New caliber selection

[warboar21]

^^^^^ I agree. Warboar, I really like that overlapping cartridge collection. Are you married? If so, I need your pointers on how to convince my wife I need another rifle in a different caliber.

Indeed I am married. Early in our marriage my wife would get bent out of shape and ask why I needed a new rifle. All I did was go to the closet and look at all her purses and then look at all the watches she had. I didn't say a word, just looked. She started laughing and has never questioned my gun purchases since. Nor have I questioned her jewelry or purses or anything else she buys. As long as bills are paid, money put into our son's college fund and savings, we are able to use our fun money as we see fit.
I am lucky to have her because I know many people who don't have that sort of arraignment.

 

[Rhino55]

Warboar 21. it sounds like you covered all the bases. I would take to a gun smith and have him check if the receiver was square and the barrel face is square. My friend is bringing me his Remington 7mm SPS and I'm tearing it down to square it up for him. I own a lathe and a mill. No need to rebarrel it if the receiver is not square.

 

[SArnold30]

Indeed I am married. Early in our marriage my wife would get bent out of shape and ask why I needed a new rifle. All I did was go to the closet and look at all her purses and then look at all the watches she had. I didn't say a word, just looked. She started laughing and has never questioned my gun purchases since. Nor have I questioned her jewelry or purses or anything else she buys. As long as bills are paid, money put into our son's college fund and savings, we are able to use our fun money as we see fit.
I am lucky to have her because I know many people who don't have that sort of arraignment.

Sound advice and philosophy!
I'm still pretty early in my marriage, but it bodes well that she encourages my hunting, so I'll give your tactics a try.

 

[DJ Fergus]

I bought a Tikka T3 7MM Rem Mag about 4 years ago. I have tried and tried to get this rifle to shoot but it just never shot well enough for me. I've tried several different bullet and powder combinations and found two bullets that it would shoot. Neither one of the bullets are what I was wanting so I ended up putting the gun in the safe and moving on to something different.

I am looking at re-barreling the Tikka and have been thinking hard on which caliber I want to go with. I had thought about going with another 7mm Rem Mag barrel as this would be logical since I already have the dies, brass, and everything needed for loading it. But then I start thinking of building something else. I have been thinking hard on two calibers in particular.

The first caliber I was looking at was the 257 Weatherby with a fast twist barrel around 26" long. I have a first generation Remington Sendero in 25-06 and love everything about it except the weight. I have taken everything from Pronghorn to Elk with the rifle but the gun is heavier than I like.
My brother has a 257 Weatherby and has also harvested quite a few deer and elk with it and loves the rifle.
I was thinking I could put a faster twist barrel on it and take advantage of the sleek heavy VLD bullets to really take advantage of the Caliber.

The second caliber I am looking at is the 270 WSM. Again I would go with a 24"-26" fast twist barrel to take advantage of the long VLD bullets. I was thinking with the long action of the Tikka I could really take advantage of seating the 170gr EOL out there and gain the extra velocity.

I am leaning pretty heavily towards the WSM as brass and other reloading components were easier to get a hold of prior to the current situation. I appreciate any and all feedback you all have.

It would be the perfect platform for a 7mm SS or a long throated 7mm saum, 6.5 saum or 6.5 SS.

 

[warboar21]

Warboar 21. it sounds like you covered all the bases. I would take to a gun smith and have him check if the receiver was square and the barrel face is square. My friend is bringing me his Remington 7mm SPS and I'm tearing it down to square it up for him. I own a lathe and a mill. No need to rebarrel it if the receiver is not square.

The gun shoots straight, just not grouping well and low velocities. The one thing I didn't do was to slug the bore or take a chamber cast. Either way the barrel is being pulled and going to be replaced with something else.

 

[dtt0862]

My Tikka T3X 7 MM Rem Mag shoots Barnes 150 TTSX over H1000, Hornady brass, and Winchester primers consistently at 1/2 to 3/4 MOA. Never took it out past 400 yards.

 

[BigDon]

Rhino55 is right. The object of scorn here, so far, has been the barrel. If the receiver isn't true, a re-Barrel won't solve the problem. Then you're back to square one plus more money and angst.

 

[22250imp]

I bought a Tikka T3 7MM Rem Mag about 4 years ago. I have tried and tried to get this rifle to shoot but it just never shot well enough for me. I've tried several different bullet and powder combinations and found two bullets that it would shoot. Neither one of the bullets are what I was wanting so I ended up putting the gun in the safe and moving on to something different.

I am looking at re-barreling the Tikka and have been thinking hard on which caliber I want to go with. I had thought about going with another 7mm Rem Mag barrel as this would be logical since I already have the dies, brass, and everything needed for loading it. But then I start thinking of building something else. I have been thinking hard on two calibers in particular.

The first caliber I was looking at was the 257 Weatherby with a fast twist barrel around 26" long. I have a first generation Remington Sendero in 25-06 and love everything about it except the weight. I have taken everything from Pronghorn to Elk with the rifle but the gun is heavier than I like.
My brother has a 257 Weatherby and has also harvested quite a few deer and elk with it and loves the rifle.
I was thinking I could put a faster twist barrel on it and take advantage of the sleek heavy VLD bullets to really take advantage of the Caliber.

The second caliber I am looking at is the 270 WSM. Again I would go with a 24"-26" fast twist barrel to take advantage of the long VLD bullets. I was thinking with the long action of the Tikka I could really take advantage of seating the 170gr EOL out there and gain the extra velocity.

I am leaning pretty heavily towards the WSM as brass and other reloading components were easier to get a hold of prior to the current situation. I appreciate any and all feedback you all have.

I have and love a 257 weatherby but in my humble opinion it is a little light for elk. Not saying it can't do the job, but a heavier bullet will do it better so I would lean towards a 6.5 PRC as a minimum but strongly look at the 270's or 7's . Even maybe push on into one of the 30's. They are very versatile. Of course the biggest factor is what will work with your action. Am thinking a 300 mag should work beings it was a 7 mag. The wonderful thing about today's world of firearms. Sooo many options.

 

[22250imp]

I have and love a 257 weatherby but in my humble opinion it is a little light for elk. Not saying it can't do the job, but a heavier bullet will do it better so I would lean towards a 6.5 PRC as a minimum but strongly look at the 270's or 7's . Even maybe push on into one of the 30's. They are very versatile. Of course the biggest factor is what will work with your action. Am thinking a 300 mag should work beings it was a 7 mag. The wonderful thing about today's world of firearms. Sooo many options.

Hadn't read your post on the calibers you already have. If you like the quarter bores by all means go for the 257 weatherby. It is a great caliber.

 

[jarnold37]

I have done all kinds of things. I have tried two different scopes, I have used two different sets of rings, I have pulled the rifle from the stock and made sure there was nothing touching the barrel. I took a little more material out of the barrel channel just to make sure nothing was touching. I ensured the actions screws were torqued down to recommended specs. I borrowed my friends bore scope to ensure the barrel didn't look like the last Remington I bought with messed up rifling 2/3rds up the barrel and all kinds of tool chatter. The barrel was smooth and the lands and grooves looked perfect.
I have tried Sierra, Hornady, Berger, Barnes, Nosler, and Swift. I tried all of them at various seating depths. I've tried just about every powder combo one can think of.

The only factory load that shot worth a darn was the Sellior & Belliot 140gr round nose. I had three rounds touching in a nice clover leaf. I bought this box of ammo as the cheapest thing I could find for rifle sight in and barrel break in. I have found that the 150gr Nosler Ballistic Tips will shoot slightly over an inch consistently. I also have to keep the velocities down under 2900fps to achieve this.

I have put an honest effort into this rifle and like I said i'm done with the 7mm Mag barrel that is on it now. Besides the Remington with the sewer pipe barrel i've only had one other rifle that wouldn't shoot and that is a Howa chambered in 6.5x55. The throat is so long on it that you can not seat a bullet out far enough to get close enough to the lands with anything i've tried. I need to have that barrel pulled and have it set back and recut the chamber. It's also in the back of the safe next to the Tikka.

I had a similar experience a few years ago. I had a custom single shot action with a heavy quality barrel. Initially it would shoot 3 literally in one hole. Then accuracy got worse. I changed scopes, I recrowned, and even rechambered. Nothing helped. Then, as a last resort, I loosened and tightened the back screw and noticed movement. The bedding. I was certainly surprised as it had been glass bedded, and with a single shot it had ample bedding surface. Bedding can be a culprit sometime. If action screws are the least bit loose when gun is fired, it seems to start wallowing and gets bad quickly. With a floated barrel, all of the support is on the action, and the screws are pulling at a 90° from the recoil force which can allow movement Just my experience. Maybe something to look at.

 

[skipglo]

I have done all kinds of things. I have tried two different scopes, I have used two different sets of rings, I have pulled the rifle from the stock and made sure there was nothing touching the barrel. I took a little more material out of the barrel channel just to make sure nothing was touching. I ensured the actions screws were torqued down to recommended specs. I borrowed my friends bore scope to ensure the barrel didn't look like the last Remington I bought with messed up rifling 2/3rds up the barrel and all kinds of tool chatter. The barrel was smooth and the lands and grooves looked perfect.
I have tried Sierra, Hornady, Berger, Barnes, Nosler, and Swift. I tried all of them at various seating depths. I've tried just about every powder combo one can think of.

The only factory load that shot worth a darn was the Sellior & Belliot 140gr round nose. I had three rounds touching in a nice clover leaf. I bought this box of ammo as the cheapest thing I could find for rifle sight in and barrel break in. I have found that the 150gr Nosler Ballistic Tips will shoot slightly over an inch consistently. I also have to keep the velocities down under 2900fps to achieve this.

I have put an honest effort into this rifle and like I said i'm done with the 7mm Mag barrel that is on it now. Besides the Remington with the sewer pipe barrel i've only had one other rifle that wouldn't shoot and that is a Howa chambered in 6.5x55. The throat is so long on it that you can not seat a bullet out far enough to get close enough to the lands with anything i've tried. I need to have that barrel pulled and have it set back and recut the chamber. It's also in the back of the safe next to the Tikka.

Did you check your scope base blocks!

 

[Big Guy]

I had a similar experience a few years ago. I had a custom single shot action with a heavy quality barrel. Initially it would shoot 3 literally in one hole. Then accuracy got worse. I changed scopes, I recrowned, and even rechambered. Nothing helped. Then, as a last resort, I loosened and tightened the back screw and noticed movement. The bedding. I was certainly surprised as it had been glass bedded, and with a single shot it had ample bedding surface. Bedding can be a culprit sometime. If action screws are the least bit loose when gun is fired, it seems to start wallowing and gets bad quickly. With a floated barrel, all of the support is on the action, and the screws are pulling at a 90° from the recoil force which can allow movement Just my experience. Maybe something to look at.

I full length bed every rifle I own, never liked a floater. Look at the old m70,s they have a barrel screw half way down the stock to lock it in tight. And. It works.

 

[Rflshootr]

If it were me, I'd have a new crown cut and give it one last try with the best load you had previously.

 

[Grandhunter]

SArnold30, Replace need with want. That worked for me.....LOL.