tikka t3 PROBLEMS

ff.hogue

i just purchased a brand new tikka t3 lite stainless in 300 win mag and took it hunting this weekend. i had a big problem with it. after several false sightings of pigs where i hunt and taking in and out my chambered round, i look at the bullet. the lead tip is DEMOLISHED. at first i thought i hadnt noticed this while i was loading it and possibly the box of shells i had purchased had been dropped or somthing. but after noticing it on one or two other rounds that i had fed through the gun i decided to test a shell i knew whas good. and when feeding it slowly it wold be fine. but with any type of quick feed (like on a fast second shot) it would totally SMASH the tip of the bullet. whats going on here? i e-mailed beretta as soon as i got home but dont expect a response until next week. you want to talk about being dissapointed! first brand new gun i have ever purchased and now this! any ideas? when quickly feeding it would smash the lead tip or make a L shape as it would smash half of it. THANKS
-Thomas

tsr1965

Depending on what ammunition you are using, this could just be the nature of the beast called physics. Most jacketed rifle bullets are engineered so the jacket mostly controlls expansion, and the lead alloy core plays a secondary feature here. Usually the heavier the bullet, the more pure the core is without as many hardeners, like tin or antimony. With exposed lead on the tip in the form of a point, slo movement does not exert as much energy to deform it on the feed ramp, where faster speeds will exponentially multiply that force. Try going to a plastic tipped bullet, or one with very little exposed lead. Also try to group the current ammo at 100, and 200 yards and see what you get...it might be acceptable.

EDIT:

OK...from your description further, it sounds like a geometry problem. The feed ramp is the same length, and the round is shorter than your Weatherby, so the incline angle is steeper. Combined with the fast action, and soft lead tip, you are getting deformed points. My fix for this is to get rid of the lead core bullets, and hand load Barnes TSX bullets, or get factory rounds with them loaded in. No lead in the bullet, and probably the best performance you will find. Tipically a 165 or 185 grain will do every thing and more of what a 225 grain lead core bullet will.

DONDALINGER

I recently bought a T3 in .338 Federal. I like the gun, but am only getting "so-so" accuracy. This may be due to having only put a box of Federal Fusion ammo through it. I can get 2.5" groups at 100 yards, but was hoping for 1 inch or better.

I agree with TSR, try some ballistic tip ammo and see if this cures the problem. I have a few bolt action rifles that will deform the tip of a soft point bullet and the accuracy is fine. Another option is to polish the edge of the feed ramp. The tip may be catching a burr as you chamber it. Take a Qtip and run all around the edge of the feed ramp and the chamber. If any cotton is snagged, this could be the issue. Its worth a try.

Good luck.

gunnut505

Let me get this straight; you hunt with one bullet in your hand, spot some game, then drop it into the breech and slam the bolt home?
Or do you put 3 in the magazine, spot some game, rack the bolt closed, decide it's not a shot, then work the bolt and remove the round (leaving the next round on the mags' lips or loose in the chamber)?
Have you tried to load a semi-spitzer or round nosed bullet?
Will the rounds you have feed from the mag?
I think it might have to do with the controlled feed system where the bullet rim is held by the bolt and guided into the chamber, rather than just dropping a bullet into the breech and racking the bolt to shove the bullet into the chamber. Try loading one from the mag.

Don-do you reload? I'll bet you can get better groups with a carefully selected handload than with Fed. Factory ammo.

ff.hogue

i put 3 in the magazine and when i see game i load one from it. then after i decide not to shoot an remove the bullet from the chamber it has smashed the tip. i have a weatherby that i have hunted with for a while and have never had this problem...

DONDALINGER

Gunnut, I do reload and have the dies for it. I plan on reloading some Hornady 200 grain softpoints I have. I also use this bullet in my .338 RUM. I have been trying to find some more brass for the .338 Fed., but so far the only brass I have is from the factory I have fired.

I'm sure the groups will be better with handloads, they usually are.

[8D]