Great video as always! I’ve always wondered why the barrels are so difficult to remove. Would love to see a video on tips and techniques for removing the barrel without destroying it.
Thank you! We have a plan for that video. YT does not like that type of firearm content and we think we've mapped out a way to present the material without violating their terms of service. I'm embarrassed to say we have damaged actions in the past before we had our process dialed.
I recently removed the barrel on a Tikka CTR. It wasn't difficult at all. All I did was crank it down in a viper vise with some drywall tape between the barrel and vise. It came off no problem and I didn't leave a mark. I replaced the barrel with a takeoff Varmint barrel. It head spaced perfectly and the gun has been shooting ~0.5 MOA for 5-shot groups.
@@mountaintacticalcompany This was the first barrel I had ever taken off and I did a lot of reading about it beforehand. The use of drywall tape was a common theme that kept coming up. It definitely worked a treat in my case. The barrel didn't slip/spin at all.
My first Tikka was a 270WSM! I played with some 90 grain Sierra Varminters going 3600. It was pure mayhem on prairie dogs! After that season, I wisened up and went back to my 165 grain Matrix Ballistics. Other than some throat erosion, that barrel still shoots great!
I bought several carbon fiber stocks to use with my Tikkas. Some say no need to bed while others insist it's best to bed them, even though some have aluminum blocks in them (Stocky's for example). I also have one in an AG Composites stock and the builder said it didn't need to be bedded. Thoughts? Also, I'm fond of the Tikka wood stocks that come with their hunter model. Should I get those pillar and skim bedded?
A wood stock should absolutely be bedded. Pillars are helpful, but they are difficult to install on a Tikka because you must machine the 3 degree angle into the bottom of them where they contact the bottom metal. Carbon fiber and fiberglass are different beasts. They do not change shape when the temperature, humidity, or mood changes like wood does. That said, the quality of the inlet needs to be precise. You can determine how good the inlet is by the fitment of the recoil lug. If your lug is nice and tight, most likely the rest of the inlet is cut well. If it is loose, bedding would not hurt. Please be sure to watch our magazine trouble shooting video before bedding a Tikka. They are very sensitive to alignment issues caused by improper bedding. Cheers!
@@mountaintacticalcompany All but one appear to be hydro-dipped with the former being painted. After 3 decades of buying very expensive stocks such as McMillan, AG Composite, Rimrock (from back when Jim Borden was making his own), I will say in terms of function, it's just like any other. But the Stockys are very light weight. All of mine are their latest ULTRA carbon with the accublock. So far, all the ones I have are total wins and half the price as the other brands. And the wait time is, in my experience, around 8 weeks or less if they have to make it, avg 6 weeks. The McMillan, Rimrock, AG Compsite brands feel and appear to be of highest quality but maybe that just because I've never had, or felt, a hydro-dipped stock before. Regardless, the Howa ultra lite riles come with the Stocky's stock so I wanted to try them. Thus far, I'm pleased and have saved considerable money because my rifles in the Stockys are just as accurate.
You mention a constriction right at the muzzle. Would this mean that shortening a tikka barrel and therefore eliminating the constriction cause an increase in bullet dispersion due to the loss of the constriction?
Great question! Because of the stored hoop stress in the barrel, when you cut it down, the muzzle would constrict a couple ten thousandths of an inch. The barrel would be more accurate because there would also be fewer barrel harmonics.
So if I wanted to shorten my barrel before having it threaded for a suppressor what would be max I would want to go? Trying to keep from adding too much overall length to the gun with suppressor added. Awesome videos!
Nice thread of videos. I am the owner of a Sako rifle and decided to buy a Tikka T3x CTR for hunting & shooting in the US. I miss this kind of analysis and appreciate your assessments. Responding to your open question and about the Spanish regulations, the essential parts of a firearm according to Spanish legislation are the barrel, the frame or receiver, and the bolt. All essential parts must be marked with a unique serial number. This number ensures the firearm's traceability and is officially registered., which is engraved in a visible area on each of these essential parts. In Spain, every five years (hunters or shooters) need to show up with your guns in the police station, making the renewal of your gun license, and the police in charge of guns and ammunition management (Guardia Civil) check the engraved serial numbers of your guns and compare them with the owner's documentation.
@@mountaintacticalcompany The Guardia Civil is indeed a highly professional law enforcement agency. While Spanish laws can be restrictive, you can always consult them and receive a response.
At 9:32 of the video there are some scratches in the surface of the groove. I saw more of the same as you went through the barrel. What causes scratches like that and are they of any consequence to the accuracy of the barrel? Thanks
Great question! The bore scope magnifies everything so marks look bigger than they actually are. Those are marks from the camera going through the barrel the first time we test filmed the shot. They are in the light layer of carbon and oil on top of the steel. As soon as a projectile passes over them, they’ll be erased. I’ve seen some barrels that looked terrible in the bore scope but shot lights out on the rifle because of how minuscule the imperfections actually were.
I’m about to pick up my new Tikka T3X Superlite .300 WSM. What brands and types of cleaning rods, attachments, and solvents, oils, etc do you recommend I use before shooting? And at which round count intervals do you recommend I clean it? I plan on shooting factory ammo.. probably Nosler Accubond or Partition. Thanks!
This is a deep dive series of questions, haha! You can't go wrong with Accubonds. I've dropped 6 elk with the ABLRs. My favorite cleaning rod is the coated Montana Xtreme rods and their nylon brushes and brass jags. I exclusively use Bore-tech cleaner and use their recommended process for cleaning my barrels. Rand CLP is becoming hard to find, but it's my favorite all around lubricant. I only clean my barrels when I begin to see accuracy start to decline. After my initial clean, I have been able to see hundreds of rounds between cleanings using quality ammo. The barrels foul minimally because of how smooth the bores are. There are no tool marks for carbon and copper to get caught in. Happy trigger time!
BoreTech makes excellent coated cleaning rods and the handles are colored per caliber. I've used several including Tipton but my BoreTech rods are as good as it gets. I also use BoreTech carbon cleaner, BoreTech eliminator, and the Wipeout products with excellent results. Oh, and also the KG products are excellent I'm taking my 300WSM Tikka shooting tomorrow. 180 Accubonds with StaBall 6.5. 3070fps. ES and SD single digits
Wow really informative. If I brought you my T3 lite would u be able to inspect it? Having accuracy issues. It's a 30/06 and nowhere near as accurate as the 1st T3 light in same caliber we had. 1st one shot 180s into 1/2" I live in same state
Your confirming a theory ive had for long time. That hammer forged barrels are harder stronger and last longer then cut or button rifled barrels. If done correctly they also more accurate with diff ammo not so picky. My hammer forged barrels shoot tons of ammo types so accurate its un believable
Great series! Appreciate your work. Have you had customers experiencing small spots of recurring corrosion on the stainless barrels and receivers even with excessive cleaning + oiling?
We do hear this from time to time but have not found a pattern. My stainless Tikkas get tortured hunting in the winter here in MT and they don’t rust. But I’ve heard enough issues like yours to think Tikka might mix up there chromoly and stainless rifles in production from time to time.
@@mountaintacticalcompanysomething is going on…. But I’m at a complete loss. I’m about to spend some money on citrisurf products to re-passivate the receiver and barrel at home with citric acid. With your knowledge of barrels and their manufacturing process, any risks to be aware of?
I have access to a Niton X-ray gun at work that can determine the elemental composition of a material. I might take it home and zap the barrel to confirm it’s stainless.
Make sure the barrel is extremely clean first. It’s a martenistic stainless with should be fine. I have had great luck salt bath nitriding stainless barrels and receivers. You have to pull the barrel first though.
I know that the Tikka T3X Superlites in .300 WSM will be offered in a 1:10 twist for 2024. The barrel will be stamped “1:10”. For 23’ and prior models, it is a 1:11 twist, but the twist is not stamped on the barrel. I am currently trying to purchase a new, 2024’ 1:10 twist version of this exact model and caliber Tikka. Every single Sportsman’s Warehouse that I have called to source this version ONLY has the 1:11 twist available. Do you know how I might source the new 2024 1:10 twist version of this model and caliber? Thanks
On the tikka website, click “show more” under the caliber of Superlite you want to see twist info for. The .300 WSM, .30-06, .308, .270 WSM, and perhaps one or two more all list 1:10. Also, I confirmed with Beretta tech support last week that these calibers in T3X Superlite are switching to 1:10 for 2024 and beyond.
Uh oh! You’re stirring the pot on a long term debate! Just kidding. Your question is spot on. This comes down to muzzle brake design. A good brake keeps gas flow even to minimize the influence those escaping gases have on the base of the projectile. Since more variables are usually bad, my opinion is that all things being equal, a rifle with no brake has more accuracy potential than one with a brake. That said, making the shooter more comfortable makes the shooter have better form, fewer flinches, etc so adding a brake helps remove the human error portion of the equation. A dichotomy for sure!
I've done 6 tikka's it's not hard to remove the barrel it was about 150lbs to remove and its true no tikka barrels I have or friends have we never had to break in the barrels
I love the hammer forged barrel on my Tikka 6.5! I bought a second Tikka action and I want to put a 22BR barrel on it. Are there after market cold hammer forged barrels available? What barrel manufacturer do you recommend for replacing Tikka factory barrels?
I wish there was a source for hammer forged aftermarket barrels in the US, but there is not. There are, however, many fantastic barrel manufacturers. Brux, Bartlein, Kreiger, McGowen, just to name a few. I have run all of these and they have all shot extremely well.
Thank you for the encouragement! We're a little nuts about Tikkas. I was looking at our first video about them I uploaded in 2012... from a dark basement, haha!
Right?!?! Who’s steering this ship anyway? I didn’t notice how bad it was until my editor had everything ready to upload. I’ll do better next time. Cheers!
Why does Tikka still insist on using 1:11 twist on all .308 caliber barrels? Especially with the move towards ultra high BC bullets in the last 10 to 15 years they seem a little behind the curve or do they know something the rest of the industry doesn't?
Tikka has gone back and forth on their .308 twist rates over the years. All of my 308 Win and 300 Win Mag barrels from Tikka are 1:10 except one of them. Last year they went back to 1:11. This year they are running 1:11 for non magnum cartridges and 1:10 for magnum cartridges. They do not listen to the US market at all which is frustrating since we set the trends for the world.
@@mountaintacticalcompany I remember some special purpose target rifles in the Remington 700 lineup years ago going with 1:11 twist. Actually I would think lower velocity cartridges (IE) 308 Win would always benefit from a faster twist barrel in order to stabilize the bullets at the heavier end of the spectrum.
Has been a great dive into Tikkas. Makes me appreciate mine even more. Looking forward to next episode. Thanks
You are welcome! This has been a fun series to film.
Great video as always! I’ve always wondered why the barrels are so difficult to remove. Would love to see a video on tips and techniques for removing the barrel without destroying it.
Thank you! We have a plan for that video. YT does not like that type of firearm content and we think we've mapped out a way to present the material without violating their terms of service. I'm embarrassed to say we have damaged actions in the past before we had our process dialed.
Love your vids and products!!! keep it coming
Thank you for your business and support!
I recently removed the barrel on a Tikka CTR. It wasn't difficult at all. All I did was crank it down in a viper vise with some drywall tape between the barrel and vise. It came off no problem and I didn't leave a mark. I replaced the barrel with a takeoff Varmint barrel. It head spaced perfectly and the gun has been shooting ~0.5 MOA for 5-shot groups.
Using drywall tape to remove these is a game changer. Another customer recommended we try it. I don’t understand the voodoo going on, but it works!
@@mountaintacticalcompany This was the first barrel I had ever taken off and I did a lot of reading about it beforehand. The use of drywall tape was a common theme that kept coming up. It definitely worked a treat in my case. The barrel didn't slip/spin at all.
Another great video
Thank you!
Amazing series. I’m shopping for a tikka 3x in 7mm rem mag so this is very informative.
That’s a great cartridge!
I am surprised how the rifling has survived so long with my hot 270 WSM doing 3150 FPS. Did extend the free-bore to the lands.
My first Tikka was a 270WSM! I played with some 90 grain Sierra Varminters going 3600. It was pure mayhem on prairie dogs! After that season, I wisened up and went back to my 165 grain Matrix Ballistics. Other than some throat erosion, that barrel still shoots great!
Wow loved this tech dive into the engineering processes and stresses on barrels! Thanks for the explanation!
You are welcome! This was a fun series to make!
I bought several carbon fiber stocks to use with my Tikkas. Some say no need to bed while others insist it's best to bed them, even though some have aluminum blocks in them (Stocky's for example). I also have one in an AG Composites stock and the builder said it didn't need to be bedded. Thoughts?
Also, I'm fond of the Tikka wood stocks that come with their hunter model. Should I get those pillar and skim bedded?
A wood stock should absolutely be bedded. Pillars are helpful, but they are difficult to install on a Tikka because you must machine the 3 degree angle into the bottom of them where they contact the bottom metal.
Carbon fiber and fiberglass are different beasts. They do not change shape when the temperature, humidity, or mood changes like wood does.
That said, the quality of the inlet needs to be precise. You can determine how good the inlet is by the fitment of the recoil lug. If your lug is nice and tight, most likely the rest of the inlet is cut well. If it is loose, bedding would not hurt.
Please be sure to watch our magazine trouble shooting video before bedding a Tikka. They are very sensitive to alignment issues caused by improper bedding.
Cheers!
@@mountaintacticalcompany Shall do. Thanks
How do you like the Stocky’s carbon fiber stock?
@@mountaintacticalcompany All but one appear to be hydro-dipped with the former being painted. After 3 decades of buying very expensive stocks such as McMillan, AG Composite, Rimrock (from back when Jim Borden was making his own), I will say in terms of function, it's just like any other. But the Stockys are very light weight. All of mine are their latest ULTRA carbon with the accublock. So far, all the ones I have are total wins and half the price as the other brands. And the wait time is, in my experience, around 8 weeks or less if they have to make it, avg 6 weeks.
The McMillan, Rimrock, AG Compsite brands feel and appear to be of highest quality but maybe that just because I've never had, or felt, a hydro-dipped stock before. Regardless, the Howa ultra lite riles come with the Stocky's stock so I wanted to try them. Thus far, I'm pleased and have saved considerable money because my rifles in the Stockys are just as accurate.
You mention a constriction right at the muzzle. Would this mean that shortening a tikka barrel and therefore eliminating the constriction cause an increase in bullet dispersion due to the loss of the constriction?
Great question! Because of the stored hoop stress in the barrel, when you cut it down, the muzzle would constrict a couple ten thousandths of an inch. The barrel would be more accurate because there would also be fewer barrel harmonics.
So if I wanted to shorten my barrel before having it threaded for a suppressor what would be max I would want to go? Trying to keep from adding too much overall length to the gun with suppressor added. Awesome videos!
Nice thread of videos. I am the owner of a Sako rifle and decided to buy a Tikka T3x CTR for hunting & shooting in the US. I miss this kind of analysis and appreciate your assessments.
Responding to your open question and about the Spanish regulations, the essential parts of a firearm according to Spanish legislation are the barrel, the frame or receiver, and the bolt. All essential parts must be marked with a unique serial number. This number ensures the firearm's traceability and is officially registered., which is engraved in a visible area on each of these essential parts. In Spain, every five years (hunters or shooters) need to show up with your guns in the police station, making the renewal of your gun license, and the police in charge of guns and ammunition management (Guardia Civil) check the engraved serial numbers of your guns and compare them with the owner's documentation.
@@BonusEventusJR thank you for taking the time to share those regulations. Is the Guardia Civil good to work with?
@@mountaintacticalcompany The Guardia Civil is indeed a highly professional law enforcement agency. While Spanish laws can be restrictive, you can always consult them and receive a response.
At 9:32 of the video there are some scratches in the surface of the groove. I saw more of the same as you went through the barrel. What causes scratches like that and are they of any consequence to the accuracy of the barrel? Thanks
Great question! The bore scope magnifies everything so marks look bigger than they actually are. Those are marks from the camera going through the barrel the first time we test filmed the shot. They are in the light layer of carbon and oil on top of the steel. As soon as a projectile passes over them, they’ll be erased.
I’ve seen some barrels that looked terrible in the bore scope but shot lights out on the rifle because of how minuscule the imperfections actually were.
I’m about to pick up my new Tikka T3X Superlite .300 WSM. What brands and types of cleaning rods, attachments, and solvents, oils, etc do you recommend I use before shooting? And at which round count intervals do you recommend I clean it? I plan on shooting factory ammo.. probably Nosler Accubond or Partition. Thanks!
This is a deep dive series of questions, haha! You can't go wrong with Accubonds. I've dropped 6 elk with the ABLRs. My favorite cleaning rod is the coated Montana Xtreme rods and their nylon brushes and brass jags. I exclusively use Bore-tech cleaner and use their recommended process for cleaning my barrels. Rand CLP is becoming hard to find, but it's my favorite all around lubricant. I only clean my barrels when I begin to see accuracy start to decline. After my initial clean, I have been able to see hundreds of rounds between cleanings using quality ammo. The barrels foul minimally because of how smooth the bores are. There are no tool marks for carbon and copper to get caught in. Happy trigger time!
I really appreciate you taking the time to answer this.. very helpful!
BoreTech makes excellent coated cleaning rods and the handles are colored per caliber. I've used several including Tipton but my BoreTech rods are as good as it gets. I also use BoreTech carbon cleaner, BoreTech eliminator, and the Wipeout products with excellent results. Oh, and also the KG products are excellent
I'm taking my 300WSM Tikka shooting tomorrow. 180 Accubonds with StaBall 6.5. 3070fps. ES and SD single digits
You are welcome!
That sounds like a great load! I have not used the Bore-Tech rods, but if they are as good as their cleaning products, I bet they are awesome.
Besides the barrel clean is there anything else you would do before the triggering?
That's it! These are hammer forged barrels so they don't even need a break in period.
Wow really informative. If I brought you my T3 lite would u be able to inspect it? Having accuracy issues. It's a 30/06 and nowhere near as accurate as the 1st T3 light in same caliber we had. 1st one shot 180s into 1/2" I live in same state
We could take a look at it. Shoot us an email and we can set up a time for you to swing in.
Your confirming a theory ive had for long time. That hammer forged barrels are harder stronger and last longer then cut or button rifled barrels. If done correctly they also more accurate with diff ammo not so picky. My hammer forged barrels shoot tons of ammo types so accurate its un believable
Great series! Appreciate your work. Have you had customers experiencing small spots of recurring corrosion on the stainless barrels and receivers even with excessive cleaning + oiling?
We do hear this from time to time but have not found a pattern. My stainless Tikkas get tortured hunting in the winter here in MT and they don’t rust.
But I’ve heard enough issues like yours to think Tikka might mix up there chromoly and stainless rifles in production from time to time.
@@mountaintacticalcompanysomething is going on…. But I’m at a complete loss. I’m about to spend some money on citrisurf products to re-passivate the receiver and barrel at home with citric acid. With your knowledge of barrels and their manufacturing process, any risks to be aware of?
I have access to a Niton X-ray gun at work that can determine the elemental composition of a material. I might take it home and zap the barrel to confirm it’s stainless.
That is so cool! Let me know what you find out. I’ve been tempted to buy one just for fun…. But I can’t justify it.
Make sure the barrel is extremely clean first. It’s a martenistic stainless with should be fine. I have had great luck salt bath nitriding stainless barrels and receivers. You have to pull the barrel first though.
I know that the Tikka T3X Superlites in .300 WSM will be offered in a 1:10 twist for 2024. The barrel will be stamped “1:10”. For 23’ and prior models, it is a 1:11 twist, but the twist is not stamped on the barrel.
I am currently trying to purchase a new, 2024’ 1:10 twist version of this exact model and caliber Tikka.
Every single Sportsman’s Warehouse that I have called to source this version ONLY has the 1:11 twist available.
Do you know how I might source the new 2024 1:10 twist version of this model and caliber?
Thanks
Where did you see the WSM was coming out in 1:10 twist? All our docs we were given show 1:11 except the 300WM which is 1:10
On the tikka website, click “show more” under the caliber of Superlite you want to see twist info for. The .300 WSM, .30-06, .308, .270 WSM, and perhaps one or two more all list 1:10.
Also, I confirmed with Beretta tech support last week that these calibers in T3X Superlite are switching to 1:10 for 2024 and beyond.
Gotcha. You’ll have to inspect each rifle until the 2023s are off the shelves. The 2024s just landed last month so I may be a bit.
Since the crown has to be spot on so the bullet gets even pressure, wouldn't a muzzle break have some effect on accuracy?
Uh oh! You’re stirring the pot on a long term debate! Just kidding. Your question is spot on. This comes down to muzzle brake design. A good brake keeps gas flow even to minimize the influence those escaping gases have on the base of the projectile. Since more variables are usually bad, my opinion is that all things being equal, a rifle with no brake has more accuracy potential than one with a brake. That said, making the shooter more comfortable makes the shooter have better form, fewer flinches, etc so adding a brake helps remove the human error portion of the equation.
A dichotomy for sure!
Thank you for a honest engineering minded response.
You are welcome! It’s a blessing and a curse, 😂
I've done 6 tikka's it's not hard to remove the barrel it was about 150lbs to remove and its true no tikka barrels I have or friends have we never had to break in the barrels
Agreed. We've never had to break in a Tikka barrel either. Cheers!
I’d like to know what all the stampings mean.
That’s a great video idea!
I love the hammer forged barrel on my Tikka 6.5! I bought a second Tikka action and I want to put a 22BR barrel on it.
Are there after market cold hammer forged barrels available?
What barrel manufacturer do you recommend for replacing Tikka factory barrels?
I wish there was a source for hammer forged aftermarket barrels in the US, but there is not. There are, however, many fantastic barrel manufacturers. Brux, Bartlein, Kreiger, McGowen, just to name a few. I have run all of these and they have all shot extremely well.
I really appreciate the videos and feedback. Makes me want to try out your products. Keep up the good work👍🏻
Thank you for the encouragement! We're a little nuts about Tikkas. I was looking at our first video about them I uploaded in 2012... from a dark basement, haha!
Focus your mirror lens!😉
Right?!?! Who’s steering this ship anyway? I didn’t notice how bad it was until my editor had everything ready to upload. I’ll do better next time. Cheers!
Why does Tikka still insist on using 1:11 twist on all .308 caliber barrels? Especially with the move towards ultra high BC bullets in the last 10 to 15 years they seem a little behind the curve or do they know something the rest of the industry doesn't?
Tikka has gone back and forth on their .308 twist rates over the years. All of my 308 Win and 300 Win Mag barrels from Tikka are 1:10 except one of them. Last year they went back to 1:11. This year they are running 1:11 for non magnum cartridges and 1:10 for magnum cartridges.
They do not listen to the US market at all which is frustrating since we set the trends for the world.
@@mountaintacticalcompany I remember some special purpose target rifles in the Remington 700 lineup years ago going with 1:11 twist. Actually I would think lower velocity cartridges (IE) 308 Win would always benefit from a faster twist barrel in order to stabilize the bullets at the heavier end of the spectrum.
I agree completely! Modern projectiles benefit all cartridges, especially old ones like the 308. You can’t go wrong with a faster twist.