Tikka Customer Service or Lack Thereof

[Muddyboots]

Redhawk1,
Maybe I should let you give them a call for me :-D I have re-sent the emails several more times to Sako, Berreta and Tikka to no avail. I am glad someone is at least getting service. No matter, the T-3 just doesn't get it done for me.
Muddyboots

[RLFarmer]

I e-mailed Beretta about the Tikka Laminate.  I did receive a reply.  It only took them TWO MONTHS to do it.

[Deep Impact]

Maybe I should let you give them a call for me

Thanks for posting those and welcome to the forum.

 Hi Guys and thanks for the welcome  Sorry about the venting!!! No bad feelings i hope!
I'm interested in a T3 Laminated Stainless myself so i don't like the news about the excessive freebore on this Models. I will take a closer look and measure the camber of a new one myself.

Muddyboots: Try to contact this guy.  Pentti.Louhisola@sako.fi
Good Luck!!!

[Muddyboots]

Deep Impact,
Thanks for the help. I reviewed your email and the fella from Sako basically confirms my thoughts on the T-3. There are no headspace issues and never stated there were any. Accuracy never an issue. Just free bore taking away the added performance of the 300 WSM so it might as well be an 06. He stated the loss of velocity is no big deal. Normally I would agree but when it is in a caliber that the added velocity sets it apart from the 06 then it is a big deal. I might as well or in retrospect should have bought an 06. I will send him an email explaining again the issue. These discussions are always fun and keeps you thinking forward. I travel quite a bit so I don't always get time to see what's up on the board but I will post up if I get a response. Welcome to the board, I think you will find it at least entertaining if not informative.
Muddyboots

[tonke73]

does anyone have more info on the velocity loss issue. I was planning to get the .270 or .300 WSM.

[Zachary]

Yea, I too was hoping that Muddyboots got another response.

Hey Muddyboots, did you hear anything?

Zachary

[ought6]

I know that this thread is all but dead.  However, I found it very interesting since I have had my T3 300WSM for about a year.  I've been reloading since I was 18 (now 53).  When tried to find the lands by loading a dummy with a long bullet, I thought I'd never touch them, but I finally did.  I did chronograph some factory WW 180 sp's and found that they were about 50 - 75 fps below stated velocities.  Measuring the freebore, it reminded me of how Weatherby was able to get so much more velocity from their rounds (besides more case capacity).  Weatherby's are notorious for their freebore, so their rounds can be loaded with more powder.  

I called Sierra (because I love their bullets) and talked to their techs about the freebore and my loads.  They agreed that I could increase by very small increments (half grain) above the max book loads.  (I'd already loaded and shot max loads with absolutely no pressure signs.)  As a result, the freebore allowed me to shoot the Sierra 180 gr gameking's at 3000 fps with no over pressure signs.  I'm not going to give the load I used, but suffice it to say that it ended up 2 grains over max.  

Now this is what I bought a 300WSM for.  And, BTW, in grouping, the bullet holes were almost touching at 100 yds (I always shoot three shot groups on hunting rifles).   :-D

[Rogue Ram]

Why not get some cerrosafe from Brownells and make a cast of the chamber?  Cheap n easy, and that should answer a ton of questions I'd think.  I wonder if they are really getting everyone's emails? Makes you wonder.......

RR

[Buckfever]

Thank God we have you guys to keep pushing the envelope but for me it's all about shot placement.  So the loss of 100 FPS is not on my Radar screen, not to say it shouldn't be on yours.  The Tikka's I have are the most accurate guns I have ever owned and what that has done for my confidence is remarkable!!  If this headspace issue causes a problem for maximizing performance I would think the solution is to buy a different weapon or build a custom.  You should have little problem selling the weapon Tikka sells out every year and the caliber you have is very popular.  Just my 2 cents worth.  Buckfever

[Squeeze]

I have two Tikka rifles, a Whitetail Hunter in .25-06 Rem., ss/lam, and a T-3 in .223 Rem,
blued/syn, I reload, and do OAL measurments, for all loaded bullets.  In the .25-06,
I do not have any issues with seating to the lands, and getting that COL into the magazine.
Measured velocities correlate to published data.  The .223 is very new to me, but for the
one bullet I have loaded for, very early in this load development cycle, I have been able to
use my typical COL's, given the OAL measurments.  And I believe I could seat to the lands,
if the magazine allowed for that(have not checked that).  

So maybe this long throat issue is only present in WSM chambers, in Tikkas.  I will
say that given the accuracy of these two rifles, I sure wouldn't get hung up on not
being able to push another 100 fps, out of the load, or touching lands with bullets,
but I am an accuracy freak, not a velocity freak.  The .25-06 shoots a variety of
bullets in the range of .6 MOA, to .3 MOA.  Which is getting in a region that most
of this variance is the trigger work.   What little I have seen of the T-3, .223 Rem, it
leads me to believe it will shoot at least that well.

As for the customer service issue, I have yet to need it, but the one question I e-mailed
to Tikka was responded to within two days.  Having dealt with Browning a few times,
that meets, or excedes my expectations.  I wonder why Muddyboots has not gotten
answers to his questions, within a reasonable amount of time...No judgement here,
just wondering.  Incidentally, I thought the responses from the gentleman from
Sako sounded reasonable, and very pragmatic.  

On the topic of WSM, the only rifle I have in a WSM chamber is a Howa 1500, in
300 WSM, that I won at a DU Banquet.  I can reach the lands, with 150, and 168, grain
Barnes TSX bullets, but for these bullets, they really like being .050" off the lands.
I start to develop a 125 gr. Nosler Ballistic Tip load for it, for a groundhog voporizer,
and I could not reach the lands with that bullet.  I eventually scrapped the idea, since
I decided I really didn't need to get abused by this rifle, for the purpose of making
ground woodchuck.  The .25-06 TIkka is death from afar, on woodchucks, and
there isn't much to look at after an 85 gr. NBT gets done with them as it is.  
From my OAL measurements on the Howa, the throat is a bit long, too.
It must be common in the industry to cut WSMs a little long in the throat.

Squeeze

[ought6]

I didn't want to mislead in my post.  I'm not just about velocity.  My philosophy is similar to Muddyboots - I bought the 300WSM for 300 Win ballistics, otherwise, I'd have bought a 30-06.  (Which, BTW, I actually wish I had. :lol: )  So, my first order of business was to get this very accurate rifle up to speed.  However, I would not have done that at the expense of accuracy.  If my shooting irons are not accurate, they get sold!!  Life's too short to wonder where that bullet will strike when you know you've done your part. :?

The Tikka's are shooters for sure.  I really like them.  They are among the smoothest actions I've ever encountered and are light enough to carry in the woods (plains, deserts, wherever).  

Because of the minimal chamber dimensions, I had a very hard time finding FL dies that would not allow the body to expand beyond what would chamber in my rifle.  I finally bought a neck sizing die only and have not looked back.  

I'm all about accuracy, but I do expect calibers to perform as they are supposed to.  Besides, I know it is not the experience of many, but I have found that if I can get the velocity up to par, my 100yd groups shrink!!