Tikka 308 18" barrel puzzle

[Bighorner]

I have a tikka 308 that was cut to 18" right out of the box I have fought it ever since. It has a maven RS2 scope. I have pulled it apart and torqued everything and still am at a loss. It will occasionally have hard bolt closes and hard lifts. The fist time I pulled it apart it appears to show wear on the on top recoil lug which made me think the action may not have been seated fully. I sent it out to be shot by a friend who I trust as a good shot and a lot of experience with tikkas. Here are the pictures he sent. Anyone one out there have any ideas what to check next? Could it be a head space issue? The first few 8 or so rounds were with barnes 130s. I marked up the recoil lug with a sharpie to look for issues the next time I pull it apart. The crown looks ok from a layman's prospective. It's has maybe 120 rounds through it.

 

[Sheltowee]

Did you have the barrel recrowned after cutting it back? Could be a burr somewhere.

Is the 147 FMJ true .308 or is it actually 7.62x51?

 

[Bighorner]

Did you have the barrel recrowned after cutting it back? Could be a burr somewhere.

Is the 147 FMJ true .308 or is it actually 7.62x51?

It was recrowned and threaded. I can not see any type of bur. I assume it would be visible on close inspection, but I'm not sure of that is the case. The fmjs were true 308.

 

[Sheltowee]

Yeah, maybe a headspace issue then. Would be weird on a Tikka though. Did you set your action screw to 45 in/lbs?

Try running a box of good match ammunition through it to see if it groups better but every Tikka I've owned was a shooter.

 

[Bighorner]

All the tikkas I have ever shot (first one I've owned) have all been impressive. Can replaceing the barrle after cutting have an impact on head spacing? Up to this point all I've shot have been barnes 130s, 150s, and 168s, but I will try match ammo next. Thanks.

 

[Sheltowee]

Can replaceing the barrle after cutting have an impact on head spacing?

Maybe. Did you use go/no-go gauges after spinning it back on?

 

[Bighorner]

Maybe. Did you use go/no-go gauges after spinning it back on?

I did not, I had a smith cut and thread it. I would assume he did, but can't confirm.

 

[Sheltowee]

He should have but you'll probably want to confirm.

Last guess: your action screw might be a touch long or over-torqued, making contact with the bolt. If that don't work, I'll take it off your hands for $100

 

[Bighorner]

He should have but you'll probably want to confirm.

Last guess: your action screw might be a touch long or over-torqued, making contact with the bolt. If that don't work, I'll take it off your hands for $100

Haha right. I appreciate the suggestions. It's given me something to ponder on a long drive. My Christmas man!

 

[mevertsen]

Can you put a different scope on it?
The second pic seems wrong to me. Shots are in the same "group" but should not have risen.

 

[Bighorner]

Can you put a different scope on it?
The second pic seems wrong to me. Shots are in the same "group" but should not have risen.

A new scope is the plan. The guy that shot it felt like that was a strong possibility based on exactly what you said. That will be the next to get trouble shot. It seems weird on brand new scope, but I think it has a lifetime warranty.

 

[Bux_N_Beards]

What scope mounts are you using? Did you degrease everything before mounting the scope? Stuff shoots loose, not tight.

I’d start there, put a known/proven scope on it, and as others have stated, try some match grade ammo, or even some basic Federal Blue Box or Hornady American Whitetail in 150 or 165 gr. Barnes can be finicky in some guns and don’t know what the details are on the FMJ loads.

308’s are generally easy to please, as are Tikkas.

Good luck and keep us updated on your progress. Hope it turns out to be an easy fix.

 

[Bighorner]

What scope mounts are you using? Did you degrease everything before mounting the scope? Stuff shoots loose, not tight.

I’d start there, put a known/proven scope on it, and as others have stated, try some match grade ammo, or even some basic Federal Blue Box or Hornady American Whitetail in 150 or 165 gr. Barnes can be finicky in some guns and don’t know what the details are on the FMJ loads.

308’s are generally easy to please, as are Tikkas.

Good luck and keep us updated on your progress. Hope it turns out to be an easy fix.

I can't rember the brand of rings, but they were not high end. I wiped everynight down, but not any cleaner to degrease. I've never went that far in the past, but maybe I need to start. I've broken it down twice to torque everything. I will certainly post up what it was once I find it.

 

[Hem]

I had similar problems with my Tikka .308. Initially it shot well with reduced loads for my daughter. We shot it in a sled. Leopold Freedom on top.
Maybe 2 -3 boxes of ammo run through it.
Then it went haywire.
Reduced loads can be erratic since they aren't produced in mass as much. Tried conventional loads. New Maven scope. New B & C stock. Deep carbon clean.
Now it shoots as it should.
The scope was mounted on a different rifle with similar results. So probably the problem, maybe from using sled.
I still feel the new stock and deep carbon clean was money well spent.
BTW...I think the Maven scope is top notch.
Might be best to try the scope on a different rifle before you call it the culprit and send it back. Check your stock for contact.
This stuff is maddening. I wasted alot of ammo and time.