Tikka 6.5 CTR Question

[Eoddave27]

I was torn about if I should post this here or in the reloading forum and decided on here since I think more CTR owners will see it. Anyway, so I bought a 6.5 Creedmoor Tikka CTR with the 20” barrel. I dropped it in a KRG Bravo with a jet blast break and a Sig Tango 6. I absolutely love the rifle and it is amazingly accurate. The issue I’m having is what a lot of people complain about with Tikkas. I’m just not getting the velocities I need. I shot a H4350 load that I was getting about 2750fps out of my 22” barreled Creedmoor with and the Tikka is getting 2475FPS. I also have some 123gr loads with Varget that shoot a little closer to what I would expect after losing 2” of barrel length but still not great. I just wanted to see what powder bullet combo guys with the 20” CTR are shooting the get decent velocities. I’m going to try some RL17 this week but I don’t really care for it because it seems pretty temperature sensitive. I’m also thinking about a 123 or 129 load with H4350. RL16 is on my radar too but I will need to buy some of that first. Are there any powder bullet combinations I should be looking at to get an accurate load with decent velocity? I’m not trying to hot rod the load. Accuracy is more important to me than speed to a point. I would like to at least be able to get 2650 out of a 140gr and 2850 out of a 123gr if possible with out beating my brass to death.

 

[Lunchbox27]

Former 20” Factory Tikka here. Get reloader16. 17 is not temp stable. I got swings of 60+ fps from 40 degree days to 85.

With RL16 I got 2680 with the 140’s. Shoot it a bunch and when you are ready spin a new barrel on it. I did.

For what its worth, that barrel didn’t hold me back at distance. Just a lil more wind hold.

 

[patriotnation]

I have a Tikka CTR in a Bravo with a Tango 6 30x scope as well but I have a 24" barrel 6.5 creedmoor. I only get about 2625 fps from H4350 driving a SMK 142 grain @ 40.7 grains of powder using Lapua SRP brass and CCI 450 magnum primer. I love the rifle as well. My rifle has better accuracy it seems with the heavier bullets so I don't care much about speed. The 142's have a great BC. It shoots well to 1000 yards which is the most I am able to reach out to. I have been doing some PRS matches and the temperature starts out in the morning cool and gets to high 70's so I stick with H4350. I just did my 4th match ever Saturday and had my best score yet. I really like the Tikka. I am not sure why they shoot slower than some barrels, you can't argue with the accuracy though.
2475 seems decent for a 20" barrel, is that a 140 grain bullet? or 123

 

[Codiekfx400]

I agree that 20” barrels best friend is RL16. I shoot RL16 and a 135 Berger classic hunter in mine.

 

[Steel+Killer]

Tikkas are notoriously slow. I have the 20" and 24" 6.5CM CTR and they are both slow compared to other rifles of the same barrel length.

 

[D46Infinity]

I too had the similar problem with my tikka 24” CTR in 6.5. It was slow but it didn’t hold me back from reaching to 1200. I just wanted more velocity for my rifle so I sent it out and had a new barrel spun up for it.

I got it back a while ago but the verdict is out on the rebarrel. It was shooting amazing before the rebarrel and now it won’t group better than 1.1”.

I’ve had a few groups that were ok but they are just not consistent at all. The barrel is a new bartlein and it seems like the smith already had excuses about why it won’t group once I called him to address my concerns.

 

[Lunchbox27]

That doesn’t sound right. Are they willing to take it back and look it over? What stock/chassis? Have you tried a different optic?

 

[Eoddave27]

I defiantly can’t complain about the accuracy. I bought it figuring it would shoot a little slow and figured I could just adjust my load to get the velocity I need.

The temperature sensitivity is why I don’t really care for RL17. I guess I will try some RL16. I can get some more velocity out of the 123’s also. The load I was using was quite a bit below the max charge weight so I may work with that a little too.

 

[D46Infinity]

That doesn’t sound right. Are they willing to take it back and look it over? What stock/chassis? Have you tried a different optic?

Lunchbox,
The rifle was originally a tikka TSR in a mcrees chassis. I had a manners prs with a mini chassis made up. So it went out to the smith and they rebarreled it and installed the manners.

I was swamped for almost 2 months at work and finally took it out and it would not group. I swapped optics off another rifle and I got the same results.

I tried just about every factory match ammo in it. Hornady eld-m in both 140, 147, federal gold metal with 130 Berger’s, and 140 smk. I did try to load up some 140 hybrids with terrible results. Me and my match partner abd fellow rifle instructor both shot it.

I called the company that did the work and they told me that the owner likes to do all warranty work and he would call me back. It was over the weekend and I get a call from thier sales guy and he tells me that the owner said that if there is a problem with it not grouping it is probably likely to there being a problem with the receiver not being straight and if so there is nothing they can do.

So I ended up talking to a few other Smith’s I trust, and all said that is a very small chance but there are a lot of other things that they would check before blaming the receiver as being bad especially if it shot under .5 before being rebarreled. So I took their advice and cleaned it really well and took it out just to confirm it was not a fouling issue. Again the same results.

So I called back the smith and told them I was not happy with their work. So they told me to send it in, but I’m pretty sure it’s going to be that the receiver is bad as that is what they told me over the phone already.

Honestly the quality of thier work was not the best when I got the rifle in the first place and I should have sent it in when I first got it but I figured I would see if it shoots good and if so I would live with a few of the cosmetic blemishes.

The stock where the rear tank of the receiver sits had been chipped and you can see white spots from the base material of my stock. Also where the installed the barrel they left a small line between the barrel and receiver where the barrel is unfinished without any ceracoat. It’s small but noticeable. I told the sales guy if it’s going back and i paid for a new stock and a ceracoat job they need to fix that too.

I shipped it back to them and I think it was delivered today. Anyway just me venting so thanks for listening.

 

[Lunchbox27]

Totally understand! I too have had similar issues with a few smiths. You pay good money and you want it done right. They need to make that right. I would ask for them to shoot some groups with it before sending it back.

My recent experience has driven me to save for a custom action and order shouldered pre-fits from here on out.

Let me know how it works out.

OP: sorry for the hijack.

 

[b6graham]

Totally understand! I too have had similar issues with a few smiths. You pay good money and you want it done right. They need to make that right. I would ask for them to shoot some groups with it before sending it back.

My recent experience has driven me to save for a custom action and order shouldered pre-fits from here on out.

Let me know how it works out.

OP: sorry for the hijack.

Well the nice thing is you can get shouldered or barrel nut prefits for tikka from several well known smiths. And install them yourself

 

[wade2big]

Well the nice thing is you can get shouldered or barrel nut prefits for tikka from several well known smiths. And install them yourself

Where can you get the shouldered prefits? I called Keystone Accuracy yesterday and was told they won’t chamber a Tikka sight unseen due to tolerances.

The only two places I have seen are Carbon One (carbon barrels) and Dallas Rifles (imports Hardy barrels).

 

[Tunnuh]

I ordered a prefit from Tim at Solid Accuracy a couple weeks ago, but he's waiting for more barrels and I should have it next month. I've read good things, and it seems straight forward to do yourself.

» Tikka Pre-fit Barrels

www.solidaccuracy.com

 

[Estes640]

Where can you get the shouldered prefits? I called Keystone Accuracy yesterday and was told they won’t chamber a Tikka sight unseen due to tolerances.

The only two places I have seen are Carbon One (carbon barrels) and Dallas Rifles (imports Hardy barrels).

I believe proof research is doing shouldered barrels as well

 

[Tunnuh]

I believe proof research is doing shouldered barrels as well

I only saw sporter barrels available, but if they have HV that would be awesome!

 

[Estes640]

I only saw spotter barrels available, but if they have HV that would be awesome!

I haven’t seen them yet, but I know it was something they released. It will probably be similar to the TL3 barrels where they slowly released. Started with only carbon and then moved to more options would be my guess.

 

[tree man]

Mine is at 2550 with a 143 eldx over 41.5 of H4350
20” ctr
Factory hornady 140 eld match was actually faster at 2600 but not as accurate

 

[Eoddave27]

5 rounds 38.5 g of Varget behind a 123 ELDM. Not a screaming fast load but with this kind of accuracy I don’t really care. It will get me out to 1000yards. I still need to work up a 140g load but I think this one is a winner for the 123. I shot 5 groups like this with the largest being .3”. Average of the groups was right around .25. Man I love this rifle.