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Hunting the sub in "sub-MOA"
Greetings! This is my first post, here. I've owned two Tikka T3 rifles, now, both the SS Lite model. The first, a .270 Win., was a remarkable shooter, easily achieving sub-MOA, consistently. I recently decided to eschew hunting game for punching paper, and so I decided to swap for a .308 Win. I sold my .270. I've had my new .308 to the range twice, now. On my first trip, I did the break-in routine of running the bore snake through every few shots. All the while, I was trying to get consistent 3-shot groups. I used the same Zeiss Conquest 3-9×40 scope (on both rifles). I fired from the bench using my Steady Rest shooting platform as well as from sandbags. Unfortunately, I was unable to consistently achieve sub-MOA groups. In fact, most of my groups were >1 MOA, with only 1 group out of 10 <1 MOA (about 3/4"). Some of the groups were >2 MOA–very disappointing!!
While I waited for my new rifle to arrive, I collected ammo of several different makes and loads in .308 Win. So from my very first range trip, I was able to sample the performance of 4 different brands and loads:
- Winchester SuperX 150 gr PowerPoint (my .270 Tikka loved this stuff!)
- Remington 150 gr Core Lokt soft point
- Norma Match 168 gr HPBT
- Nosler Match 175 gr Sierra Match King HPBT
I am an Appleseed IIT, so I've got a pretty good grasp of marksmanship fundamentals. Nonetheless, I know I've still got a thing or two to learn about the shooting disciplines. One takeaway from my first range session was that, at 9X magnification, I can already begin to recognize the effect of a my pulse on the steadiness of my reticle against the target. So I left the range thinking that this shooter just didn't perform very well.
I studied the wisdom of the Google regarding controlled breathing and heart-rate, and then I went back to the range determined to “do better”. Alas, I got almost identical results with each ammo on my second range trip. The only good thing about it is that I learned that the Nosler match ammo with the heavier 175 gr HPBT easily outperforms all the others, which are statistically all tied for second place. Oh, and I really did manage to slow my heart-rate and settle the reticle better, too.
Nevertheless, I still find myself “sub hunting”. I have done a modicum of research on the leading causes of accuracy issues with the Tikka T3 rifles, and I've turned up two items that might be culpable:
- The two “nubbins” inside the stock at 5 and 7 o'clock just past the chamber bulge.
- Insufficient tightening of the two Torx action screws.
As for the first item, I noticed significant fretting where the two nubbins have rubbed small shiny spots in the otherwise matte finish of the barrel (after only ~65 rounds). There seems to be mixed opinions about the purpose of those nubbins and whether or not there will be any significant improvement (or detriment) if they are removed. I am leaning towards removal. I would like to hear opinions from other Tikka shooters who have also removed those two pressure points.
As for the action screw torque, I broke loose the front screw, and then when I went to break the rear screw, to my great surprise, I found that it was already loose! I suspect that might have a significant negative impact on consistency!! I will definitely be torquing those to the Beretta recommended 35 in-lbs, before my next range trip.
Finally, please add any additional tips for reducing group size that you may have learned with your Tikkas.
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