Tikka 243 tight chamber, bolt hard to close?

[WEATHERBY460]

I bought some Nosler factory ammo, and have an issue. The bolt is either hard to close or wont close at all on about 5 out of 20 rounds from a box of factory ammo. I tried some winchester ammo, and had the same issue, but not as bad.

Using a hornady head space comparator (the tool that attaches to a caliper jaw), the gun will chamber rounds at 1.626" just fine. 1.628" and the bolt closes very hard, but will close. At 1.630", the bolt wont close at all.

Is it the ammo, or do I have a tight chamber?

 

[D̷e̷v̷i̷l̷D̷o̷c̷A̷Z̷]

New Rifle or something you have shot before?

Two boxes of factory ammo from two different manufacturers?

Send it back. These things happen.

 

[WEATHERBY460]

Send the gun back or ammo back? The gun is 10 years old, but I haven't shot it alot.

 

[Downtown]

The NoGo gauge for a .243 Win is 1.634, so I believe you've a tight chamber.

 

[D̷e̷v̷i̷l̷D̷o̷c̷A̷Z̷]

Send the gun back or ammo back? The gun is 10 years old, but I haven't shot it alot.

I thought it was a new gun.

If it’s the Ammo and you just purchased it and all other ammo the past 10 years have worked I’d suspect the new ammo.

 

[918v]

You can’t measure headspace accurately using a Hornady comparator. Get some quality go/nogo gauges and check headspace that way rather than spending more money sending it back only to find out it’s the ammo.

 

[pell1203]

^^^^^
This +1

 

[goober23]

This could be because of an over torqued barrel from the factory. I had a similar experience with my T3 CTR, but not as bad as you. I checked headspace with a go gauge and it was too tight to close the bolt. In preparation for a prefit barrel I had coming, I removed my barrel for the first time since it was installed from the factory. When I torqued the factory barrel back on with 75ftlbs and checked headspace, the go gauge was able to close just fine.

 

[Milo 2.5]

I would find different ammo to try. I had the same issue, on a Tikka forrester 243 with Nosler ammo.
At least chamber a tighter fitting rd, eject it and make sure the bullet is not contacting the rifling. Tikka known for fucked up throats, or short throats.