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Well written, and informative.

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I have not seen or shot aTikka 223 with either twist that didn't like a 55-60gr Hornady V-max or Nosler Spitzer BT in if front of 25.5-26gr of Varget.  We use use it for varmint and paper punching because its so accurate.

25.5gr of Varget and a 60gr Nosler is a golden combination in my 223 Lite & 223 varmint…close to 1/4 MOA at 200yrds….we shoot it regularly out to 500yrds at 4″ clay targets…it really test your ability to read wind at 500yrds though!  Velocity is around 3050 fps out my Lite, and 3100fps out of my Varmint, both rifles are a 1-8 twist.

Another “really good” load that shot well in the 3 rifles we have is CFE223.
55gr Amax or Nosler Spitzer BT
Somewhere around 26.7gr CFE223 will find a good node.
Velocity is around 3200fps.

This load matched my M223 Nikon Scope turret perfectly out to 550 yrds, just dial the range and let it fly.
The scope turret is calibrated for the 55 Vmax at 3240fps but the Nosler 55gr as a slightly better BC so the drop matched up to 1-2″ all the way out to 600yrds.
My good buddies 12 year old son was popping 8″ balloons all day with it out 500-600 yrd ranges.
Sadly its not as temp stable as Varget, so its a big shift from winter to summer shooting.
But it has produced some of the best accuracy to date out of my rifles.

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I shoot my 308's & 223's as much as I can or as fast as I can make the ammo! Lol…
100+++ rds of each per month on average for sure between hunting and shooting paper.
Some of my guns have 3000+ rds on them with no ill effects so far.

A well made / maintained 308 barrel, “should” last 8000 – 10,000 rds depending on metal…but…if you only run hot loads through it and let it burn up at the range then you will have problems a lot sooner.

“Bob Lee Swagger”…love the handle.  Welcome to the group.

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Good info…the guy knows his stuff.

I pretty much do the same but I test most of my “long range” loads at 200 because it much easier to spot and interpet accuracy nodes at that distance and better yet, test at 300yrds.  Not everyone has the available locations to shoot at further ranges when testing a load, but it does help and get you to a confirmed load faster by looking at OCW information from you rifle.

BUT, for 100yrd paper punching I almost always go with loads that gives the tightest group, and adjust scope to POI. Don't really play with it much when using a temp stable powder.  I don't do any competition shooting so this is what works for me.  I'm only welling to put so much time into load development…some people are obsessed with tinkering.

I was lucky on this 75gr Amax test…that a predetermined COAL and powder charge put me right at an accuracy node.  I still have to determine the seating depth from the lands but you can clearly see on the target that 25-25.5gr of Varget puts me in an accuracy node that gives only a .25″ – .5″ vertical difference on POI @ “200yrds”…That translates to a pretty stable 25.2gr load out to 1000yrds, even by my rookie standards and knowledge of handloading.

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Break it down fully and re-torque to 45in/lbs…Just check it after a day of shooting and see if its backed off at all but I honestly don't think you will have an issue.

I've had 2 of my guns torqued up to 55in/lbs a few times when testing to see if the settings actually made a difference in accuracy and I noticed no different between 35-55in/lbs with either setting if both screws were equally torqued the same.

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I'm glad someone else is experimenting with this and varifing range test.

I've never used IMR 4166 so very interested in the test.
What powder charges you loading?

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All 5 of my T3's are torqued to 45in/lbs..have not had a problem and I regularly break them down
to clean under the barrel when they get wet from winter shooting and rain.  Its just a number I picked and went with after seeing all the chatter on the topic…

I can honestly say I've tested a couple guns with various torque setting from 35-55in/lbs and it shot the same, I could not tell a difference in accuracy at all from one setting to another.

51in/lbs seems high but its within the tolerance Beretta suggest to use.  If it doesn't damage the stock or effect accuracy then stick with it.  The T3 stock even though its plastic is a lot better construction then most in the industry.  It deserves more credit then people give it.  Go compare a Savage or a Mossberg stock and you will agree…

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All 5 of my rifles are torqued to 45in/lbs…just a number I've picked after seeing all the chatter on torque specs.  They all shoot great and I honestly have not noticed a difference in the way they shoot if I went 5in/lbs in either direction.

51 sounds like a lot but if it doesn't effect the accuracy or damage the stock then I cant't see way it won't work. Beretta actually suggest 51-53in/lbs if my memory is correct, I think someone here actually contacted them to confirm and posted the information.

I think 40in/lbs for a wood stock with no pillar bedding seems to be an industry norm.
Ultralite stocks with pillar or aluminum bedding block up to 55in/lbs
I know Browning as suggested 65in/lbs on some of their stocks…that seems high but who knows…

Its pretty crazy that the numbers are all over the place from different manufacturers but with all the different materials these days I guess its reasonable. 

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I had similar issue with my 6 shot mag…but my problem was the plastic mag wall had expanded slightly outward or apart allowing the bullet to cant upward in the front.  The guides no longer held it level on the follower,  making the back dip down so the bolt could not pick it up properly.  It may have been from over use…I have no issues with a new mag, only the one I had run about 1000rds through.

A heatgun and clamp fixed my issue.  I just heated up the sidewalls, clamped it, and let it cool with some dummy rounds seated properly.  That fixed my issue, but who's to say it won't happen again after a few hundred rds.

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He's wondering if the Boyds T3 Varmint / detachable box mag stock he's ordered will work with the CTR bottom metal. Whether the box mag inletting they offer will work with the CTR factory bottom metal.

I think we may have confused some people, or I'm totally confused!  Lol…

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The stocks are all generic in size, only the inletting is different from what I can see.
You should have no trouble milling it if you can find someone to do it.

The CTR bottom metal would require similar milling required for CDI kit…http://www.cdiprecisiongunworks.com/tikka-t3-short-action.html

I haven't measured or compared the CTR to the CDI bottom metal but they look very similar.  I wouldn't be surprised if its the same profile used for both.

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Nice Shooting!

I have never even thought of trying these, till I saw the group you shoot.
A buddy of mine shoots a winchester 70 and he loves this bullet.

I need to pick up a box!

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The CTR bottom metal will not fit a T3 Lite stock without a custom fit.
Its not a direct drop in..The CTR metal has a wider channel milled into the stock.

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Not yet, I've just started developing a load for this rifle myself, so I've been following all this chatter closely!  ;D
That 1000yd  milk jug shot got me real excited about the 75gr A-Max…  My local gun shop consistently has good stock on most of the Hornady lineup too – I recently got some promising results out of the 55gr varmint SPSX (one of the cheaper ones on the shelf), ~3/4MOA at 300m across a 1.9gr charge spread on my ladder, so I'll be refining that and my A-Max load next time I'm out.

I'm using Lee dies, and it leaves a light ring on the bullet where it contacts from 25.2gr and up at 2.460 COAL.  I'll probably do my next set of loads seated a bit further out.

Check your PM…
Just sent you some good load data, works really well in the 3 Tikka's we shoot.

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Not sure exactly how consistent T3 chambers are, nor A-Max overall bullet length across lots, but my .223 stainless varmint touches at 2.498″

I have a bit of a problem with seating marks/powder compression/bullet crushing seating at 2.460″ with 25.5gr Varget in Nosler brass, so that might be a consideration as far as the 25+gr loads go depending on your case capacity.

Thanks for the info on the chamber!  I have not measured mine, need to do it at some point.
Good info on the Nosler brass, that was my next test when I load more.
Everything for me over 25gr was a compressed load and you would hear some powder crunching.
I don't have a  problem with seating marks on the bullets with hornady die and hornady brass.
I do tap the case to help the powder settle a bit though.

Do you have a go too load that works for you in your rifle?