Tikka T3 Battue 308 fussy with ammo

[coyote1664]

Scooped up a steal of a deal or so I thought it was until I started to send some lead down range. The rifle is a Tikka t3 Battue in 308 with a bushnell elite 6500 2.5-16.

I have taken the scope and rings off, removed the bases, cleaned all the holes and re-installed with blue loctite torquing to spec. I remounted the rings, leveled and torqued everything to spec. I also cleaned and inspected the chamber and barrel.

I have tried hornady american whitetail 150 gr, hornady superformance 165 sst and 165 gmx. 150 gr win deer season, 180gr win deer season and sako 180gr super hammerhead. The sako grouped the best right around an inch, right behind it was the 150gr deer season right around 1.25". Everything else was 1.75"- 2.5". I'm using a Harris bipod and a rear bag.

Tonight I picked up norma white tail 150gr, remington cor lokt 180gr psp, federal power shok 150gr and federal 168 berger hybrid. I intend on testing these loads tomorrow at the range.

Anyone have a Tikka t3 in 308 that seemed to be rather picky? I know an inch is well within acceptable limits in the distances I hunt, but I like to find ammo that shoots consistently 1/2-3/4 moa.

I didn't intend on having to load for it as I'll only shoot a handful of rounds a year from it, but I may have too.

 

[elKrusto]

Try torquing the action screws to 38 inch pounds. I am sure everybody has a torque spec they like, but I found that Tikka's like that.

 

[Pointdexter]

If it was used you might want to clean the snot out it...who knows what the other fella put down there. Personally i use boretec but wipeout works well....38ftlbs is a good range for the action screws.

My tikka enjoyed the 168 berger hybrid and 168/175 sierra match kings....for hunting i just limited my range even though i practiced out to 500.

Those three were sub moa as long as i wasnt shooting long strings. Outside of that i think you'll have to handload

 

[mike t]

I used hornady SST 165 GR in my battue 308 and it was very accurate

 

[Joel]

Maybe opening up the barrel channel will help too?

elKrusto, did you find that accuracy actually dropped off if you torqued the action screws more than that?

 

[Sun_and_Steel_77]

You mentioned that you removed the scope, did you mount a different, proven optic to rule that out?

I had a Leupold VX-2 that gave me fits, wasted so much time and money chasing groups with it only to change it out to another scope and tighten the groups considerably.

 

[kamlooky]

If all else fails, put a bit of pressure between the barrel and the stock forend.
Mr. H. I do beleaf said a business card thickness.
6-8 pounds pressure?

Gawd, me memory is escaping me.

 

[Canuck65]

Light bullets. Fast powder. You'd want to build pressure quicker and get an efficient burn for that short barrel. If you shoot factory, try Sako 150gr Gameheads.

Forget about 180s unless you handload and can slow them down a bit.

That's what I found with mine years ago when I had one.

 

[Paul_T]

....38ftlbs is a good range for the action screws.

inch pounds.....

Tikka says 44 in-lb for plastic trigger guard (62 with metal guard), could start there and drop in 5 in-lb increments and retest.

OP - what does the crown look like?

 

[ChewyChewbacca]

Was at the range a couple of days ago with a buddy and he was shooting a new Savage 6.5 Creedmoor target set up. He thought that it should shoot tighter groups than it was which was around 2” sometimes more. I suggested he try my rest and rear bag. Now he’s smiling with 3/4” groups or less.
He was shooting off a bipod and no rear bag.

 

[250 sav]

I'd start with checking the torque on the stock as others have said.

 

[struff55]

If your getting inch groups with factory ammo that’s as good as it’s going to get

 

[coyote1664]

So I double checked the action screws, torqued to 35 in/lbs. I shot remington core lokt 180gr psp .877" group. Next was federal blue box 150gr power point 0.939". Norma whitetail 150gr .962" and last was federal premium 168 berger hybrids at 0.993". I am quite shocked as I normally don't buy remington ammo as it's always shot poorly. Looks like I found my factory loading.

The previous range trip I had groups from right at 1" from sako 180gr up to 3" groupings with 165 hornady sst and 165 GMX. Winchester 180gr looked like a shotgun pattern, absolutely terrible.

I appreciate all the suggestions, thank you cgn community

 

[Joel]

If your getting inch groups with factory ammo that’s as good as it’s going to get

Sometimes

So I double checked the action screws, torqued to 35 in/lbs. I shot remington core lokt 180gr psp .877" group. Next was federal blue box 150gr power point 0.939". Norma whitetail 150gr .962" and last was federal premium 168 berger hybrids at 0.993". I am quite shocked as I normally don't buy remington ammo as it's always shot poorly. Looks like I found my factory loading.

The previous range trip I had groups from right at 1" from sako 180gr up to 3" groupings with 165 hornady sst and 165 GMX. Winchester 180gr looked like a shotgun pattern, absolutely terrible.

I appreciate all the suggestions, thank you cgn community

Happy to hear its improved so much!