Tikka short mag conundrum

[Brad Quarnberg]

I have 3 wsm calibers and love them all. You can find ammo for the 270 wsm if you look on ammoseek: SGAmmo and Sportsmans warehouse had it as of yesterday. midway had Nosler 270WSM brass for a sort time yesterday as well.
I'd do what others recommend and get the limbsaver and shoot it to see how it shoots before doing anything. My 2 Tikkas shoot. I changed one out with a pre-fit to 7PRC to shoot suppressed: the barrel was a real bear to get off though.
Whatever you decide, good luck and great shooting!

 

[willfrye027]

Depends on what you want it to do. Could load some lighter hammer bullets for a hold-on-hair laser. 110ish gr bullets in the 3500fps range.

Could easily change to something like 6.5 Saum, 6.5prc, etc with your magnum bolt face if less recoil is desired. A factory takeoff would very likely headspace just fine and shoot well.

 

[Idaho Lefty]

YES,. the .270 WSM with 140's at 3,200 FPS, does Jab some,.. off the Bench,.. I agree.
Shooting Prone or, over Stix,.. NOT so much ( Field Positions )
The .270 WSM with 140 gr. Berger Classic's,.. Kill Big Game like,.. "the Hammer of Thor"!
You won't gain any, Recoil reduction with, the 6.8 Western shooting, 165 to 170 grainers !
Tikka's like, Bullet "Jump", real well, just make sure your Reloads are .015 to .020 Shorter than, the Magazine and Adjust Powder Charge.
The .270 WSM with, the 140 Berg's Launched at, almost 3,200 FPS are,.. STILL GOING,. OVER,.. 2,000 FPS at, 800 Yards ( @ 6,000 Ft Elev. ).
Love My,.. Baby Lazer ! With, a 200 yd Zero, I don't have to, Dial scope,.. til' PAST,.. 350 yds

 

[Hudge76]

If you are wanting to go 6.8 Western to shoot heavy bullets, you might be surprised what the .270 WSM will actually stabilize. There are at least 3 YouTube channels that have been able to get 165 ABLR's to shoot out of 1:10 twist .270 WSM's and .270 Win. I've got both 6.8 Western and .270 WSM, but I'm going to try the 165's and 170's out of the .270 WSM myself with the 1:10 twist factory barrel.

 

[Idaho Lefty]

There's NO "Free lunch",.. heavier Bullets equal, MORE,.. Recoil.
Roy Weatherby was Spot ON with his Idea of,.. driving lighter Bullets at, Warp Speed
They demoralize, the CNS, by "Scrambling chit",.. in upper, Diaphragm area.
Ever Wonder WHY, the .270 Wby and .270 Win with, 130 gr Cup / Core Bullets, Killed so Well, back in,.. the 1950's ???

 

[akmtnhnt]

If you are wanting to go 6.8 Western to shoot heavy bullets, you might be surprised what the .270 WSM will actually stabilize. There are at least 3 YouTube channels that have been able to get 165 ABLR's to shoot out of 1:10 twist .270 WSM's and .270 Win. I've got both 6.8 Western and .270 WSM, but I'm going to try the 165's and 170's out of the .270 WSM myself with the 1:10 twist factory barrel.

It's one thing not to keyhole on paper. It's an entirely different thing to not have increased drag from the bullet being under stabilized. The only way you'd see that is long range shot drops not being even close to the advertised BC. That is if the advertised BC is correct in the first place.

It's also another thing to have terminal stability where the bullets don't wildly deflect inside the animal.

 

[DDB TX]

Bought a Tikka T3 Lite in 300 WSM for an elk hunt back in 2013. 6.5 lb rifle without optics. Developed a load for it shooting first Partitions, 180 grainers; then as the lead points of the Partitions were getting beat up by the recoil (in a plastic Tikka mag no less!) went to the 180 grain Partition Protected Points. Not the best for long range but fine out to 350 or 400.
I was a newbie at reloading so followed the advice of internet heroes that I did not need to crimp.
Until the hot Texas day when all of a sudden one of my Tikka rounds kicked like a mule and chrony'd like a Weatherby 300. Yep recoil drove that partition into the case a bit. A recipe for disaster; thank you Tikka for making such a stout action, even on the T3 "lite".
Found a very reputable gunsmith and shooter who put a Vais brake on; it then kicked about like a .243 after that.
And afterwards, I spent quite a while and a ton of rounds with a .22, curing myself of the "flinch" I got while developing that WSM load....

 

[.300 Dakota]

I'll admit. I'm confused.

Ive shot a lot of 300 WSM….in a 12-14lb gun and some 270 WSM in a Tikka T3x lite. Both were fine.., but there is some recoil there. Not 458 lott, but not pleasant.

With a faster twist 270 WSM barrel, you might try lighter mono bullets for better performance and less recoil. I guess the 6.8 Western could do the same.

Then you talk about brass and recoil….which makes me wonder why are we not talking 6.5 PRC or better 7-08.

All the cool kids may not be talking 7-08, but look at the ballistics. In a custom rifle, you could set it up for a lighter Hammer going 3000-3100fps and be thrilled!

Let me restate the problem. Maybe not really a problem viewed from the outside: I got a reasonable deal on a new stainless laminate Tikka T3x (which I've wanted for some time). It was a deal online where I couldn't pick the gun up, shoulder it, etc. I bought it and had it shipped in. When it arrived, it was a beautiful rifle. And I noticed immediately it was also very lightweight. For some reason, I was expecting the laminate edition to be a little heavier than it is. Just so happens, it was chambered in 270 WSM. When I felt it, all I could think about was how much I bet it would whallop me. So I started looking for pre-fits ready to ship. I wanted to use it this year and don't have time for anything to be built. We're already hunting deer down here! I found 2, ready to ship, drop-in aftermarket pre-fits that would require no inlet work that I could install myself. 1 was also in .270 WSM but with fast twist and muzzle threads to install a break. (1:8) Problem with that was, it was only 20" long, which would negate some performance from the 24.3" factory barrel - plus it was Cerakoted black (which doesn't match).

The 2nd option was a matching bead blast finish and drop in contour, but was twisted 1:7.5 and chambered in 6.8 Western which I cannot obtain brass for. The barrel was 24" and fluted making it even lighter, and the muzzle is not threaded. I had about convinced myself to do what I originally pondered, which was shoot light bullets really fast for this season, and pick up the Western aftermarket pre-fit, and have it threaded for a brake this winter thinking there might be brass by next year at some point. I did not want to replace the stock because it was the main reason I wanted the rifle to begin with. I don't want to do anything unless it's a readily available (now) pre-fit. (And don't want to have to change bolts!) I have some 117gr Hammer Hunters sitting here, along with a plethora of other good bullets for the WSM. I also have dies. I would have to buy dies for the Western, but I've wanted to try the Western since it came out except the rifles and Winchester ammo didn't appeal to me. An aftermarket iteration has much more appeal.

To your point, If I was going to wait anyway, I could simply pick another catridge with magnum bolt face. I REALLY wanted something that would shoot .270 cal 170 grain Ballistic Tips. Either of the options I found would do that. In another thread not mentioned here, I talk about the 6.5 SAUM I am working with (already built and shooting with Gentry brake that feels like a light .22-250 load). I also have an X-Bolt Eclipse in 7-08, and it's a half inch shooter at speeds I can't publish loads for without being banned. So the deal isn't that I have to make this gun work now or I can't hunt. I have more options than any sane person ought to have. I just really like this gun and want to improve it to ensure enjoyable shooting. I don't want to pour another $1000 and pay for it twice to save a tiny bit of recoil - I started looking just to see if there was a quick fix- just see what was out there, and I found 2 very intriguing (to me) options to ponder that weren't super expensive and could be bought now and taken to the range with ammo in hand a week from now. I really just want to keep the focus on these options. Even if I fire the rifle in current factory configuration and love it, either of the available barrels offer options it doesn't currently have. The 6.8 is the least costly of the 2 because it won't require getting the action and bottom metal coated to match it nor the purchase of a brake with adapter to install. Though I would need dies. I'd like to be able to take this rifle out and kill something with it to see how I really get along with it compared to my other rifles. I'm wondering if the 7.5 twist might not be a little fast at those speeds to run lightweight bullets??

 

[.300 Dakota]

It's one thing not to keyhole on paper. It's an entirely different thing to not have increased drag from the bullet being under stabilized. The only way you'd see that is long range shot drops not being even close to the advertised BC. That is if the advertised BC is correct in the first place.

It's also another thing to have terminal stability where the bullets don't wildly deflect inside the animal.

Plus I'm at sea level. That makes a big difference on a cold day.

 

[.300 Dakota]

Bought a Tikka T3 Lite in 300 WSM for an elk hunt back in 2013. 6.5 lb rifle without optics. Developed a load for it shooting first Partitions, 180 grainers; then as the lead points of the Partitions were getting beat up by the recoil (in a plastic Tikka mag no less!) went to the 180 grain Partition Protected Points. Not the best for long range but fine out to 350 or 400.
I was a newbie at reloading so followed the advice of internet heroes that I did not need to crimp.
Until the hot Texas day when all of a sudden one of my Tikka rounds kicked like a mule and chrony'd like a Weatherby 300. Yep recoil drove that partition into the case a bit. A recipe for disaster; thank you Tikka for making such a stout action, even on the T3 "lite".
Found a very reputable gunsmith and shooter who put a Vais brake on; it then kicked about like a .243 after that.
And afterwards, I spent quite a while and a ton of rounds with a .22, curing myself of the "flinch" I got while developing that WSM load....

Sounds like my experience with the T3 Lite in 9.3x62!! OUCH! I probably put 100 rounds through that thing trying to get it to group MOA or less. Wasn't far off, but could never quote make it. It was pretty brutal, though. I thought the Mauser chambering would be superior to the .35 Whelen. It was NOT!

 

[mnoland30]

I have a 7mm WSM in a 6.5 lb. rifle (w/scope & sling). It has a bit of recoil shootng factory 150 gr. loads, but is tolerable. I load it down with 168 Bergers at 2850 fps. and the recoil is pretty pleasant. I use a shoulder pad at the range, and make sure I'm sitting up pretty straight when I shoot. I've killed javelina, bear, aoudad, elk, and deer with it. All DRT. A lightweight rifle is a joy for an old man going up steep hills.

 

[Hoss50]

Have the factory barrel threaded and put a brake or suppressor on it. Even if it is thin profile they can thread it 1/2×28. That will work for either a suppressor or brake. Also change the recoil pad.

I had a ruger boat paddle in 338 win mag. It took both a brake and recoil pad to calm it down. With scope it was under 9lbs and it reminded you every time you shot it.

 

[nksmfamjp]

I would buy a couple boxes of different 270 WSM hunting rounds. Shoot all 20 of each into 3 different sets of bullseyes. Which ever one groups consistently best, I'd buy 5 more boxes and go hunt. If long range is a thing, I'd burn 20 getting drops to 600.

Sounds like a great rig that needs shooting to really know what to do next. Sometimes these things shoot great, sometimes they need a recoil pad, sometimes **** near a full build.

Doing any of that makes it a Spring rifle, in my book. For example, I'm unhappy with one of my rifles. One is half developed. I also have a new Contender barrel I'm thrilled with! So, the 30 Herrett has earned a spot in the rotation!

 

[Teri Anne]

I recently grabbed a beautiful Tikka Laminate stainless T3x chambered in .270 WSM. It was an Internet buy, and so I didn't put my hands on it before purchasing. 270 WSM brass is hard to come by and expensive where you happen to find it. I got the rifle, and it's beautiful. And LIGHT! I'm not really recoil shy, but the older I get, the more fragile my shoulder seems to be. I have a 7mm Rem Mag in Sauer 100 wearing German Tupperware that I won't go back in the same room with until it gets restocked with a Boyd's Heritage Monte Carlo after the beating it put on me last range outing. The Tikka is 24.3' on the barrel and has the standard 1:10 twist. Don't get me wrong - I like light, and I like powerful. I don't like evaluating my collarbone for breaks.

I did some looking. Let me back up and say I like the gun. I've wanted the T3x Laminate Stainless for a long time and the price just keeps climbing! Now that I have one... I did some research. We know there are pre-fits and all sorts of stuff for the T3x out there now. I found a couple of prefits: 1 is a satin stainless very much like the factory barrel. Factory contour, 24", but fluted (even lighter) and twisted 1:7.5 and chambered in 6.8 Western. The Western holds roughly 4 grains less powder than the WSM, but will shoot heavier bullets, so any recoil savings with the small powder reduction is negated. This configuration will have MORE recoil! But I've wanted to try the 6.8, just not in a factory gun with factory ammo (Winchester only?). It's a drop-in fit, color matches, and it's a fluted match aftermarket barrel like all the cool kids shoot! No brass available, however. Not sure I'd want it if it were. This would be a situation where I'd perform barrel break-in with 20 rounds of factory ammo and then reload having some decent formed brass onhand. New Winchester bass is bad enough generally, that it needs fire forming anyway. Is the Western on its way out already?? May make my recoil issue worse, but I might put up with it for an uber accurate 6.8 Western!

Option 2: I ran across is an aftermarket match quality barrel chambered in the same .270 WSM. Factory contour. No flutes, solid barrel, but here's the caveats: it's 20" long (lighter), bigger at the muzzle to accommodate a 5/8x24 pitch brake. AHA! Recoil issue solved! Twisted 1:8, so I can shoot most any .277" bullet. So here are my concerns: it's Cerakoted black. I'd have a black barrel and stainless action unless I had the action coated. 2nd, and most importantly, wouldn't cutting 4.3" off the factory length pretty much leave me with the same performance as a standard .270 Win with 24" pipe?? I could shoot a broader range of bullets and the little 20" barrel would be a dream climbing a tree with!

Or C, should I just keep the factory barrel and forget it? Assuming it shoots well and doesn't stomp me like a mad horse. Obviously it would depend on how well the facrory barrel shot, I guess, but I'd be foregoing a few perks.

I guess another option is to keep the factory barrel and get one of the others to switch to depending on terrain and game. Was going to sell the factory tube, but Tikka barrels are the cheapest out there/bring the least money on resale. Even less than Savage. If you didn't know this, it's completely true according to the Gospel of Me. Sold lots of factory barrels!

I'm already geared up to load the WSM. Would need dies for the Western.

So assuming the factory barrel gets about 1 MOA accuracy... which way would you guys go?

As much as the Western intrigues me, I'm leaning toward the short, fast twist WSM with break ability.

I am one that likes to play with different rifles as well as different calibers. Rifles are all stock out of the box as ordered. I prefer stainless barrels, 24 inches or more, some of the heftier cartridges with a muzzle break. I'm old and haven't have had to have shoulder surgery after 60+ years of shooting, and don't want to have to have the shoulder reworked now. My current go to hunting rifle is a Tikka T3x superlite in 270 WIN. With a Vortex 6 x 24 x 50 Tactical scope it tips the scale at around 7.5 pounds and shoot sub moa groups with Federal Premium 140 gr out to (don't know about beyond simply because I haven't tried it) with consistent 2.6" groups at 300. I have also tried reloading only to find that my reloads can't beat the groups from good factory ammo. The recoil is acceptable and I can shoot it all day without bothering my shoulder.

The 6.8 Western has intrigued me since it came out. I have been pondered having one of my Model 70's barreled in 6.8 as an economy measure, but in discussion with Coyote Shadow Tracker as an economy measure decided better to just get a new rifle chambered for the 6.8 which opens yet another conundrum. Rifles chambered for the 6.8 Western are all made under the Browning umbrella. I have a sour taste in my mouth after owning a Browning A Bolt in 300 WM. Beautiful rifle, but it just wouldn't shoot. The barrel was essentially C*** that looked like the tunnel of a copper mine after a box of ammo was shot through it. I have had Winchesters from .22 to .308, 30-06 most of my life and they all were not only beautiful but all shot sub MOA and have been trouble free all along. The question I have for anyone out there is have you any experience with the post Browning Winchesters? The XPR is a bare bones rifle from the looks of it, nothing at all fancy but a relatively reasonable price. The Model 70 is still beautiful, but comes with pretty price tag too. But how is the quality and how do they shoot? Forget any Brownings, the Xbolt is way overpriced for what you get and my experience and the experience of others who have them is that they don't shoot all that well.

So I am looking for input from all of you about your experiences with post Browning, Winchester rifles, more so the XPR since this is going to be more of a play thing but the Model 70 as well. Building a custom rifle is out of the question due to costs on a retired income.

Thanks
Teri Anne
CW4 U.S. Army Retired