New Tikka targets! We're getting to know each other...

[bassquatch]

So I hit the range Monday and Today with the new Tikka with the Vortex Diamondback mounted and lapped with high hopes! Already love the lightness of the rifle and the mag doesn't bother me as much as I thought it would after hunting with the old trap door the past 12 years. I cleaned the rifle Sunday night with a couple wet patches followed by a few dry ones and then lightly oiled it. (The owner's manual says run a dry patch through it, wipe the whole thing down, oil it lightly and go shooting??)

I had some Fusion 150gr ammo I'm not crazy about but figured it was good enough to break the gun in with. I started shooting that. First round and after shooting 11lb Ol' Ma-Belle for a decade I wasn't quite prepared for the recoil on such a light rifle and she gave me a quick smooch on the nose and the relationship was underway!  (no blood just a little bump and bruise ha ha)

I attached pics of the targets as I switched up the ammo a bit trying to find her favorite flavor? I have two boxes that will for sure be making the trips with me!!

I waited roughly 5 minutes between rounds and cleaned after each 3 round group for Monday and a bit today but today the groups seemed to improve when I stopped cleaning between them? One group per 1/2hr session. I plan on running a single wet powder solvent patch through her tonight followed by dry patches then one last lightly oiled.....then she's in the case until Friday when we hit the road in search of her first kill!

First 2 pics are from Monday, next two from today (yes I know I messed up the count, too late to fix it) and the last 2 are close-ups of my best groups.  

[norsepeak]

 make sure to soak a good copper solvent too, gotta get the copper out to make sure your barrel is broken in properly.  nice groups.

[bassquatch]

make sure to soak a good copper solvent too, gotta get the copper out to make sure your barrel is broken in properly.  nice groups.

YEP!  Did that before Sunday AND Monday night AND Tuesday morning! I'm not sure I want to do it again until after the season though, she seems to be settling in nicely?!

[KFhunter]

for hunting you want a good cold bore shot.

I don't clean the gun before I go hunting,  I run a group of three and put er away dirty.

[bassquatch]

for hunting you want a good cold bore shot.

I don't clean the gun before I go hunting,  I run a group of three and put er away dirty.

Yep, I won't have time to shoot her again before I leave and I won't shoot 'in camp'. She's hitting good right now, I just want an after range oiling more than anything else...

[JLS]

for hunting you want a good cold bore shot.

I don't clean the gun before I go hunting,  I run a group of three and put er away dirty.

 

Don't oil the bore before you go hunting!

[bassquatch]

for hunting you want a good cold bore shot.

I don't clean the gun before I go hunting,  I run a group of three and put er away dirty.

 

Don't oil the bore before you go hunting!

Ok, just dry patch it or leave it alone??

[hoyt2002]

leave it be until the season is over.

[KFhunter]

leave it alone, you want it fouled.

shoot it at least three times to settle in, on a new barrel it doesn't take so much to foul.


after a few years you'll shoot it 20 times to foul.   



shoot it and put it away and don't clean it until after hunting season,  by all means oil the outside but don't shove anything down that barrel.

[bassquatch]

leave it be until the season is over.

Will do!! Thanks guys! 

[carpsniperg2]

Hard guns to beat. Been breaking 2 more new tikkas myself.

[67 Halfcab]

Nothing wrong with Fusion ammo.  My T3 lite 270WSM loves 'em in 150 gr.  To help with the thump try replacing the stock butt plate with a Limbsaver recoil pad.

[bassquatch]

Nothing wrong with Fusion ammo.  My T3 lite 270WSM loves 'em in 150 gr.  To help with the thump try replacing the stock butt plate with a Limbsaver recoil pad.

I did Monday night!  It was just that first round that surprised me, lol, holy cow is she light!!!

[67 Halfcab]

Yea, I never realized how heavy my old pre '91 Ruger M77 .300 Win Mag was until I carried the Tikka around for a season and then moved it to put the T3 in the gun safe.  No wonder I was so tired after a weekend of hunting!