Tikka T3X Varmint Review

[Forum Boss]

HEAD's UP
Quote: "After mounting the scope I spent 35 minutes or so with JB bore paste and polished the bore thoroughly. I've found over the years that with many barrels, especially factory ones, this helps smooth the barrel out as well as speed up the break in process."

The gun is shooting well -- so apparently no harm done. Presumably the JB applications were modest.

That said, we emphatically recommend against this kind of practice, i.e. aggressive use of abrasives on new barrels, unless there is something very bad about the barrel -- evidenced by bad copper fouling or something else. Even then, we are very cautious about using abrasives in a barrel. Some guys like to do this and believe they've had good results. I advise caution.

There may be some benefits to the shoot-and-clean style of break-in, but don't over do it. On a custom barrel, I'll shoot 4-5 rounds, wet-patch, shoot another 5 rounds, wet-patch. I may or may not use a brush -- depending on how the gun shoots, and how much fouling I'm seeing.

Personally I will only use abrasives in a good barrel as a last resort. My three best-shooting barrels have never seen JB.

 

[Infrequent Shooter]

To you T3x varmint owners: once you get your best load, what size groups can you generally expect?

 

[deadidarren]

I bought a varmint stainless 223 1:8 and it shot all pills 75g and 80g at 1.2" or worse so after around 350 rounds I sold it a bought a howa with a 1:8 and am now very happy I did .
I don't blame anyone I'm a very unlucky bloke always have been .

 

[jxb]

Tikka produces lots of variants of the 1:8 barrels in .22-250, just check their international list vs their USA list.

Choose your own Tikka rifle from a variety of innovative models

Tikka is able to meet the requirements of modern hunters by combining traditional gunsmith know-how with advanced technology. Choose your own Tikka rifle now!

choose.tikka.fi

As with many other things the issue isn't so much with Tikka as with their parent company (Beretta) being pretty (I'll be nice here) about what they import to the USA. We're missing out on all sorts of goodness from Tikka, Canada gets International options but not us.

 

[rebs]

Tikka produces lots of variants of the 1:8 barrels in .22-250, just check their international list vs their USA list.

Choose your own Tikka rifle from a variety of innovative models

Tikka is able to meet the requirements of modern hunters by combining traditional gunsmith know-how with advanced technology. Choose your own Tikka rifle now!

choose.tikka.fi

As with many other things the issue isn't so much with Tikka as with their parent company (Beretta) being pretty (I'll be nice here) about what they import to the USA. We're missing out on all sorts of goodness from Tikka, Canada gets International options but not us.

are you saying Tikka is owned by Baretta ? I was under the impression that Baretta was just the importer of Tikka rifles.

 

[ChrisNZ]

Yup, Sako/Tikka owned by Beretta

 

[Rtheurer]

To you T3x varmint owners: once you get your best load, what size groups can you generally expect?

Buddy of mine just got a brand new Pro Varmint T3 in 223 1:8 twist last week. We shot it all the way out to 1000 yards on monday with Black Hills MK262 77gr ammo. It shot about, (i did not actually measure it,) 1 MOA or less elevation at 1000 yards and a good 18" wide as any little wisp of wind moves that bullet. Then ran it back to 600 yards and i let him shoot some of my 80gr Match Kings with Reloader 15 i use for NRA XTC matches and it shot .63 group with 5 shots at 600yrds. Had to single feed because the stupid Magazine wont let you load long wich is the advantage of the 223 in a Bolt gun. But its shoots good!

 

[Thauglor]

are you saying Tikka is owned by Baretta ? I was under the impression that Baretta was just the importer of Tikka rifles.

Yup, on sako's website is says that Beretta has owned it for 21 years, so looks like early 2000's is when it was purchased

 

[Infrequent Shooter]

Buddy of mine just got a brand new Pro Varmint T3 in 223 1:8 twist last week. We shot it all the way out to 1000 yards on monday with Black Hills MK262 77gr ammo. It shot about, (i did not actually measure it,) 1 MOA or less elevation at 1000 yards and a good 18" wide as any little wisp of wind moves that bullet. Then ran it back to 600 yards and i let him shoot some of my 80gr Match Kings with Reloader 15 i use for NRA XTC matches and it shot .63 group with 5 shots at 600yrds. Had to single feed because the stupid Magazine wont let you load long wich is the advantage of the 223 in a Bolt gun. But its shoots good!

Lots of bang for the buck, sounds like!

 

[jxb]

Yeah Beretta group has lots of brands under it.

 

[rebs]

Buddy of mine just got a brand new Pro Varmint T3 in 223 1:8 twist last week. We shot it all the way out to 1000 yards on monday with Black Hills MK262 77gr ammo. It shot about, (i did not actually measure it,) 1 MOA or less elevation at 1000 yards and a good 18" wide as any little wisp of wind moves that bullet. Then ran it back to 600 yards and i let him shoot some of my 80gr Match Kings with Reloader 15 i use for NRA XTC matches and it shot .63 group with 5 shots at 600yrds. Had to single feed because the stupid Magazine wont let you load long wich is the advantage of the 223 in a Bolt gun. But its shoots good!

are you at max load or over max

 

[MGshooter]

I have a Tikka T3X lite. I have spent the last year developing my load. I am not a competitive shooter. Shooting and hand loading is a hobby that I started late in life during covid. I enjoy gathering information from as many resources as I can. Comments are welcome.
I am excited to have stumbled upon this post.

I have used ladders and OWC methods to collect my data. I started with H322. Not knowing better, I started with 55 gr bullets and quickly realized my 1:8 twisted barrel performs better with the heavier 77 and 80 gr bullets. I did not like the results with H322. I read some competitive shooters recommend Varget.

90% of my development is Varget with 77 gr SMK bullets, CCI primers and Norma brass. This recipe is because I overstocked powder, bullets and primers when I could find them. Now, more options are available.

I am close but never satisfied. I am testing at 200 yds. Most groups are 1/2 MOA or better. Cold barrel shots seem to produce the tightest groups. When the barrel heats up, I sometimes get that one flyer that screws up my group. All the while, the 308 shooters next to me at the range are putting their rounds in the same hole. Always room for improvement.

According to most manuals, I am over max. According to Lyman. I am not.
I found my best node to be around 2820fps. I started seating .40 off the lands and have settle on CBTO .20-.25 off the lands.
I will try 8Ogr SMK's and OP's IMR 4320 recommendation after I work down my Varget stockpile.

 

[CJ6]

I have a Tikka T3X lite. I have spent the last year developing my load. I am not a competitive shooter. Shooting and hand loading is a hobby that I started late in life during covid. I enjoy gathering information from as many resources as I can. Comments are welcome.
I am excited to have stumbled upon this post.

I have used ladders and OWC methods to collect my data. I started with H322. Not knowing better, I started with 55 gr bullets and quickly realized my 1:8 twisted barrel performs better with the heavier 77 and 80 gr bullets. I did not like the results with H322. I read some competitive shooters recommend Varget.

90% of my development is Varget with 77 gr SMK bullets, CCI primers and Norma brass. This recipe is because I overstocked powder, bullets and primers when I could find them. Now, more options are available.

I am close but never satisfied. I am testing at 200 yds. Most groups are 1/2 MOA or better. Cold barrel shots seem to produce the tightest groups. When the barrel heats up, I sometimes get that one flyer that screws up my group. All the while, the 308 shooters next to me at the range are putting their rounds in the same hole. Always room for improvement.

According to most manuals, I am over max. According to Lyman. I am not.
I found my best node to be around 2820fps. I started seating .40 off the lands and have settle on CBTO .20-.25 off the lands.
I will try 8Ogr SMK's and OP's IMR 4320 recommendation after I work down my Varget stockpile.

IMR 4320 has been out of production for a few years. Unless you have some already it could be hard to find.

 

[MGshooter]

Thanks, I did not know.

 

[CJ6]

IMR 4064 is a good alternative though.

 

[boltfluter]

Buddy of mine just got a brand new Pro Varmint T3 in 223 1:8 twist last week. We shot it all the way out to 1000 yards on monday with Black Hills MK262 77gr ammo. It shot about, (i did not actually measure it,) 1 MOA or less elevation at 1000 yards and a good 18" wide as any little wisp of wind moves that bullet. Then ran it back to 600 yards and i let him shoot some of my 80gr Match Kings with Reloader 15 i use for NRA XTC matches and it shot .63 group with 5 shots at 600yrds. Had to single feed because the stupid Magazine wont let you load long wich is the advantage of the 223 in a Bolt gun. But its shoots good!

I just did a write up on a simple magazine mod you can do to the factory magazine, to seat bullets out to touch the rifling. It's in the Advanced Gunsmithing forum. Don't know how to link it from a tablet. Sorry. Rounds feed absolutely perfect, same as before the mod.
Paul