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> Tikka T3 recoil lug clearance
Tikka T3 recoil lug clearance
@ 03:00 am (GMT) |
Trever LivelyWhat would be the result if there is no clearance between action and top of the recoil lug? Would it cause inconsistent groups? |
Replies
@ 09:15 am (GMT) |
Nathan FosterRe: Tikka T3 recoil lug clearanceHi Trever, the rear face is the more critical when it comes to clearance but there is also a possibility of burrs / micro shavings / vibrational issues at the top. This is most pronounced in unbedded rifles if the action crushes down. It is very easy to rectify via sanding. If the lug appears difficult to remove, drill down behind it with a very small drill bit, go down just a few mil / 120n thou, then take a jewellery screw driver, stick it into the hole and pry the lug up. This method will ensure the least amount of damage to the lug apart from the hopefully very small hole behind the lug which can easily be replugged if aesthetics are a concern.If its a post epoxy bedding issue: You'll see a lot of smiths just slap the bedding compound into these guns, whether back yard johnnies or supposed high end operators. What folk need to understand is that this is already a very unforgiving platform as far as the poor guy hanging off the end of it goes. And there is no point some fool telling you to just stick a muffler on the end of it because who is to say that the muffler is not flawed in some way- its yet another variable which if adopted, needs to be fitted later, after initial testing. What really counts, is due diligence on the part of the guys doing the fitting work, making sure the platform is optimal so that all you have to focus on is technique. I put a huge amount of hours into R&D based around how to bed the Tikka, how to relieve it and also a suitable viscosity for our product. It was very interesting to observe cause and effect. If you are doing the bedding yourself and have made mistakes: It is simply matter of trial and error. But again, you must try your best to separate shooter errors from rifle errors. Even the density of sand bags can effect these rifles. The rest needs to be of a craddle shape. If you are shooting over sand bags, make sure the top bag is loose filled so that the forend can be 'rocked' into a groove. Padded V shaped rests can also be useful. This will be covered in detail in our next video series. It is a very odd situation really because we have a budget rifle but it requires a high level of skill to extract optimum performance from it. A bit like having a Toyota Hatchback with a race V8 engine in it. |
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@ 09:40 am (GMT) |
Trever LivelyRe: Tikka T3 recoil lug clearanceHi Nathan, thanks for the reply. This rifle is a friends and I’m helping him troubleshoot some inconsistent shooting. It’s a t3 action with custom barrel and MPI stock. It had been shooting poorly for him the last couple seasons with factory ammo that originally shot great. He doesn’t handload but has the same ammo with the same lot number that he started with great results a few years ago. I just mounted a new NF NXS scope for him. Everything degreased, locktited, torqued, and epoxied to the receiver. I’ve done about 6 tikka t3 bedding jobs using your books but I did not do this one. The lug isn’t epoxied into the stock but seems to be a nice tight fit in the channel. I used some plastigauge to measure between the action and top of the recoil lug and there was no clearance. I removed the lug and took some off the bottom to give it some clearance. Not sure if the lug pinched between action and stock would have caused the problem or not. It is not pillar bedded and thought maybe the stock has compressed over the last couple years and started squeezing the lug. Not sure if I should do a new bedding job for him or start looking at ammo. |
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@ 10:04 am (GMT) |
Nathan FosterRe: Tikka T3 recoil lug clearanceYes, they can be a bit of a pain in this manner. In most instances, bedding is required once we get away from the (what I call fluke fit) plastic stock design.During experimentation (repeated), I found that if the overall fit is too tight, it will cause issues, with some relief it comes right (close fit without being tight as per walk it in and out of the stock). If I relieve further, the accuracy goes away again. Therefore, in some cases, what appears to be a 'neat' fit may be too much. This action does not seem to be able to handle any wiggle room. In any case yes, start with the lug height, a few more shots, see what happens. It might make a dramatic difference if it has been bearing weight. |
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