This is a brand new Tikka TX3 lite in .308 Win. The first two shells from the magazine will cock up and the bolt jams against the case. The last shell in the magazine will barely start to feed and the bolt rides over the entire cartridge. This is the same sequence with different brands of ammo and different OALs. Yes, the magazine is fully seated. Need some help guys.
Tikka feeding problem
- Thread starter sailorjim
- Start date
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Did you try to use a different magazine?
ShtrRdy
Well-Known Member
That's very unusual for a Tikka in that case family. Basically the cartridge isn't sitting high enough in the magazine. Even though it's as high as the magazine allows. And it looks like the magazine is as high as it can go up against the bottom of the action.
Do you agree with the observations I've noted?
Do you agree with the observations I've noted?
Looks like the stock may be too tall around the action, keeping the fully seated magazine from being at the height it needs to feed properly. I'm not sure how to test this hypothesis though, unless you can take the bottom metal off and try to insert the mag and sort of hold it by hand where it actually should be.
It could also be the inverse: the mag is actually too short.
It could also be the inverse: the mag is actually too short.
brand new rifle, no spare magazines
Yep
shortgrass
Well-Known Member
Have you tried to contact Tikka? There's probably contact info in the owners manual, if you haven't already thrown it away. Try to fix it yourself or have someone else fix it and you my well void the warranty.
david g ranes
Well-Known Member
Pull the stock off and check to see if the action was sitting on top of recoil lug instead of sitting over it that could raise the action off the stock and bottom metal enough to cause your problem. David
Make sure the follower is getting full travel and not getting hung up.
Could also be not enough heel pressure from the follower spring, causing a nose-up orientation of the follower and the failure of the bolt nose to be able to engage the round.
Take a pic of the bolt fully open, showing the position of the top round relative to it.
Could also be not enough heel pressure from the follower spring, causing a nose-up orientation of the follower and the failure of the bolt nose to be able to engage the round.
Take a pic of the bolt fully open, showing the position of the top round relative to it.
Does the magazine have any play once it is inserted and locked into place? (Can it still be pushed up into the reciever any more). It looks like the mag is tilted forward which would bring the base of the cartridge lower as it was being stripped from the magazine. Try pushing up on the magazine while loading to see if this fixes it, If so, it is probably a stock or btm metal issue, keeping the mag from being seated correctly.
ridgewalker
Well-Known Member
As mentioned earlier the stock may not be fully seated to the action. I have encountered this after removing and replacing the stock. This is what I would check first.
Remove the stock and replace it making certain the recoil lug is fully seated into the action. While doing this, check for any plastic or shavings in the recoil lug groove. I would also pull out the recoil lug and check that out.
Best of luck and please let us know what you find.
Remove the stock and replace it making certain the recoil lug is fully seated into the action. While doing this, check for any plastic or shavings in the recoil lug groove. I would also pull out the recoil lug and check that out.
Best of luck and please let us know what you find.
Looks like it is correctly seated.
In the pictures the ejection port looks like it might be "high"- but looking at the bolt handle cutout behind it, it appears to be perfectly aligned with the stock cutout. If the action were any lower the bolt handle cutout in the receiver would be sitting below that in the stock.
I'll try it.
Fixed! I had noticed some play in the front end of the magazine. I could hold the front hard into the magazine well and it fed properly. Per your suggestions, I removed the stock and noticed a mark along the front edge of the recoil lug and a corresponding mark along the front edge of the recoil lug recess on the receiver. The action had not been properly seated. Re-assembled and no more feeding problems. Many thanks to y'all. One other question, what is the proper torque for the action screws?