tikka t3 22-250 help

2

22350gvmax

New member
Ok well I got my new 22-250 and took it to the range and was very unhappy with the results. At 100yds I am lucky to shoot a 4inch group. At 200yds I had shot a 12 inch 4 shot group. I have no idea what is going on. The rifling is a 1:14 twist and im using 50 grain bullets. I shot hornady vmaxs and winchester ballistic tips. I shot and cleaned after every 5 shot group for a box and a half of ammo and it just got worse and worse for accuracy. Do you think there are problems with my bullet choice or am I cleaning too much? I just have never had a problem like this. I dont know if temperature would change it. It was 0 degrees F out but no wind. My t3 in 7mm shoots amazing all 3 shots touching at 100yds all day long but this wont even shoot 2inch groups at 100.
 
Alittle more info on your ammo might help. Is it the pro-varmint or just the standard varmint? I have the standard varmint and it shoots very well. Check your bases, rings, scope. Lots of variables here and not alot of info.
 
when I got my Tikka 22-250 varmint I shot the white box winchester at 100 yards and the best that I could do was about 2 inch group then I switched to winchester supreme and the group went down to about 1/2 - 3/4" groups. I have shot Hornaday 40-50 gr federal 50gr and winchester 40-50 gr and they all shoot very good. The best was the winchester supreme 40gr ballistic tips and that was a 5 shot group the size of a dime but now winchester doesn't make that anymore.

Your might want to look into diffent ammo and really check out your scope and make sure you don't have a problem with it.

You should be able to get up to about 60gr bullets and still group good.
 
Its a t3 lite I bought it because I wanted a light calling gun. As for the ammunition they were standard hornady v-max loads factory loaded by hornady. The winchesters were factory supreme ballistic silver tips. As for the scope I have had zero issues with it. Its a nikon buckmasters 4.5x14 mil-dot. I just gave the gun a good cleaning and I am going back to the range tomorrow to shoot again. I am really wondering how many rounds you guys shoot before you clean, I think I might be cleaning excesive I know my 7mm loses accuracy after 6 shots including the fouling shot thats why I cleaned the 250 so much. I noticed it too 2 fouling shots to make it group even close. First is always low and second is always high and right of the grouping. I have some remington accutips I am going to try but since they are a vmax I dont think they will change much from the hornadys but we will see.
 
All my Tikkas shoot better dirty and all of them take about 200 rounds to "settle" in.
Is the recoil lug seated properly? About a year ago I bought a 338 federal Tikka T3 from a guy. It would not group at a glance I saw that the barrel was way away from the stock and I asked him about the recoil lug. He had taken the stock off, He told me I was full of crap so I offered him 350 for the rifle, before we removed the scope I took the stock off, set the recoil lug and shot a group just over an inch.
NO, I would not let him take the rifle back. Big Rat aint I!! Otherwise, if everything is tight and right it sounds like it will have to go back to the Factory.
Carl
 
The recoil lug is good. It is the same as my 7mm by the looks of things. I am going to the range tomorrow. I am thinking about 10 shots before I even worry about how it looks on paper I will make my decision from there. I gave it a good cleaning so we will see. I am going to look at the lug one more time tonight. Thanks for the advise guys I will let you know how I do. I am in no way unhappy with the gun it my just be a lemon from the factory or else I am just cleaning it way too much.
 
most of the posts I have seen rant and rave about the accuracy of the t3s I have one in .223 and one in .243 both will shoot 1/2 inch groups and neither is picky about types of ammo.

I would almost bet you will find it is something besides the gun causing the problem

All tikkas are tested to shoot moa or better and are guaranteed before they leave the factory.

Dave
 
Thats what I was thinking too but I have no idea what it could be. Scope is tight and everything. I would have said shooter error but I had my 22lr there too and was shooting it just as good as always. I lightened the trigger up some to to see if that could benefit me. Like I said Im headed back tomorrow morning to see what it could be. It shot decent when I first started shooting it and then all of a sudden accuracy was shot to heck. I was shooting about 1.5 at 100ys for my first 100yd group then after that the groups just started expanding. I looked for damage around the crown from cleaning possibly, but it looks just like it did when I first got it with no marks.
 
well since I have an attitude about it, I'd say first thing is take that Nikon piece of crap..........
ooooops sorry
I hope you get it working It must be something simple OR it is a factory problem.
keep reporting please!
Carl
 
Groups were big today as well starting out. After a box and a half of shells through it with out cleaning the groups shrunk down to less than 1 inch. I guess this gun just likes to be dirty.
 
I had a similar experience with a new Sako 75 Varmint. I was over cleaning. As a matter of fact, I was WAY WAY over cleaning while trying to complete a barrel break-in procedure and stupidly stripping out all of the copper. (I don't do barrel break-ins on Sakos any longer.) Sakos and Tikkas like it dirty. They don't need many rounds to settle in either. Mine relaxed at about 75-100 rounds. Stay away from the bore brush until accuracy goes to crap. Leave some copper in it in the meantime. Occasionally knock out the powder with a patch.

In summary, the best thing I did was put away the bore brush. It shoots 1/4" to 1/3" groups when I keep my grubby hands out of the barrel.
 
Go buy a box of remington Accutip premier 50grainers. If it won't shoot those then there is a problem. The several tikka 22-250s that I know of , including mine put these in the same hole at 50 yards and right at 1/2" at 100.
 
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