles with the rr prefix were not the same as when I bought mine. I had a few Savages, which were fine. Had a barrel problem with one and sent it back twice. Same answer, "found ok." Shooters on the site said they liked Tikka so I bought one without ever handling one. He said that it shoots fine. So I am pleased.

 

[jsthntn247]

I took my wood stock and turned it upside down and the aluminum lug just fell out. I ordered a steel replacement from Mountain Tactical. Like said above, put a dab of super glue on the top of it and glue it to the action. Mill the stock out where the lug "free floats" when the barreled action is dropped in then bed as normal. Mine is a 308 hunting rifle and it shoots everything from light loads with 125 accubonds to stout loads with 180 hybrids. Hard to make it shoot over 1/2".

 

[centershot]

I took my wood stock and turned it upside down and the aluminum lug just fell out. I ordered a steel replacement from Mountain Tactical. Like said above, put a dab of super glue on the top of it and glue it to the action. Mill the stock out where the lug "free floats" when the barreled action is dropped in then bed as normal. Mine is a 308 hunting rifle and it shoots everything from light loads with 125 accubonds to stout loads with 180 hybrids. Hard to make it shoot over 1/2".

Had you shot it before you bedded it? If so, how did it shoot?

 

[jsthntn247]

Had you shot it before you bedded it? If so, how did it shoot?

Shot all over the place, the lug was loose in the stock.

 

[centershot]

Shot all over the place, the lug was loose in the stock.

I wonder if the lugs come loose in the composite stocks?

 

[Dusty Stevens]

I wonder if the lugs come loose in the composite stocks?

Yes very much so. Ive heard them rattle. Very very poor design

 

[jsthntn247]

I wonder if the lugs come loose in the composite stocks?

If you order a replacement lug go ahead and get the long action bolt stop and long action magazine if you're caliber is anything you might want to shoot long bullets out of. That way no matter how long the throat you can shoot as heavy a bullet as you want and still be able to touch the lands and mag feed. This is actually why I went with a short barreled Tikka. I load 130 Barnes with a light dose of 4895 for kids and 180 elite hybrids at 2650fps for me. 2 30 cal holes when a kid is shooting beats the heck out of letting them shoot a 223 or 243 and not having a blood trail to follow. POI between the two loads is less than 1" apart and I don't even have to re-zero each time.

 

[centershot]

Yes very much so. Ive heard them rattle. Very very poor design

So you should bed the lug as described above for the wood stock?

 

[Dusty Stevens]

So you should bed the lug as described above for the wood stock?

I do.

 

[Flouncer]

Please enjoy this contrary experience/point of view !! I stumbled upon this thread merely in frustration after looking at all the misinformation contaminating the internet and the sorry Ahs Tikka Site. Tikka Sorry as far as finding and ordering parts. Wonderful weapon which brings me to . . . .. my 2016 T3 Hunter in 8x57 has no recoil lug. There is a relief in the action and the stock but no lug. Not aluminum, not steel "upgrade" but air. Nuthin. If it fell out, it had to be the only time I removed the action from the stock after a wet soggy wet week hunting trip. I don't remember the lug in particular, and surely would have found it or heard it drop on the tile counter or wood floor. So, been shooting since 2016 with no lug. 6 boxs of 50 each 180 and 200g hunting bullets. 51g of RL17. Pretty good BANG. No discernible wear on the stock anywhere the action touches it. The pillars or the lug recess. No where. Only damage is to my shoulder. Wondering what, how people insist they destroy the aluminum lug with .308/165g shooting poodle poppers and not crunching the wood stock. As to the gun "shooting all over the place" because of a worn lug I am let's just say mildly amused. No one told me so I must be a statistical outlier with my Lee Balance beam and 200g Nosler Partition match bullets. Given that we have a wood stock and thin barrel hunting rifle, not a bench queen. I'll try Mountain Tactical tomorrow, they close at 2:30 weekdays. ( Search "recoil" "lug" or "recoil lug" and not found. Doh ! Look at their upgrades and there we are. How not to do a web page. About done.