Thread: tikka t3x 300wm cant get to group....

So, I brought this rifle brand new 3 years ago from guncity.
Factory tikka t3x sft
Egw 20moa rail
Factory muzzle brake
Harris bipod
Second hand bushnell dmr elite tactical ii
Second hand tier one 34mm rings
Hornady factory loads, winchester deer season, etc never grouped that well from the get go.
Fast forward 6 months, I brought a dpt chassis
Re torqued the action into the chassis to 65inch lb
Had end re threaded to suit a suppressor.
Factory loads didnt work great still

Placed into safe. 18 months later, purchased a mdt chassis as liked it more, additionally installed a terminator tt brake. Same torque settings and additionally started hand loading.
Went out today, and shot a few load groups and seating depths.
Still not grouping well and cant figure out why.
Got home, removed rail, and scope and re torqued it all done, there was possibly 2x front lose screws on the rail but not lose enough to jump out at my face.

The chassis has it's own recoil lug so assuming I could cancel that out, have re torqued the rail and rings, so assuming I can cancel that out, and going out on a whim but assuming I can cancel out the brake, suppressor, or factory brake.

What else could.be causing a problem with this rifle? Do scopes tend to stuff out and not hold zero to this degree?

A typical group is somthing like, 6-8inch groups at 100m , I can get 1/2 - 3/4 groups at 100m with my 308 and 6.5 prc.

Please help!!!

6 - 8 inches! Have you tried another scope?

Nope, havent tried another scope yet... I guess that's the only way to confirm if it's the scope or not ?

Problem is I've never found a load to shoot through it nicely, so not sure where I should start while looking through another scope. Have lost all trust in this rig, anyone else got a similar setup with a load or factory round that's working ok?

In a group of 6, I'll get 2 within half an inch, then a random one 6 inch left, then 2 inch higher and left, then one another 3 inches closer to the group of two... like... its completly random and I'm wasting alot of rl26 powder

It seems you've changed alot of variables except for the scope - maybe somethings come loose inside the scope???
I'd try one of your other scopes as the next step.

Will give that ago next, have a burris xtr tactical 1-4 sitting there. Might chuck that on next. Should I just throw a group down of factory loads for testing ? Is it worth getting a rifle bench vice thing to help?

your last comment........and suggestion of a 1-4 power scope to test accuracy would SUGGEST you havent spent alot of time behind butt of big rifle....is this correct????

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

your last comment........and suggestion of a 1-4 power scope to test accuracy would SUGGEST you havent spent alot of time behind butt of big rifle....is this correct????

I mean to test it against the burris. Have 7mmrm, 300wm, 6.5 prc, and 308. All shoot well bar the 300wm.

will scope track round 15 clicks in a circle and come back to home base?????
chuck another scope on it....10 mins work to do...headache gone/doubt gone...failing that let me talk to your range buddie....

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

will scope track round 15 clicks in a circle and come back to home base?????
chuck another scope on it....10 mins work to do...headache gone/doubt gone...failing that let me talk to your range buddie....

It's not as easy as swapping a dif scope on, as I dont even have a factory load that this fires nicely? I have the spare Burris scope, but that's about it. Itll be good for doing a test I'm sure. But ammo wise.... no idea....

you have two ways to test scope/rifle......swap scope onto another rifle to see if that rifle groups same as always OR put scope off other rifle on 300 and shoot it at range...you DONT NEED it zeroed,just on paper,so it can go back where it came from and need little tweaking to be rezeroed...if it shoots 6" group...well youve eliminated issue of scope being issue.

Originally Posted by Larskramer

It's not as easy as swapping a dif scope on, as I dont even have a factory load that this fires nicely? I have the spare Burris scope, but that's about it. Itll be good for doing a test I'm sure. But ammo wise.... no idea....

Any reputable factory ammo should be giving you close to MOA out of a basically new rifle. Get that scope changed.

A couple of other things to check.
1. the front screw for the rail isn't protruding into the bolt lug area of the action.check the others as well, but normally only the front one will give grief
2. the front king screw isn't protruding into the bolt lug area of the action

have you shot it without a brake or suppressor?

which sort of confirms what Im asking....
how so not fires nicely??????
it goes bang and exits muzzle...you should have some sort of consistancy from pretty much any load....consistantly good or consistantly shit...but consistant.

a 6" grouping load should stay at 6" IF everything is ok butthe load....another load at say 3" will stay at 3"

Ive had what you describe twice with same rifle...the 2nd time it was loose scope bases...the first time was when I first got it...and that was combination of hard recoil pad and HEAVY trigger causing something that starts with F and rhymes with grinch.....

I'm not saying that I'm a good shooter, but like to think I'm ok with the recoil of the 300wm, enough to not flinch, and have additionally lightened the trigger right down also.

Well, you've certtainly got plenty of advice here.

While you're testing a different scope (use one you know and trust from one of your other rifles not the 1-4x), I'd suggest you go back to basics, temporarily replace the whole sight system with something you know is OK. Borrow a set of tikka rings, and try it without the rail.
Then if that fixes the problem, try putting the rail back on with the known good scope and a set of known good Picatinny rings that have been used on another rifle that shoots OK.

I'd use a cheap factory ammo as it will be obvious when you've taken out the component that's giving 6" groups.

You could do all this on a sheet of newspaper at 25m then you won't have to pfaff about adjusting the sights to zero.