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Tikka T3 build/bedding

24 Jul 2014
@ 01:05 am (GMT)

Martin Taylor

G’day All,
Just thought l would post my new build, a Tikka T3 S/S 9.3x62 to show how l go about building up a rifle with Nathan & Steph’s help!

It is being built as a stalking/hound hunting gun for use in our Alpine areas, targeting mainly Sambar deer. Robustness, reliability & practicality are the main priorities for this build along with being suitable for my sons to use if needed!

l like all my rifles to group consistently so bedding is a must for long term repeatability. I will be using a TBR bedding kit and under Nathan & Steph’s guidance, even though they are in another country! After a wet day or weekend hunting l need to be able to strip, clean & reassemble knowing the zero is spot on!

The stock is a Laminated Boyd’s Classic that l will modify to suit personal taste, increase grip levels and dull recoil with its extra weight along with a Limbsaver recoil pad. A stainless cnc’d recoil lug will be fixed into the bedding to replace the steel lug supplied by Boyd’s. This will leave the original stock to be stabilised & bedded as a light weight alternative if needed later on.

Should be fun, I will post some pics when l start it over the weekend!

Cheers Marty

Replies

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07 Jun 2015 @ 05:16 pm (GMT)	Quote this Tearon Ash Re: Tikka T3 build/bedding I did the plasticine test, and there appears to be good contact on the front of the lug with a thin layer of clay behind and on top. I haven't relieved the bedding at the breech face as I've seen done in other posts, so I'll be doing that today. I'll also be removing the "S" impression the action left in the bedding. I also have a flaw where the bolt release pin goes up through the action. There's a small cutout there in the action, and my bedding buldged up ever so slightly into the hollow of the action. Seems inconsequential, but i guess it could interfere with the motion of the action under recoil, and/or keep it from properly returning to battery. Chris, I can't really do as you suggest, because I have added significant weight to the stock to help with recoil during load testing. I eventually plan to add a muzzle brake, once I know the rifle is worth the investment, but until then, I'm using the weight (which can't be easily removed - so I'll be waiting until I'm done with load development to remove it). It would take a really tight bedding job to lift the stock with its current weight. I tried the reverse, and lifted the stock off the action to see if it would lift the action, but this too is less than ideal since the action weighs more than a normal stock, and I have a heavy large objective scopt mounted for load testing. I'll be switching over to a much lighter Leupold scope once budget allows.
25 Oct 2015 @ 10:55 am (GMT)	Quote this Ben Law Re: Tikka T3 build/bedding i have recently re-bedded my tikka, looking much better than my first attempt. this is my 4th bedding job, ive come a long way since my first attempt. i have also got my hands on some 285gr amax, looking forward to testing them out when time allows! but working too much and a young family leave me with very limited opportunities at the moment.
25 Oct 2015 @ 07:46 pm (GMT)	Quote this Nathan Foster Re: Tikka T3 build/bedding You sure bloody have. That's a great job Ben. Here is to persistence. Its a rare thing these days. Well done. Really, a job well done.
24 Jan 2016 @ 09:58 am (GMT)	Quote this Chris Bayley Re: Tikka T3 build/bedding What's in the box ? This: (Brew heater from my home brew kit, hottie & water bottles - 40deg dead flat)
26 Jan 2016 @ 08:24 pm (GMT)	Quote this Martin Taylor Re: Tikka T3 build/bedding Love the heating Chris, bloody good idea! How have you held the action in place against the dams as l cant see any tape or banding? How did it break out for you?
26 Jan 2016 @ 09:58 pm (GMT)	Quote this Chris Bayley Re: Tikka T3 build/bedding It's held in like this: Not sure if it would get the the NF approval mark but with the springs in place I don't see it causing any significant stress on the action. It broke out with about 5 taps of a large rubber mallet which made me happy because I wasn't able to get back and trim the top bead while it was curing so I was a little anxious. The job looks fairly good but is taking a lot of trimming as I maybe overdid the inletting and that compound is strong as fck! (amazing how metallic/silver it looks when you are filing it!) The aspect I most wonder about is the release agent: when I was applying it, it would ball up badly but I just kept dabbing it as it dried and eventually achieved an orange peel effect with good coverage after 3 coats, but again maybe I overdid it as the orange peel effect is visible in the bedding. I have some experience with fibreglass moulding where I would traditionally first use a mould release wax then a sprayed layer of PVA release agent which dries extremely thin with a high finish then releases very easily. I'd like to try it next time. I'll post job pictures once I've finished cleaning up.
27 Sep 2016 @ 11:00 pm (GMT)	Quote this Nathan Foster Re: Tikka T3 build/bedding Just posting to bring this back to page 1 so that folk find it easily when searching. N.F.