TIKKA 223 Varmint rifle chamber details
- Thread starter big bear
- Start date
I have owned 4 T3 rifles in 223. Most likely 223 as are most bolt actions. Most of the T3 223's in Canada sold in the last 10 years are 1/8" twist so they would certainly shoot modern 62gr 5.56 ammo accurately. As for if it is safe? Lots of internet info out there points to it being unsafe. If you look at the reloading dimensional tolerances you will see things are not so bleak when shooting 556 in a 223. Therefore I feel safe doing so and have for the last 32 years in many 223 rifles. All fingers, eyeballs, and rifles intact. Yes I shot hundreds of 556 rounds in my T3 rifles.
Moe
Moe
One of my buddies just got a Tikka T3x Varmint in .223 and I used my Hornady OAL tool and modified case to take some measurements and compare them with the ones I got in my Ruger Precision Rifle in 5.56. Here is what we got using an 80gr ELD Match bullet in a Hornady modified case and touching lands in both rifles:
Tikka T3x - 2.422" avg base to tip
Ruger Precision - 2.412" avg base to tip
Ruger describes their chamber in the RPR as a 5.56mm Target Chamber.....not sure if it's another way of saying it's a .223 wylde chamber or what but whatever it is....my fired cases from my Ruger will chamber with only very slight resistance in the tikka's chamber. As for shooting 5.56 factory ammo in the tikka, I'll add to Moe's comments by saying we had zero pressure signs shooting the Tikka today while using Federal Green Tip 62gr (and that ammo isn't exactly mild stuff.)
Tikka T3x - 2.422" avg base to tip
Ruger Precision - 2.412" avg base to tip
Ruger describes their chamber in the RPR as a 5.56mm Target Chamber.....not sure if it's another way of saying it's a .223 wylde chamber or what but whatever it is....my fired cases from my Ruger will chamber with only very slight resistance in the tikka's chamber. As for shooting 5.56 factory ammo in the tikka, I'll add to Moe's comments by saying we had zero pressure signs shooting the Tikka today while using Federal Green Tip 62gr (and that ammo isn't exactly mild stuff.)
Great info, thanks. I wound up going with 2.390" on my RPR 223 with the 80gr ELDM as the longest I could reliably stay out of the lands. I really wish the lead was way longer, as the magazine fits a much longer round and it would allow more powder.
To me, Ruger's claim that this is a 556 chamber is BS. The leade and headspace are both very short.
