[Ericbc7]

You are spot on!!! I just found some JLK VLD bullets (80 & 70 gr) from an estate sale that I plan to do some load development on!  Also got 1k 65 LD JLKs for good price on same auction! and 400 new ww brass, hoping to afford some Lapua brass in future.

[Ericbc7]

I saw a couple of these in the used rack at cabellas in Rogers MN that looked brand new- one in 300 WM and one in 338 WM.  I am guessing that these light rifles give a pretty good thump to the shooter in these calibers lol.
They look like great hunting rifles.

[Ericbc7]

Looks interesting but I can't see any details like max coal

[Ericbc7]

I have a .223 24″ T3 Sporter and had the same reservations on the orange & grey stock you do.  I have to say its look has grown on me and is very comfortable.  Harris makes a rail adapter that fits the Sporter  Its the No.6 adapter ( https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0029LZ102/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 )

One of the nice things about the T3 line in .308 is that you can easily modify the bolt stop, pop in one of the T3 30-06 magazines and “viola” you now can feed long VLD bullets through your magazine.

The Trigger is great and easily adjustable.  Jard makes an even lighter trigger which along with other accessories is available at the http://www.tikkaperformance.com store

I haven't regretted the purchase at all !

[Ericbc7]

I have the same problem with my .223 6 rnd mag, except my first 2 rounds feed properly but the third presents tail-low.  I have not found a fix yet but am considering “stretching” the stock spring in the hope that it provides more upward pressure on the tail of the follower. 

Before I mess with (and perhaps damage) the spring, I plan to do the “Tikka T3 .223 Magazine Modification” presented on 24hr campfire forum and plan to incorporate an aftermarket follower another forum member found on Shapeways.  The designer of the follower (tunabreath) is currently testing his design and is looking at offering it in various configurations.

[Ericbc7]

I'm very happy with the 1:8 twist on my Sporter .223

I recently found and bought a batch of JLK 80 & 70 gr. VLDs at an estate auction and look forward to some long range load development.

[Ericbc7]

Nice shooting both of you!  looks like the CTR is going to be a winner.

[Ericbc7]

Hi, its been a while and I was wondering how the rifle shoots?

[Ericbc7]

I'm glad you solved your problem, but am curious what you did to fix it.  Could you explain what you mean by “re faced” 20 thou?  Does this mean you added material to the bolt face?
I also have a general question re. your long firing pin protrusion- am I correctly understanding that the fireing pin stops forward travel when the shoulder of the pin strikes the back of the bolt face? If so, then how could a fireing pin protrude more over time unless the back of the bolt face was eroding?

Anyway thanks for the puzzle !

[Ericbc7]

Interesting, thanks for the info.

[Ericbc7]

Got any pictures of finished bedding job? (Inside & out)

[Ericbc7]

Hi, congrats on a new (to you) rifle!
It is tough to diagnose a performance problem from one range session, but I always look at the action bolts' torque early in the process.  On my T3 hunter 30-06 with wood stock, I torque the bolts to 35-40 in-lbs.  On my T3 Sporter (laminated stock) .223, the torque doesn't seem to matter much although I tighten both bolts (front & rear)to same specs.

Floating the barrel should not cause problems, in fact the barrel should've already been floated unless this is an unfamiliar (to me)model variant.

[Ericbc7]

As long as the case is shorter than recommended max you will be fine, consistent case length is more important for accuracy than a particular length.  Annealing your brass will also help keep uniform neck tension.

[Ericbc7]

Barnes recommends starting load development for the TTSX bullets using a fairly long jump to the lands (.050 in. or 50 thousanths). This should make your COAL well within the mag length limits.

I bought some .308 TTSX in 140 and 165 gr and look forward to load development in my T3 30-06.  One thing to remember is that for a given bullet weight, the TTSX bullets will be longer than most lead & copper bullets so will require a faster rifling twist to stabilize equally.

What I mean is… Say my T3 30-06 with it's 1:11 twist will comfortably stabilize a 180gr Sierra Gameking but might not stabilize the Barnes 180gr TTSX – same bullet weight but the TTSX is physically longer so requires faster spin to keep stabil (more important at longer ranges).  This means I would want to use the 165 or 150gr TTSX to keep performance similar to the 180gr SGK.  In general lighter TTSX bullets will perform as well on game as heavier lead core bullets.

I am saying this poorly so look at Brian Litz's book “Applied Ballistics for Long Range Shooting” for a better description!

[Ericbc7]

Congratulations on a fine rifle!
I have no first hand experience with this model but the pic-rail screw you describe is often used to attach a mirage shade on competition rigs and is not meant to be tightened down.  It is just used as a hook for the shade. 

None of my tikkas exhibited any bolt scraping and were extremely smooth.  perhaps the tactical mag follower is bearing on the underside of the bolt? Any scraping when the mag is out?

Not much help but I hope this gets you a step closer to “perfect”  😉