Tikka Bolt Stop

[CTK]

So I did not do any homework prior to buying my son a Tikka T3x compact rifle in 7mm-08. Nor did I pay attention to the magazine length when I loaded up my first 20 rds 15 thou off of the lands, as measured by a Sinclair tool. This rifle has an unhelpful mix of a long throat and a short detachable magazine. I am over .110” off the lands at max magazine length with a 120gr Ballistic Tip. So now I need to order a 30-06 length magazine. Further reading tells me that I likely need a new bolt stop. I am guessing that a long action bolt stop and magazine will fix the OAL issue. Will this rifle feed properly with the new LA stop and magazine? Any chance it works without a LA bolt stop? Why in the heck does TIkka cut such a long throat? What possible benefit does it provide? Makes no sense to me.

 

[CoyoteTan]

Will this rifle feed properly with the new LA stop and magazine

Yes, it will I did the modification myself last year when I re-barrelled my tikka T3 from 308 to 6.5 CM.

Just in case you don't know, Brownells sells a drop in kit or you can modify the existing bolt stop. I modified the bolt stop myself, it's pretty easy, just a file and 15 minutes and I was done, no as nice looking as the one from Brownells but who is going to see it, lol.

 

[FeMan]

I made the same swap on my Tikka T3's in 300 WSM as well as 260 rebarreled to 284. Like Coyote Tan said, it is super easy to do.

 

[CTK]

Yes, it will I did the modification myself last year when I re-barrelled my tikka T3 from 308 to 6.5 CM.

Just in case you don't know, Brownells sells a drop in kit or you can modify the existing bolt stop. I modified the bolt stop myself, it's pretty easy, just a file and 15 minutes and I was done, no as nice looking as the one from Brownells but who is going to see it, lol.

Who cares what it looks like on the inside? You ought to see the job I did boring out a 455 CZ to fit a Timney trigger. Looks like a beaver did it.

 

[CTK]

As an update, I just ordered a special Tikka magazine designed for the 6.5 CM. In theory, it will hold a longer round and will not require a bolt stop mod. Hoping for the best.

 

[grovey]

I believe the new 6.5 C reed mags have the extra room you need.

 

[CoyoteTan]

As an update, I just ordered a special Tikka magazine designed for the 6.5 CM. In theory, it will hold a longer round and will not require a bolt stop mod. Hoping for the best.

Where did you order it from?

 

[CTK]

Where did you order it from?

Whittaker in KY

 

[CoyoteTan]

Whittaker in KY

Keep us updated please

 

[CTK]

Tikka should shoot fine at magazine length.
Try it

120 Ballistic Tips did not shoot well @ magazine length. Think got one group to 1”. They might do great near the lands....120 Barnes ttsx shot one 1/2” group .040 off lands. This was well beyond mag length. If this Barnes group is reasonably repeatable and fits in the new Creedmoor magazine, we are done here. Was with 42.5gr Varget. I am guessing high 2800’s FPS with this load and a 20” barrel. At the end of the day this is a youth rifle and unlikely to be shot much more than 150y by my 9y old hunter. Further load refinement would be yet another sign of my obsessive rifle disorder.

 

[Jason_A]

I made the same swap on my Tikka T3's in 300 WSM as well as 260 rebarreled to 284. Like Coyote Tan said, it is super easy to do.

What LA mag are you running the WSM's in, factory belted magnum mag?

 

[Dos XX]

As an update, I just ordered a special Tikka magazine designed for the 6.5 CM. In theory, it will hold a longer round and will not require a bolt stop mod. Hoping for the best.

Did they say what the max OAL is on that magazine? I see Tikka calls it medium plus. They call the standard .243, .308 etc. magazines medium.

 

[FeMan]

I don't recall what mag I used for the wsm off the top of my head. It allowed me to shoot 200 grain edlxs at mag length. I can look and measure them tonight.

 

[CTK]

Did they say what the max OAL is on that magazine? I see Tikka calls it medium plus. They call the standard .243, .308 etc. magazines medium.

I can tell you that the standard medium is a just frog’s hair longer than 2.8”
Will report back medium plus mag length when it shows up.

 

[Dos XX]

I can tell you that the standard medium is a just frog’s hair longer than 2.8”
Will report back medium plus mag length when it shows up.

I ordered one. I found this info. Looks like it is about the same as the CTR box mag which works fine with a short action bolt stop. By the way, they offer this in 3 round and 5 round.

M (308) 2.83in (71.8mm)
M+ (6.5 Creedmoor) 2.98in (75.7mm)
LG (30-06) 3.37in (85.6mm)
CTR 2.92in (74.2mm)

 

[Santee116]

You can get a nice LA bolt stop from Mountain Tactical, its an easy swap. Then all you nee is a LA mag and you have room to spare. I got one to re-barrel a .243 T3 to a 6.5x55 once the barrel is toast.

https://tikkaperformance.com/index.php?_route_=tikka-bolt-stop

 

[CTK]

I ordered one. I found this info. Looks like it is about the same as the CTR box mag which works fine with a short action bolt stop. By the way, they offer this in 3 round and 5 round.

M (308) 2.83in (71.8mm)
M+ (6.5 Creedmoor) 2.98in (75.7mm)
LG (30-06) 3.37in (85.6mm)
CTR 2.92in (74.2mm)

I had to get a 5 round magazine from Whittaker's. Would have preferred the 3rd. Mag length looks perfect. Hope the bolt stop will play ball with it. Will know in a few days. If not will try to take a little off of the bolt stop. If that fails I will order a new one .

 

[balloonpilot9513]

There are a few videos on you tube of ways to open up the stock magazine for longer oal's on tikka's.

 

[Dos XX]

I measured the inside of this new magazine at 2.975 ish. I don't know that it will feed a 2.975, but I would be surprised if it won't feed a 2.950 or 2.960 round.

 

[CTK]

M+ magazine worked well with my son’s 7-08. Not sure why they don’t provide them with the rifle if they are going to cut a longer than average throat.