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> Tikka T3 chamber variations in 6.5x55
Tikka T3 chamber variations in 6.5x55
@ 09:49 am (GMT) |
Andy StewartAcquired a short barrelled 6.5x55 T3 a while back in T3 to use as a bush gun with the ability to cleanly kill out to 400yd in the open, a few months later, bought another T3 6.5X55 with the standard full length barrel and a nice green spider pattern B&C stock, intending to keep the stock and onsell the rifle, couldn't help myself, just had to try it out.I full length size everything that I shoot, and my coal in the first 6.5 is relatively short, so the plan was to use the existing loads as a starting point, so off down to the range I went, only to discover that the slick cycling loads in 6.5 a, jammed the bolt in 6.5 b, it closed, but only with effort. Back to the loading bench, check for projectile jam and case length ( just to eliminate them) full length size a few cases playing with the bump, bugger me! a full half turn extra to get cases that chamber without effort. Now a case full length sized by the book should fit every chamber in every rifle by every manufacturer, this seemed a little odd, then I bumped into this idea that Tikka manufactured with a different (shorter) chamber length for the American market. Comment invited. Oh and the rifles shoots like hell, 130 VLD's going 2950 and sub 1/2" at 110yds, inch at 300yd. Keeping it. |
Replies
@ 01:30 pm (GMT) |
Bryan WebsterRe: Tikka T3 chamber variations in 6.5x55This could be just a variation in manufacturing as I have not heard of differences for USA manufacturing at all for the Tikka rifles. I would not fool with the 1/2 moa accuracy at this point as it sounds like it is a shooter.Those B&C stocks are my favourites. |
@ 04:04 pm (GMT) |
Paul LevermanRe: Tikka T3 chamber variations in 6.5x55It might be an idea to get your chambers casted to find out what is going on. Assuming that your press has the standard 7/8-14 UNC threads, and that it is a half turn adjustment to get them to chamber, this means there is a difference in length of about 0.036" (7/8-14 UNC = 14TPI, 1/14 = 0.071" per turn, 1/2 turn = 0.0357"). To me that would raise some concerns. |
@ 06:25 pm (GMT) |
Thomas KitchenRe: Tikka T3 chamber variations in 6.5x55hi Andy.if you full length size with your full length die touching shell holder do they both feed smoothly. everything in manufacturing has variants as long as its within saami/cip specs they will be sent out the door. tikka B might of been chambered with a brand new reamer. where as tikka A might have been chambered with a reamer that was about to be binned from excessive wear. as long as bolt shuts on a go gauge and doesn't shut on a no go gauge its with in spec. we can run into issues when tolerances are right at other ends of the scale, i was helping a guy sight in a ruger american 7mm-08 the other day and using ppu factory ammo some were hard to shut the bolt on some where fine. its just means that there was a lot of variants in the ammo and the chamber was probably of tighter specs but all within saami tolerances. the federal he had worked fine. it was bit nerve racking for this guy as it is his first rifle but after i assured him if he could shut the bolt it would be fine and putting few rounds through it he relaxed and enjoyed it. |
@ 09:48 pm (GMT) |
Martin TaylorRe: Tikka T3 chamber variations in 6.5x55The guys are onto it, just chambers at each end of the tolerance unless rifle A has lugs lapped and/or ramp wear increasing it out further.All these are set to SAAMI spec and l have never heard of Tikka changing settings for a market. Generally Tikka's have very tight tolerances and l find the F/L dies are wound down tight to accommodate for this. Nathan covers this very heavily in the Reloading book & is why die set up is so critical as you already know. Die sets & shell holders also have build tolerances to deal with so setting them up to touch as in the instructions is extremely crude and often way off the actual setting needed. I also F/L size all my rifles as you do bumping to achieve the bolt feel that l like with great success. For my 308W's a T3 & Rem 700 l have 2 F/L dies as they are that different and l don't want to work the brass anymore than needed. Found the same in the 3X 30-06's that l load for along with massive changes in throat lengths (diff manufacturers!). |
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@ 10:02 pm (GMT) |
Martin TaylorRe: Tikka T3 chamber variations in 6.5x55Just a few notes that l have found with PPU.........Mate tried PPU in his Tikka 243w that l set up, out of a pack of 20, 3 would not let the bolt close & 1 misfired. Patterns like buck shot in a normally .3-.4 moa rifle. The same story in another 223 Tikka l do some work with. Horrible crap to resize as well, all over the place. In my 9.3x62 l use this rubbish brass because l loose it in the bush and had to anneal it so the pills didn't fall out (new unfired & resized brass). Get what you pay for hey...... |
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@ 07:35 am (GMT) |
Thomas KitchenRe: Tikka T3 chamber variations in 6.5x55interesting Martin.i have only really used PPU brass in my 303 have just started playing around with reloads in 7.62x39 but both seem to shoot factory ammo alright but we are not talking accurate rifles to begin with. i think if you can easily get better brass in your caliber PPU isn't the best but can be handy in odd ball calibers. i'm interested to chrono some factory ammo in 270win just to see how slow it is. the 35/303 will use PPU brass to begin with if i run into issues might have to try wincherster if i can find some |
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@ 02:01 pm (GMT) |
Bryan WebsterRe: Tikka T3 chamber variations in 6.5x55Last year I was not able to obtain brass for my 7x57 so ended up first resizing PPU 8x58 brass and inside as well as outside neck turing them. A real pain.Then later I found some PPU 7x57 brass so bought those. They both work all right now but it took a lot of work. Very tough brass but well annealed by them to start with. They definitely do not result in 1/2 moa while my older Winchester brass does very well. |
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@ 02:02 pm (GMT) |
Bryan WebsterRe: Tikka T3 chamber variations in 6.5x55Not PPU 8x58 - should read 8x57 |
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@ 09:35 pm (GMT) |
Martin TaylorRe: Tikka T3 chamber variations in 6.5x55Interesting that they are annealed well in those calibres Bryan as l have found the extreme opposite.Neck tensions all over the place and as l said with the 9.3 l could push in or pull out the pills in my hand loads and that's unfired brass from two separate boxes brought 6 months apart. Once annealed & sized they have performed well with some up to 6 firings. With the other two Tikka's (which l supply hand loads for), l have resized the 243w stuff and offered to reload them as an experiment to which the owner replied "bugger off with that shit!" hahahaaaa The 223 stuff seems to work ok once worked over, but l haven't chased accuracy with it instead using Winchester & Thales ADI brass for that. |
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@ 02:09 pm (GMT) |
Bryan WebsterRe: Tikka T3 chamber variations in 6.5x55After firing them with full loads four times, I neck annealed them and they seem better now. At first, the annealing colors were quite noticeable and while they were not exactly soft, they did well enough for neck tensions although I did outside neck turn them all before full length sizing and loading them. After annealing, I ran an inside neck reamer trhough in case there was any inconsistency there then full length resized them.Yesterday I had to go to the range to help a friend and took the 7x57 along. Three 5 shot groups were at or under 0.5 inches. They were not what the rifle is capable of doing with decent brass, however given the rifle is used mostly for its light weight when I am out hiking, for the odd possibility of encountering a nasty black bear as welll as lucking into a decent deer or elk. I still have yet to find decent brass like Norma or Lapua for it and have nearly used up the old Winchester brass I used for years, finding no replacements other than buying factory ammo and hanging onto those brass and even then the WW brass is not what it used to be either. |
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@ 02:20 pm (GMT) |
Bryan WebsterRe: Tikka T3 chamber variations in 6.5x55By the way Martin, a friend who shoots competitively has been using a fair amount of ppu brass in 308 win for practice sessions. He told me he anneals all of them before using them, and does the outside neck turing before full length sizing. He also fire forms them before shooting them with full loads.Of course he has a fancy neck annealing device that makes things pretty easy for him to do. As for myself I do not need all that extra hassle and will likley as not just offload that rifle to the grand children to worry over when I need new brass, ha ha |
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