[onbadmofo]

Dog Down
I saw that you posted 168 smc targets what was the COAL on those?

[onbadmofo]

WOW that is great…..
How far off the lands are you?

The bullets I have to work with:
Hornady        Max COAL
165 SST        2.884
168 BTHP      2.855
168 AMAX      2.841
178 BTHP      2.952

[onbadmofo]

Or maybe a better question is…….. What load with FPS info is working best in your Tikka?

BTW I have a CTR….

[onbadmofo]

I have a wood bench it shoot off of and I going to try some foam under my bipod to help deaden the recoil jump.
Right now I am making different loads so I am using a bag up front it keep it steady …. but I prefer using my bipod.

[onbadmofo]

O ya this last weekend I was working on loads for the Tikka and Savage .308…. the real bummer is I was real close on a load for the Tikka now I have to wait 3 weeks it find out. But it should be warmer by then also.

[onbadmofo]

The guy from Tikka was great to deal with.

[onbadmofo]

My 308 CTR likes the 165gr SST Superformance a little better than the 150's…give those a try if haven't already.  I've never had a group larger than 1″ measured from outside to outside (without shooter error) @ 100yrds.

The Sierra Match King 168 actually shot the worst in my rifle out of the 2 boxes I've fired if you averaged the group size…Some groups would be 1 hole, and then another group would make you think you had put different ammo in the gun. Though it produced some of the tightest groups, it was not consistent enough to continue buying it.

The Nosler 165 Accubond is my go to “factory” hunting ammo…its given me the best results at the range and in the field.  Its worth a try of you are looking go for something to switch it up.
The best 100yrd factory ammo I have tried to date is the Nosler 150gr Match, but it did not do as well at 200+ yrds…. The Hornady 150gr match was a close second.

There is no substitute for hand loading in these rifles…
I just worked up and tested some 178gr amax loads for my CTR this past weekend.
It likes 45.1gr of Varget, .03 off the lands = COAL of 2.87″
Groups @ 100 where 1 hole or small clovers all touching.
Groups @ 200 where a consistent .5-.75″
Going to play around with the powder charge a little more at extended ranges to see what happens, but primers are starting to flatten a bit so its pretty much a max load already.

Do you crimp your bullets?

[onbadmofo]

That sounds like a pretty simple method…..That sure beats the shoot one round & clean for the first 25……

I picked it up today  🙂

[onbadmofo]

Dog Down,

That sounds really great….. if you don't mind me asking what method did you use to break in the barrel?

[onbadmofo]

I forgot to say that I was making up loads for my Savage .308….. yes I will have to wait till I get my Tikka for those loads.

[onbadmofo]

I ordered a Competition Electronics ProChrono Digital Chronograph.

[onbadmofo]

Ericbc7,

Funny you say that because that is on my list to do today and I was going to ask which one I should get? I am not after one with a lot of bells and whistles just to be accurate. I would like to stay in the $90 to $150 range …………Any suggestions??