IBI barrel for Tikka is here. Maybe first in the US.

[Kisssofdeath]

You could swap your current barrel to your other T1X and see if it's the same fitting. Maybe you did get a 1-off bad product. Have you done any more testing? Is Center-X still the best for your IBI?

I could have done that if I hadn't sold the other Tikka. The Tikka #3 does so well I won't be messing with it. But yes, I am done testing and Center-X did perform the best. But again, it makes me wonder just how well this barrel could have shot if it had a tighter fit between the shank and receiver. I'm talking tight without a .003" shim.

As for setting the headspace without a gauge, my method is inserting a loaded round "to ensure the rim is not crushed" into the chamber, you may have to use a wood dowel rod or other object to fully seat the round. After that, with the bolt closed and cocked insert the barrel into the the receiver until it stops. That's how I set my headspace and it seems to have worked pretty good.

A headspace gauge is recommended and I may end up getting one just to eliminated the danger of using a live round. In the end, everyone has their own method for setting headspace. Right or wrong, this is mine and I know it works.

 

[littlepod]

I could have done that if I hadn't sold the other Tikka. The Tikka #3 does so well I won't be messing with it. But yes, I am done testing and Center-X did perform the best. But again, it makes me wonder just how well this barrel could have shot if it had a tighter fit between the shank and receiver. I'm talking tight without a .003" shim.

As for setting the headspace without a gauge, my method is inserting a loaded round "to ensure the rim is not crushed" into the chamber, you may have to use a wood dowel rod or other object to fully seat the round. After that, with the bolt closed and cocked insert the barrel into the the receiver until it stops. That's how I set my headspace and it seems to have worked pretty good.

A headspace gauge is recommended and I may end up getting one just to eliminated the danger of using a live round. In the end, everyone has their own method for setting headspace. Right or wrong, this is mine and I know it works.

I'll play with it again on Friday... I was pretty sure I did that. I would get the round fully seated, then close the bolt all the way, and by hand try to push the barrel in as far as it would go, while maintaining pressure and tightening the screw. Hard to do at the range when I have no vise. I wanted to be safe, so I used live rounds while pointing down range. First time I did it, I noticed that the headspacing got a little loose, and I was getting light strikes, so I just kept pushing it in a little more until I stopped getting light strikes and consistent firing.

You mentioned that the Winchester 52D has one of the tightest chambers where the rifling begins, and that's the part that's taking the most effort, pushing the round fully in. I have no issue pulling the bolt down one it's forward enough. None of my rims look crushed, so it seems like I might have headspaced right ,it's just a really tight chamber...

When you're loading rounds, is it pretty smooth and easy on your IBI barrel?

 

[Kisssofdeath]

I'll play with it again on Friday... I was pretty sure I did that. I would get the round fully seated, then close the bolt all the way, and by hand try to push the barrel in as far as it would go, while maintaining pressure and tightening the screw. Hard to do at the range when I have no vise. I wanted to be safe, so I used live rounds while pointing down range. First time I did it, I noticed that the headspacing got a little loose, and I was getting light strikes, so I just kept pushing it in a little more until I stopped getting light strikes and consistent firing. Sounds like you are doing it right.

You mentioned that the Winchester 52D has one of the tightest chambers where the rifling begins, and that's the part that's taking the most effort, pushing the round fully in. I have no issue pulling the bolt down one it's forward enough. None of my rims look crushed, so it seems like I might have headspaced right ,it's just a really tight chamber... Yes, that is correct. To my knowledge the 52D chamber rifling starts before any other SAAMI spec 22 lr chamber. I will be shipping my barrel back today and the replacement barrel will have the 52D chamber. I also requested a .7000" barrel shank to fit my receiver. If you have your barrel off again please measure your shank, I'd be very curious to know what it measures.

When you're loading rounds, is it pretty smooth and easy on your IBI barrel?

Loading is very smooth. I do not have any lead shaving or scaring. I would also mention that it's this way with the factory barrel and my Tikka #3 is the same. This may have more to do with the ejector than anything else.

 

[littlepod]

Loading is very smooth. I do not have any lead shaving or scaring. I would also mention that it's this way with the factory barrel and my Tikka #3 is the same. This may have more to do with the ejector than anything else.

Hmm I noticed a ton of wax build up on the bottom of the barrel, basically where the eley rounds kind of scraped a bit. I haven't touched the spring since I replaced the barrel. My factory tikka did feed really smoothly. I'll have to muck with it more some more. Lots of tinkering.

The same amount of force a dowel rod needs to push the round into the Win52d chamber, is about the same amount of force I need to push my bolt forward, so that's the part that's hard. Might just be the chambering. I saw some new anschutz at matches require a bit more forward nudges before they could cam the bolt down to get it seated forward enough. At work all day, and tomorrow. I might be able to get an hour of sunlight at the range on Friday if I get lucky.

 

[littlepod]

I cleaned my barrel last night. First cleaning since I got it, 400 rounds through it. A few wet patches of C4 Rimfire Blend, let it sit for 15min, then a few dry patches. I got some boxes of SK Rifle Match and Center-X to test today, and I wanted to see how long it'd take to foul and what the cold bore shot was. Went to the range, loaded up my remaining SK Standard + that I shot yesterday (2.1 mil at 100 yards), and started shooting. I thought it was my fouling shots that were causing it to shot low, 7 shots later -

There are 7holes there, then I went back and dialed up .4, and left .2 and that's the #3 target with the 3 remaining bullets in the magazine. I then switched over to Rifle Match, SK LRM, and Center-X.

I loaded up 30 rounds for each ammo type, and shot 5 fouling rounds into this sheet, and the other 25 on the 5x5:

SK Rifle Match.. horizontal was good for the most part, first group, first shot (6shot of rifle match, flew to the left, maybe still needed more fouling, I don't know. Next few groups just had some variances in vertical, but horizontal was fine, maybe just a bad lot / SD variation.

Then switched to SK LRM for 30 rounds (5 shots fouling, 25 shots on paper)

First shot on paper, went really high (6th shot of the ammo) Ignoring the outlier groups, it shot okay.

Lastly I shot center-X. I figured I'd do a 6x5 for it to see how it holds up. I then also shot the remaining box on the paper I was doing my fouling/poi shots on.

Center-X, 100 yards, 6x5. 0.76" average, .52" smallest group.

Shot the remaining box on the other paper.

Looks like time to go center-x lot hunting.

 

[Kisssofdeath]

That is fantastic shooting for 100 yards.

 

[kthomas]

@Kisssofdeath IBI chipped their Eley EPS reamer and won't be able to make any more Eley EPS for a few months while they get a new reamer so they only have Winchester 52D available.

What do you think I should do? Wait for Eley EPS, or do you think Win52d will shoot as good?

How do they only have one reamer? That's really weird, especially if they are pumping out barrels. I would hope that they are replacing reamers often and not cutting chambers with worn out reamers. I would think that they would have more on hand.

 

[Paul_T]

T1x barrels are new for them. I would suppose they started with 1 of each Eley EPS and Win 52D to gauge interest.

It's not a large operation and good reamers are made to order....

About us

At International Barrels not only do we enjoy making fine barrels but we enjoy shooting them too! Our mission is to make the best shooting barrels possible, and get them into your hands in a reasonable and timely manner. Tim Tim is our head barrel maker. With over 35 years experience in...

www.internationalbarrels.ca

 

[littlepod]

Mucked with headspacing... at first really fubared up my extraction, I think it was slightly canted and I couldn't get the spent casing out... had to pry it out with my fingers... After I mucked with it some more, 200 rounds, 0 FTF and 0 FTE.

5, 6x5's, all sub moa @ 100 yards. I am impressed by this barrel.
100 yards
35 degrees out, freaking cold.
And foggy.... maybe I shoot better in the fog lol.

SK Biathlon Sport .81 MOA
Pistol Match Special .73 MOA
SK Rifle Match .92 MOA
Lapua Pistol King .66 MOA
Lapua Center-X .76 MOA

 

[Near miss]

5, 6x5's, all sub moa @ 100 yards. I am impressed by this barrel.
100 yards
35 degrees out, freaking cold.
And foggy.... maybe I shoot better in the fog lol.

I enjoy shooting when it rains/snows/is foggy because they allow to see wind movement exceptionally well.

 

[R Moran]

KOD, slightly off topic, and I probably should start an new thread, but...

How do you think the Tikka, with and without the uograded barrel and stock, compares to say..a Sako P94S or Anschutz 64 Silhouette?

 

[swish]

Little pod, KOD, I’ve got the bull barrel with the EPS chamber, on my 455 though not my T1X. My Tikka shoots good so I didn’t want to mess with it.
I’ve had good luck with Eley sport and flatnose basic. The cci sv is hard to to chamber in my barrel as well.
Dave.

 

[littlepod]

Little pod, KOD, I’ve got the bull barrel with the EPS chamber, on my 455 though not my T1X. My Tikka shoots good so I didn’t want to mess with it.
I’ve had good luck with Eley sport and flatnose basic. The cci sv is hard to to chamber in my barrel as well.
Dave.

Did the barrel improve your 455?

 

[swish]

I would say yes, although I didn’t try shooting it as I bought just the action off of nutz,?

 

[Droptiner]

Soaked in PB Blaster for 24 hours. First screw came loose very easily. Second one, not so much. Now what do I do?

 

[littlepod]

Heat gun out any loctite and try again.

 

[louu]

Soaked in PB Blaster for 24 hours. First screw came loose very easily. Second one, not so much. Now what do I do?
View attachment 7735853

Impact driver screw driver

 

[Droptiner]

But how do I get the broken bit out?

Heat gun out any loctite and try again.

 

[louu]

Here's one https://www.amazon.com/KAIFNT-Manua...ocphy=9007470&hvtargid=pla-1144411985009&th=1

 

[louu]

But how do I get the broken bit out?

I've only broken two bits like that and I've gotten both of them out with compressed air. I have heard that you can also use a can of the duster spray turned upside down to freeze it a little bit then hit it with the air compressor.

 

[louu]

Your order of this repair should be
1, obviously get the broken bit out
2. Take out the other two screws and put antisize on them
3. Put the other two screws back in and make them TIGHT
4 Take out the middle screw and then the other two

 

[littlepod]

I've only broken two bits like that and I've gotten both of them out with compressed air. I have heard that you can also use a can of the duster spray turned upside down to freeze it a little bit then hit it with the air compressor.

I also made sure to buy something high grade when I did this given how much I heard about it being hard -

https://amzn.to/3qcsKcA

 

[Droptiner]

Thanks for the replies gentleman, greatly appreciated. I'll regroup and attack tomorrow.

 

[Droptiner]

Now we’re cooking with peanut oil PB Blaster + Hair dryer + manual impact driver (and impact bits) = a 5 minute job. Now I gotta get this barrel out. Heat the action and tap it out with a wooden dowel I presume.

 

[Droptiner]

Update: I cannot get that barrel out of the receiver. I have a 1/2 wooden dowel which is the perfect size, I have clamped it in a vice numerous different ways. I tried the PB Blaster overnight. The only thing I can think of is maybe my old lady's hair dryer isn't getting the receiver hot enough to loosen up the adhesive? We've even tried getting 3 dudes with rubber arrow pullers to try and turn it to crack it loose. Any advice?

 

[6.5SH]

Have access to some nitro based model airplane fuel? Nitro-methane is the active ingredient in the loc-tite remover they sell, but ~$80 a bottle is a lot for one time use.

 

[littlepod]

Update: I cannot get that barrel out of the receiver. I have a 1/2 wooden dowel which is the perfect size, I have clamped it in a vice numerous different ways. I tried the PB Blaster overnight. The only thing I can think of is maybe my old lady's hair dryer isn't getting the receiver hot enough to loosen up the adhesive? We've even tried getting 3 dudes with rubber arrow pullers to try and turn it to crack it loose. Any advice?

Yeh get a heat gun. It's glue that needs to be melted to get that barrel out.

 

[Droptiner]

Update: We heated up the receiver with a propane torch quite hot and it still will not budge. I even shattered the wooden dowel. the 1/2" dowel is the exact same size as the barrel so we're making maximum surface area. I'm at a loss now. At this point, I don't care about the factory barrel I just want the moral satisfaction of getting it out of the receiver.

 

[littlepod]

Update: We heated up the receiver with a propane torch quite hot and it still will not budge. I even shattered the wooden dowel. the 1/2" dowel is the exact same size as the barrel so we're making maximum surface area. I'm at a loss now. At this point, I don't care about the factory barrel I just want the moral satisfaction of getting it out of the receiver.

You applied heat right at the area of the screws?

I didn't do much besides the heat and then knocking it out. I don't have any other suggestions except some sort of barrel vise, heat, and then again twisting it off, pulling it off.

 

[srt-4_uk]

Action in vise
socket with an OD close to internal diameter of action
extension
Hammer

I did that with mine when it got stubborn. There was some bluing removed but no damage to the breechface or feed ramp