Tikka 7-08

S

ShadeTree

Handloader
Mar 6, 2017
3,523
3,073
Got a buddies Tikka here to load up for. New rifle with probably a $1000-$1200 scope on it. This should've been an easy project, 2 things that should be easy to get to shoot, a Tikka, and the 7mm-08 cartridge, put them together and it should be like cruise control.

Was expecting to be able to tune it to 1/2" at least. Until this evening 1.25" is the BEST I've got it to shoot. From that out to 2.25". This rifle makes me feel like I don't know how to shoot or reload.

Tried loads that shot in every other 7-08 I've worked with. Tried new stuff everybody raves about like BG powder in the 7-08. Tried different seating depths with the BG powder. Gave it a 2 week rest before I wrapped it around a tree and it occurred to me today that maybe for whatever reason it simply does not like the 139 SST's this guy wanted for it, even though I never had trouble with them in other rifles.

So I loaded up 139 Hornady Interlocks I had here instead. Mag length of 2.800 had that bullet .045 off the lands. Not a bad place to start. Loaded up 3 at that with 47 grains of BG and 3 with the same 47 grains of BG but .010 deeper.

First 3 shot group right out of the gate shot real close to 1/2". AH HA! Finally! Left it cool while I shot another rifle, then tried the other 3 to see if it was tighter. It shot a 2" freaking group. There's no way .010 deeper did that. Guess I'll take it apart and see if I can see anything that's causing a problem. What a PITA rifle. Unless somehow I forgot how to load or shoot with just this rifle.
 
Might take a peek inside the bore if you don't find any issues with bedding, mounts, scope and the usual stuff. Dan.
 
Yeah, seems like something is amiss, crown, optics, rings, action screws. that combo should have been a cake walk. When you get that settled, try some reloder 17.
 
Had it apart this morning, didn't see anything that stood out to me other than a few surprises of things I'd of thought would've been better. $1000 wood stocked rifle with no pillars in it. Looked like some light wood compression marks in the stock on both the top from the tang and receiver, as well as where the bottom metal attaches at the action screws. Had more slop than I'd like between that metal key that acts like a recoil lug and the receiver. Put the stock on and that fore and aft slop increased by 3 fold. Thought the action screws were tighter than I'd of made them for a wood stock with no support so I put it back together with just 30 inch lbs. Color me unimpressed. Should be bedded with the amount of slop it has, but I'm not getting into that.

Tried it again, no go. 2 inch 5 shot group. You never know where the next one is going for sure. Shoots shotgun pattern. Might put 2 together decent then the next 1 is out in no mans land.

I'll see if I can talk him into trying another scope. The scope that is on it is a Leupold VX-5 HD, 3-15x44. If it's not the scope then it's something with the rifle and he will have to fight it out. I'll run a bore scope through it yet and see if there's any surprises that way that might be making trouble.
 
ST, I haven't had a ton of Tikka's, but 5 at last count, When you say it has slop fore and aft what exactly do you mean? When the receiver is engaged in the metal recoil lug there should be very little if any movement. The most I have done with the Tikka's is bed that key in the stock so it's solid and a dab of bedding over the top just to make a perfect fit. Mind you, all of them have shot well out of the box, I just wanted to tighten up the engagement a hair.

I almost find it hard to believe it could be shooting that poorly. I know it's entirely possible, I just don't hear about it and have never seen one of them that was that poor.
 
SJB358 said:
ST, I haven't had a ton of Tikka's, but 5 at last count, When you say it has slop fore and aft what exactly do you mean? When the receiver is engaged in the metal recoil lug there should be very little if any movement. The most I have done with the Tikka's is bed that key in the stock so it's solid and a dab of bedding over the top just to make a perfect fit. Mind you, all of them have shot well out of the box, I just wanted to tighten up the engagement a hair.

I almost find it hard to believe it could be shooting that poorly. I know it's entirely possible, I just don't hear about it and have never seen one of them that was that poor.
Click to expand...

Front to rear slop back and forth.

Here's what it did yesterday when I tested it again which has been fairly typical. The first 2 shots were not bad, they are the middle shot and the 1 to the right. Next shot was the 1 right next to the dot, next 1 was straight up, last 1 is the far left right beside the other 2. So those last 3 shots were a 2" group and that was letting it cool down between shots. You never know where the next shot is going.



My first attempt at posting a video on here. Shows the front to back slop with the receiver lug key installed and engaged. Hard to accurately measure, but I'd say a good 1/8" of front to back play or slop. In a world of thousandth's regarding recoil lugs, that is a mile. Also in the video you can see the stock compression marks from the bottom metal, ahead of the rear action screw hole. There's more where that came from on the top side of the stock including a noticeable impression from the breech face. I don't think I'm overstating the things that didn't impress me.

<iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/832697267?h=f99fd8ac4f" width="640" height="564" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowfullscreen></iframe>

P.S. If you turn the volume up you can hear the click, click, click click, sound from the recoil lug going back and forth. That clicking noise is not coming from the slop in the stock but metal to metal.......that's the slop back and forth between the key and the receiver.
 
I’ve heard of people with earlier Tikkas in magnum cartridges getting the lugs beat up and deformed, but one wouldn’t think a 7-08 would be that hard on lugs. Somebody probably makes an upgraded lug.
 
Just a thought if the wood stock is set up the same way as the Sako 85 with the recoil lug screwed into the stock that could be an issue. I won't ever buy wood stock again until they change that set up. If you have a synthetic stock you may wish to throw it on and see if anything changes. Ours have been accurate as Tikka's usually are.
 
ShadeTree said:
Front to rear slop back and forth.

Here's what it did yesterday when I tested it again which has been fairly typical. The first 2 shots were not bad, they are the middle shot and the 1 to the right. Next shot was the 1 right next to the dot, next 1 was straight up, last 1 is the far left right beside the other 2. So those last 3 shots were a 2" group and that was letting it cool down between shots. You never know where the next shot is going.



My first attempt at posting a video on here. Shows the front to back slop with the receiver lug key installed and engaged. Hard to accurately measure, but I'd say a good 1/8" of front to back play or slop. In a world of thousandth's regarding recoil lugs, that is a mile. Also in the video you can see the stock compression marks from the bottom metal, ahead of the rear action screw hole. There's more where that came from on the top side of the stock including a noticeable impression from the breech face. I don't think I'm overstating the things that didn't impress me.

<iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/832697267?h=f99fd8ac4f" width="640" height="564" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowfullscreen></iframe>

P.S. If you turn the volume up you can hear the click, click, click click, sound from the recoil lug going back and forth. That clicking noise is not coming from the slop in the stock but metal to metal.......that's the slop back and forth between the key and the receiver.
Click to expand...
Boy that’s disappointing to say the least.
 
Tikkas are my favorite rifle hands down. I own 20 something now and have had more over the years but only one was a problem child. A vast majority were synthetic stocked.

Many moons ago, I bought a brand new synthetic T3 in 338 Federal off Gunbroker. It would shoot groups thumbnail size or better at 50 but at 100 the best I ever got was about 2.5. I checked screws and mounts, and tried different bullets, powders, scopes and shooters but nothing ever fixed the problem . Eventually I sold it to Cabelas.

I know this doesn't help you diagnose your problem, but I believe every company makes a lemon now and then. I have a T3 in 7mm-08 that I've shot mostly 120 BTs through for deer but have tried other weights as well. It has never given me a problem,. If a scope or ammo change doesn't work for you it could just be the rifle.

Good luck!

Ron
 
wvbuckbuster said:
Not good:(
Click to expand...

Yep. What you see in that video is significant enough that it could be all of the problem, and a bedding job could turn it into a tack driver, or it might not do a bit better. If it was mine and I wasn't gonna send it back, I'd try bedding it first.

I have seen rifles, specifically 2 different Savages that with those particular rifles I could not explain how they shot so well given the play they had at the recoil lug area, although I don't recall them being this loose. I also have a wood stocked M70 that is not bedded and has always shot so well that I leave it alone.

But if a rifle has slop and for whatever reason isn't consistent about returning to the exact same place and the receiver and recoil lug are not sitting exactly where and how they were for the previous shot, that is a problem that no load development is gonna overcome.
 
With the amount of play shown in your video, if mine I'd call them and tell them about it see if they'd take it back. If not, then bed it if planning on keeping it. Dan.
 
wvbuckbuster said:
With the amount of play shown in your video, if mine I'd call them and tell them about it see if they'd take it back. If not, then bed it if planning on keeping it. Dan.
Click to expand...
Calling Beretta was about the biggest pain I’ve dealt with next to the old Remington of past. Run around and wait. With both I skipped the waiting and just fixed them myself.
 
My problem is, it's not my rifle. I took this on as a favor......work up a load for it, load some up for him to use, give it back. I got enough of my own stuff to deal with not excluding spring crops, doing all the mechanical upkeep on tractors etc and just general everyday care of all the little things my Dad did on his own before he had a stroke last yr. And dealing with some recent hail damage from a storm.

Don't know when I'd get the time to sit down and make sure I'm bedding it proper on a rifle design I never worked with before. I can't hardly hand the rifle back to him with loads that don't shoot worth a darn, and say here you go. I'm not real happy with Tikka for putting me in a bind on something that should've been easy and I'm betting would've been with something like a cheap $350 Ruger American for example. It's actually ridiculous on the kind of rifle Tikka's supposed to be, when I think about it.
 
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