Free-floating Tikka T3 with Synthetic Stock

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bhunts

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Do Tikka rifles have free-floated barrels? The correct answer is “yes and no”. The Tikka T3 with a wooden stock is completely free-floating. The T3 with synthetic stock is NOT free-floated. The synthetic stock has a molded barrel support about 6 inches in front of the chamber. The following quote from Beretta USA customer service explains the rationale for this design:

“… only wood stocked T3 models are completely free-floated. Due to the stability of synthetic stocks the Tikka engineers have found that this rifle is more accurate with a light upward pressure applied to the barrel. This is accomplished by molding a bump in the stock about 1/2 way up the barrel channel. This could only be achieved with the synthetic stock since the wood stock will change dimensions slightly based on atmospheric conditions.” (http://berettausa.custhelp.com/cgi-...popup_adp.php?p_faqid=73&p_created=1081966475)

I don’t completely agree with the Tikka engineers. The synthetic stock may be less affected by atmospheric conditions, but it is not immune. For example, my synthetic T3 in 223 creates bigger groups as the barrel heats up with each shot. I think the barrel is expanding and interacting with the stock as it heats up.

I am seriously considering free-floating this rifle. It would only take 30 seconds with a Dremmel to shave the barrel support. This would leave the barrel completely free-floated up to the chamber (same as the Sako 85 with synthetic stock). I am interested in feedback from other Tikka owners. Has anybody modified their synthetic stock in this way? Anybody found an after-market synthetic stock that leaves the barrel free floated?
 
Go ahead and float it. You can always put a pressure pad back in later.

FWIW I had 2 T3 SS that weren't floated and shot fine. The wood one was floated.

Interweb jockeys will argue that ALL T3's are free-floating, but they aren't.
 
That sounds like the advertising guys are hard at work again. Sure the synthetic stock is so stable that it doesn't need to be floated.:rolleyes: It couldn't be that the tupperware is so springy that it bends like a wet noodle if the barreled action isn't holding it straight could it? Naa............
Bottom line, the wood and laminate stocks are free-floated because they can be, and on average shoot better that way. The tupperware stocks aren't stiff enough to reliably keep the forend off the barrel if free floated. Spending the money to make the stock correctly would defeat the purpose of taking the most expensive part of a rifle (The wooden stock) and making it for 2 or 3 bucks.
I'm not picking on Tikka, as tupperware stocks go they are better than most. That's not saying much.
 
Take the hump out and if it doesn't solve the problem you are out nothing. If it makes it worse, put the hump back in with a dab of bedding compound.
 
Dogleg said:
Spending the money to make the stock correctly would defeat the purpose of taking the most expensive part of a rifle (The wooden stock) and making it for 2 or 3 bucks.
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So a wood stock is the most expensive part of a rifle, and the Tikka's can be built for 2 or 3 bucks?
The humor comes rolling around when you blame the "advertising guys" for thier comments.. 2 or 3 bucks.. That is some funny stuff! :D
 
Pyd said:
So a wood stock is the most expensive part of a rifle, and the Tikka's can be built for 2 or 3 bucks?
The humor comes rolling around when you blame the "advertising guys" for thier comments.. 2 or 3 bucks.. That is some funny stuff! :D
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Injection molded parts cost next to nothing. Mold costs are high but unit price is low. Have you ever priced out a walnut blank? Try to buy factory take-off wood stocks or replacements some time. Tupperware is hard to give away. Factory cost on barrels is about $15 bucks. It costs more to advertise rifles than it does to make them. Want some more funny stuff? I got a million of 'em.:p
 
Dogleg said:
The tupperware stocks aren't stiff enough to reliably keep the forend off the barrel if free floated.
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That is an interesting perspective which I had not thought of. However, I will go ahead and try it. I would like to see for myself if the rifle will perform better free-floated. I will report back on the results later. (As others have noted, I can easily undo the mod later.)
 
It could be that your gun shoots larger groups from a hot bbl simply due to the fact the bbl is hot. Most guns shoot larger groups from a hot bbl regardless if it is free floated or not.

The "Bump" on the Tika is 3.5 inches in front of the receiver. I do not know how much actual pressure is pushing upwards on mine but I do not think it is much. That bump helps keep the forend stiff out at the end of the stock. It takes a lot of force to get the bbl to touch the tip of the forend as it comes from factory. If you remove the bump the stock may end up being so floppy that it touches out at the tip of the forend when you lay the rifle on the bags. The further out the bbl you apply pressure the more it affects the bbl. Try it and see if it takes a lot of the stiffness away at the tip.



Here's one for you, How do you bed a T3?........

No one knows because it has never needed to be done.:D

Seriously, have you ever heard of a T3 that needed a beding job. You are the first person that I have heard of that is going to attempt altering the stock (synthetic) in any way. I would like to hear from others that have as well.
 
bhunts,
I would too. Free floating it won't hurt anything but you just may need to remove a lot more plastic than you would think for clearance to the barrel. If you can make it touch by slapping the fore-end it is too close. The resulting gap is larger than many people like but doesn't hurt anything. I'd free-float it and bed it if it were mine, just like nearly all the rifles I've ever owned.
My earlier comment is only about the way the company took a short-coming of the material and claims it as an advantage. Its funny.:D
 
bhunts said:
That is an interesting perspective which I had not thought of. However, I will go ahead and try it. I would like to see for myself if the rifle will perform better free-floated. I will report back on the results later. (As others have noted, I can easily undo the mod later.)
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I'll be interesting to see your results. Post results once you have them.
 
I've gained a lot of respect for a quality wood stock after sampling what a poor, injection molded plastic stock can do for accuracy. Plastic is no upgrade unless its done right.
 
Republic of Alberta said:
I just read that thread now. See my first post here, lost of guns shoot poorly with hot bbls.
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His gun shoots really poorly with only a few shots through it. Quote from his previous thead:

Even just two or three shots in sucession will cause the barrel to get extremely hot and the groups to open up to 5 inches.

I must let the barrel cool for at least 5 full minutes after each single shot to get a decent group.


Personally, I'd be complaining to the manufacturor before making any modifications. I have a light barreled ruger 77 223 with 1:12 twist and it suffers little from barrel heating, and its not free floated either. I'd be pretty unhappy with the results bhunt is getting.
 
Check your scope and screws, then just take the damn thing back. You bought it new, and they gave you a turd. Love 'em or hate 'em Tikkas usually shoot. Besides Tikka spent a lot of money telling everyone about about their accuracy guarantee, why not take them up on it?
 
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I have 2 synthetic T3s and both are free floated and both were bought new... I can easily slip a bill down the barrell all the way to the chamber. I just assumed they were all that way.
 
bill c68 said:
I have 2 synthetic T3s and both are free floated and both were bought new... I can easily slip a bill down the barrell all the way to the chamber. I just assumed they were all that way.
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My heavy barreled, stainless, .204 does the same thing, I had to check when I read this thread.
 
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