[JackEllis490]

Question 1.  Are you shooting factory loads or hand loads?

Question 2.  If factory, are the cases new or previously fired?  I wasn't able to shoot PPU's .243 rounds in MY Tikka, probably because PPU appears to use previously fired cases and may not have sized them correctly.  Out of ten boxes, only a few rounds would chamber.

Question 3.  If hand loads, did you FL size the cases before loading them?  Do  you have a case comparator or other gauge to check fired cases?

[JackEllis490]

To TXDarren,

You might think I'm an idiot but I love Trump.  He's a business man and he knows how to get things done.  You won't see him take a back seat from his belief's.   

I have a tough time with this statement in light of the fact that Trump has a well deserved reputation for screwing people.  Trump U and allegations in the recent NYT piece on the Trump family's tax evasion strategies come to mind.

  This isn't how we do business in the United States.

You're a bit naive.  US companies screw up all the time.  GM's faulty ignition switches and Remington's faulty triggers are two examples.

Since you say you're from Butte, how about the toxic lake in your back yard?  That wasn't left by space aliens.

[JackEllis490]

I should have noted earlier that I ran into something similar with both factory ammunition and once-fired brass bought from a commercial seller in a .243 and a .223.  My sense is Tikkas have little headspace.  I reload now so I can manage my way around the problem, but I had trouble with Aguila and Remington .223 (cheap ammo) where about half the rounds would not chamber, and with PPU .243 where zero out of 200 rounds would chamber without at least some stickiness.

[JackEllis490]

Thanks.  I figured someone else might have run across this problem.

I'll have to look into the metal magazines.

[JackEllis490]

Turns out there was 2 ammunitions giving me the most problems, Hornady Match OTM W/C and Magtech ammo, since my last post I've been to the range twice shooting Federal power shok and Fusion with 0 problems, also shot Vital shok copper very accurate, I'm gonna stick with Federal copper for all my hunting needs

As far as I'm concerned, copper ammunition is just fine for hunting (also less lead in your diet) but you can't expect to kill deer, elk, sheep, goat, etc. at 600 yards.  Most copper rounds need to be going at 2000 FPS on impact in order to open properly.  That limits the effective range of most copper rounds to about 300 yards.

[JackEllis490]

I know I'm a little late  but here's my experience.

ADI shoots fine.

Aguila won't chamber in my rifle.

Remington didn't shoot well.

Fiocchi .223 with Hornady VMAX bullets is more expensive but it shot quite well.

I tried a bunch of factory ammo when I got the rifle but I now hand load two bullets:  55 grain BT-FMJs for plinking and Hornady 50 grain VMAX for varmints.

[JackEllis490]

From what you have just posted above you have no idea about reloading .

I assume that was directed at me.  You might be right but some pointers might help me and the OP. 

Article on testing with mixed headstammps vs. Lake City Brass:  https://www.gunsamerica.com/blog/reloading-science-do-you-really-need-to-sort-your-brass/  Perhaps I should qualify that at the distances I shoot (up to about 200 yards) .223, the accuracy of my hand loads is good enough for me.  For others, mileage will probably vary.

[JackEllis490]

I have a Tikka T3 in .223 for varmint shooting.  My groups are a little on the larger side (1-1.25″) but they're good enough for squirrels.

IMHO sub-MOA accuracy is a lot more important for competitive shooting than for varmints.  I also think shooter error is a bigger factor than whether or not you use a single headstamp, but it all depends on what you want to do.

I've come across an article or two on the effect of using a single headstamp for reloads.  In once case a polyglot mix was better than any of the single headstamp lots they shot, though the differences were pretty small.

I like the .223 because it shoots fairly flat but isn't so fact it kills barrels early, which you could do if you shoot a couple thousand rounds of .22-250 per year.  If you're gonna shoot varmints, my recommendation is varmint ammo that disintegrates when it hits something so you don't have to worry about ricochets.  I've had good success with Hornady V-MAX rounds.  Gonna have to switch to NTX in 2020 when the lead ammo ban takes full effect in California.

[JackEllis490]

For Elk you will want to limit your shot distance so that you have enough energy to get the job done.

Lots of reasons to get close for elk (or any other critter).  Monolithic (copper) bullets need speed in order to open up.  Larger margin for shooter error.  Wind has smaller influence.

You can get away with slightly lighter monolithic bullets because they tend to retain weight better.  Lighter weight means they'll fly faster so it's sort of a virtuous circle.  Monolithic 150s ought to work fine if you're within 300 yards.

[JackEllis490]

Budsgunshop.com might have some good deals.

[JackEllis490]

Yesterday I put about 70 rounds through my Tikka T3 Lite in .223, 3-5 at a stretch.  Temperatures were in the low 60s.  After 5 rounds the barrel was just short of uncomfortably warm.  These rounds use 26 grains of powder, or around half the charge of a .270 round.  I'd wait 5 minutes for the barrel to cool off and then fire another group.  There was a breeze and that helped cool things down faster.  In order to help sped cooling, I'd prop my rifle on the shady side of the trees behind the tables, bolt open and barrel pointed up (nothing in the chamber and magazine removed for safety).

When I shoot squirrels, the temperatures are cooler and if the barrel hasn't cooled by the time I've reloaded the 5 round magazine, I'll shoot another rifle.

Yesterday three guys shooting next to me to check the sighting on their rifles would shoot one round, wait a couple of minutes and then shoot again.

Just a couple of reference points for you to consider.

[JackEllis490]

Hunting rifles, especially lightweight ones, are not designed to be constantly putting lead down the tube.  When I go to the range for practice, I'll bring a couple of rifles so I can shoot a few and then let the barrel cool.  I use a .223 for squirrels and I'll shoot five rounds, then let the barrel cool while I use a .22lr, then pick up the .223 again.  I still get to shoot plenty of varmints this way.

Not knowing exactly how you arrived at the overheating problem, I'll speculate that it may have more to do with your expectations about how many rounds you can shoot before having to give the rifle a rest and less with the quality of the rifle.  I've been very happy with both the .223 and .243 I own (both T3 Lites).

I let my .30-06 have a rest after putting a few rounds through it as well, and I do most of my shooting before 10 AM.

[JackEllis490]

I have a T3 Lite in .243 and my rule is, no more than 3-5 shots before allowing the barrel to cool. 

I shoot a winchester 670 in 30-06 and while the recoil was problematic at first, I managed to tame it with practice and a recoil pad.  Don't give up just yet.

[JackEllis490]

What's “acceptable”?  1 inch at 100, .5 inch at 100, …?

I had trouble for a long time wit a .30-06 (not a Tikka).  Installed a recoil pad to deal with flinching, installed a new trigger because the old one was very stiff, and everything else was the shooter, including a very dirty barrel and poor concentration.

[JackEllis490]

I am glad it is the inexpensive ammo and not a super, super particular rifle.

IMO if the ammo works in other rifles, then the rifle is the problem, not the ammo.  PPU seems to use once-fired cases for its less expensive ammunition and I'm not sure it gets full length sized when it's reloaded.  tikka's seem to be fussy about case length.  Not an indictment, just a fact.