I mounted a proven leupold VX3i 30 mm scope in Talley rings on My Tikka T3x Varmint 22-250 and at 25 yards I could not get 3 shots inside a 6 inch circle so i mounted another proven leupold VX-R 30mm and same results. I then mounted a proven 1 inch leupold VX3i in talley rings and I was able to shoot sub inch groups. So i called talley about the 30mm rings and they said send them back and they would send a new set out to me which they did but when i mounted them up i get the same 6 inch group at 25 yards. Is it possible to get 2 sets that both have flaws? Rings and bases where torqued to the specs on the package for each scope. Any and all suggestions welcome on what to do next
Tikka Trouble
- Thread starter ToddNE
- Start date
Are you sure the scopes are proven? Any other rings that will work on the Tikka besides the Talleys? I had a Tikka varmint in 22-250 and it shot bugholes at 100. Yours should to. Something is not right for sure. Is the Tikka new or used? Not getting 3 shots in a 6 inch circle at 25 yards is messed up. Almost has to be scope to me. Were the 3 shots in a group or all over the place. Should have been through the same hole that close.Lots of questions but got to start somewhere.
Coyotejunki
Well-known member
I suspect the scopes. You did say Leupold.
AWS
Custom Accessory Maker & Retired PM Staff
Bad rings will rarely cause scattered bullet strikes(unless they are loose). With bad rings you will more than likely still have a small group but beyond the adjustment range of the scope.
The only other possibility might be that you are over tightening a ring and causing some binding in the scope.
The only other possibility might be that you are over tightening a ring and causing some binding in the scope.
Anton Chigurh
Member
Are you using a torque wrench on the Talley LW cap screws? Any chance you’re overtightening and putting the scope tube in a bind?
Dultimatpredator
Well-known member
There’s not enough information given to pinpoint your issue...
Sounds like back in 1999 when I loaded some of Barne’s first all copper offering with blue coating and no lube grooves in my 243. It was the bullets fault. The blue Barnes were a smaller diameter than my rifles bore. I couldn’t shoot a barn if I was locked in it with those Barnes. Barnes finally realized their problem and started making their bullets larger in diameter and putting softer alloyed lube grooves in them to be able to expand when traveling along the rifling like cast dose to get acceptable accuracy with their bullets now. I’ve had the same issue with cast bullets and the wrong powder combo and or lack of neck pressure from an improper crimp. I’ve had shot strings shoot straight down when my scope slips. I’ve also had the same issue with smaller diameter Agulia bullets in my CZ452...six to nine inch groups at 25 yards.
First thing I’d tell you to do is clean, clean, and clean, your barrel...then clean it again. It could have a lot of copper or lead build up. Remove your optic. If there is a picatinny type rail bed it with acraglass or blue loc tite. My optic on my ruger American 450 bushmasters came loose and slid several times and eventually wrecked an optic, loosened my action screws, and wobbled my trigger loose trigger wrecking it as well before I figured out the never ending loosening rail vibrating everything loose on my rifle is a common issue with American’s. Oh yeah, the bolt release wore so bad the catch pin would fall out of the gun when the action was removed from the stock. I even sent it back to Ruger for the non stop loosening issue after I loc tited the base down. They removed, inspected the base, and shot it five times and retuned it. THE REAR BASE SCREW WAS FINGER LOOSE AGAIN WHEN I UNBOXED IT FROM RUGER! You would have thought they would have checked it after shooting??? Guess not, I removed it, and installed Rugers updated true picatinny rail and acraglassed it to the action along with blue loc titing the screws. I’m sure some acraglass mixed In on the screws to keep it from ever coming loose again. I explained I was testing cast bullet loads in it and maybe put 200/250 plus rounds through it. Ruger told me the Americans weren’t meant to target practice and was designed for the average shooter who only goes into the deer woods a few times and maybe shoots two boxes through it in a lifetime!...Right from the Ruger reps mouth! A price point gun that is made not to shoot...often, or it will fall apart. When you reinstall your optic I suggest to use 3m adhesive on the inside of the rings first and let it dry before installing your optic...or some rosin. Then make sure you spend the $40 and buy a wheeler torque wrench to torque your base screws, scope mount, and rings and action screws...did you check to see if your actions screws loosened? Lastly, try a box of factory ammo. I had a scale go on the blink last year and was throwing hot charges that locked my bolt in place and caused fliers.
If none of this fixed your problem you have at least ruled out 99.9% of what it could be. If non of this fixes the issue I’d have someone with a bore scope check your rifling...or lack of rifling.
With a HUGE 6” group at 25 yards IF it was your rings fault you should have been able to visually see the scope slippage or felt or see it move or rattle loose lMO. I’m sure you were using a rest for testing of some sort and not free handing when shooting your rifle weren’t you when you shot your 6” patterns?
There’s WAY more to the issue than rings to get 6” groups at 25 yards going on IMO.
Something is really loose, your barrel is shot out, improper ammo, really loose action screws, or major flinching(which I doubt happened) I would guess is the culprit.
I blamed 2 optics, three sets of leupold and warne rings, and my ammo till I found the factory picatinny scope base rear screw loose and wear marks on where it vibrated the bluing off on my receiver.
Oh, I did have one other rifle shoot just as bad. An old enfield I changed the stock on. It was wiggling around in the replacement stock as I shot giving pie plate groups at 100 yards out my lead sled. I acraglassed the complete rifle in its new stock and the same ammo I was using tightened down to .5” groups. Check your bedding as well.
Sounds like back in 1999 when I loaded some of Barne’s first all copper offering with blue coating and no lube grooves in my 243. It was the bullets fault. The blue Barnes were a smaller diameter than my rifles bore. I couldn’t shoot a barn if I was locked in it with those Barnes. Barnes finally realized their problem and started making their bullets larger in diameter and putting softer alloyed lube grooves in them to be able to expand when traveling along the rifling like cast dose to get acceptable accuracy with their bullets now. I’ve had the same issue with cast bullets and the wrong powder combo and or lack of neck pressure from an improper crimp. I’ve had shot strings shoot straight down when my scope slips. I’ve also had the same issue with smaller diameter Agulia bullets in my CZ452...six to nine inch groups at 25 yards.
First thing I’d tell you to do is clean, clean, and clean, your barrel...then clean it again. It could have a lot of copper or lead build up. Remove your optic. If there is a picatinny type rail bed it with acraglass or blue loc tite. My optic on my ruger American 450 bushmasters came loose and slid several times and eventually wrecked an optic, loosened my action screws, and wobbled my trigger loose trigger wrecking it as well before I figured out the never ending loosening rail vibrating everything loose on my rifle is a common issue with American’s. Oh yeah, the bolt release wore so bad the catch pin would fall out of the gun when the action was removed from the stock. I even sent it back to Ruger for the non stop loosening issue after I loc tited the base down. They removed, inspected the base, and shot it five times and retuned it. THE REAR BASE SCREW WAS FINGER LOOSE AGAIN WHEN I UNBOXED IT FROM RUGER! You would have thought they would have checked it after shooting??? Guess not, I removed it, and installed Rugers updated true picatinny rail and acraglassed it to the action along with blue loc titing the screws. I’m sure some acraglass mixed In on the screws to keep it from ever coming loose again. I explained I was testing cast bullet loads in it and maybe put 200/250 plus rounds through it. Ruger told me the Americans weren’t meant to target practice and was designed for the average shooter who only goes into the deer woods a few times and maybe shoots two boxes through it in a lifetime!...Right from the Ruger reps mouth! A price point gun that is made not to shoot...often, or it will fall apart. When you reinstall your optic I suggest to use 3m adhesive on the inside of the rings first and let it dry before installing your optic...or some rosin. Then make sure you spend the $40 and buy a wheeler torque wrench to torque your base screws, scope mount, and rings and action screws...did you check to see if your actions screws loosened? Lastly, try a box of factory ammo. I had a scale go on the blink last year and was throwing hot charges that locked my bolt in place and caused fliers.
If none of this fixed your problem you have at least ruled out 99.9% of what it could be. If non of this fixes the issue I’d have someone with a bore scope check your rifling...or lack of rifling.
With a HUGE 6” group at 25 yards IF it was your rings fault you should have been able to visually see the scope slippage or felt or see it move or rattle loose lMO. I’m sure you were using a rest for testing of some sort and not free handing when shooting your rifle weren’t you when you shot your 6” patterns?
There’s WAY more to the issue than rings to get 6” groups at 25 yards going on IMO.
Something is really loose, your barrel is shot out, improper ammo, really loose action screws, or major flinching(which I doubt happened) I would guess is the culprit.
I blamed 2 optics, three sets of leupold and warne rings, and my ammo till I found the factory picatinny scope base rear screw loose and wear marks on where it vibrated the bluing off on my receiver.
Oh, I did have one other rifle shoot just as bad. An old enfield I changed the stock on. It was wiggling around in the replacement stock as I shot giving pie plate groups at 100 yards out my lead sled. I acraglassed the complete rifle in its new stock and the same ammo I was using tightened down to .5” groups. Check your bedding as well.
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spotstalkshoot
Well-known member
I have had 1 issue with Talley lw one piece rings, I had one set for a TC venture that the receiver screws did not start evenly, I torqued them to specs and shot the rifle, it did not group well. They sent me a new set, the new set receiver screws started perfect and torqued , rifle has shot well with very little windage adjustments from optical center.
tripod3
New member
Isn't parallax on those scopes set for 100 yds.
What is your action screw torque.
Does the recoil lug fit snug.
Just some random thoughts that often come into play when this happens.
I have seen many guys focus on an engine carburetor problem and rebuild it, then replace it, only to find out it was the distributor all along.
Just read new posts and I agree, clean it.
What is your action screw torque.
Does the recoil lug fit snug.
Just some random thoughts that often come into play when this happens.
I have seen many guys focus on an engine carburetor problem and rebuild it, then replace it, only to find out it was the distributor all along.
Just read new posts and I agree, clean it.
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yes i have a Wheeler torque wrench i torqued the screws to the receiver at 20 inch pounds and the scope rings to 17 inch pounds. I thank everyone for their suggestions i will give it a solid cleaning and check the torque on the action screws. I am running a STR VAPR suppressor on the rifle and i was shooting Hornady 55 grain Vmax factory ammo which is what it liked when I had my original 1 inch scope on it
Coyotejunki
Well-known member
Originally Posted By: ToddNE I then mounted a proven 1 inch leupold VX3i in talley rings and I was able to shoot sub inch groups.
OK, this proves it is not the rifle.
Must be the scopes, rings, or the way they were mounted.
OK, this proves it is not the rifle.
Must be the scopes, rings, or the way they were mounted.
Coyotejunki
Well-known member
He said he was able to shoot sub inch groups with the 1" scope.
The problem arose when he used the 30mm scopes and rings. Why would cleaning or a suppressor make it shoot poorly with 30mm rings and scope but good with 1" stuff?
The problem arose when he used the 30mm scopes and rings. Why would cleaning or a suppressor make it shoot poorly with 30mm rings and scope but good with 1" stuff?
Originally Posted By: ToddNEyes both scopes where mounted on another rifle after being shot on the tikka and performed perfect. The rifle is new but I had the barrel shortened and threaded. And I do not have any other 30mm rings that will work on a tikka
He said the scopes were fine on other rifles. You think he got two bad sets of rings?
He said the scopes were fine on other rifles. You think he got two bad sets of rings?
spotstalkshoot
Well-known member
The receiver/base screw holes must match, screws should start easily in Both holes before torqued. You do not want to start one and the second rub or bind while starting threads. The problem set I had to replace would not work on either of the TC venture I have,when Talley customer rep heard that said a ring screw passage was probably off a couple thousandth.