Tikka T3X Superlight accuracy in 6.5 Creedmore expectations?

[ianpadron]

Those are hand loads I’m shooting.
To be completely honest the 4 animals I’ve shot this year with them ranging from 0-200yrds I’m less than impressed with them.
They blow up and have core separation. I recovered two bullets from two seperate kills.

One from 125ish yrds that went through the ribs and stuck in the scapula. The first shot which I didn’t get to recover the bullet went in frontally and exited mid back on a sitka blacktail, made a mess. The first shot dropped the deer but he got up and tried to take a run. Hence the second.
Second was a similar scenario to the first in the vitals but at 200yrds. They are really violent. Not a meat saver bullet by any means. I’ll be doing some load development with some plain Jane 140gr accubonds.

I honestly wouldn’t shoot an elk or moose with these things unless at bigger yardage’s which I don’t hunt. They are to fragile. I will hopefully get a crack at a Billy and will be using the same bullet. I did see the mess they make on a Billy shot but a guy I talked to recently. He too is going back to accubonds for his creedmoor

I shot a buck this year at 170 through the rear lungs, complete pass through. And then a follow-up at about 50 yds right behind the shoulder, tiny entrance, exit the size of a pop can. Vitals were jello. They definitely do some collateral damage!

I'm thinking about moving towards the 127 grain LRX to avoid the whole lead thing and get some more speed...but for distance work in a 6.5...those ELD-X are tough to beat.



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[JeffRaines]

Those are hand loads I’m shooting.
To be completely honest the 4 animals I’ve shot this year with them ranging from 0-200yrds I’m less than impressed with them.
They blow up and have core separation. I recovered two bullets from two seperate kills.

One from 125ish yrds that went through the ribs and stuck in the scapula. The first shot which I didn’t get to recover the bullet went in frontally and exited mid back on a sitka blacktail, made a mess. The first shot dropped the deer but he got up and tried to take a run. Hence the second.
Second was a similar scenario to the first in the vitals but at 200yrds. They are really violent. Not a meat saver bullet by any means. I’ll be doing some load development with some plain Jane 140gr accubonds.

I honestly wouldn’t shoot an elk or moose with these things unless at bigger yardage’s which I don’t hunt. They are to fragile. I will hopefully get a crack at a Billy and will be using the same bullet. I did see the mess they make on a Billy shot but a guy I talked to recently. He too is going back to accubonds for his creedmoor

I think thats the point of the bullet though. They're designed for people shooting further than normal hunting distances.

If you know you're gonna keep it within normal distances, I'd just stick to a more traditional bullet and call it a day.

Its like buying a corvette and expecting you'll be able to get into your hunting spots with it... nothing says you cant, but there are better tools for the job.

 

[FURMAN]

My sl had no problem staying under .5 moa out to 875 in calm conditions with RL26 and 147s.


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[Tahoe1305]

Guys new to the thread and a few months behind. BLUF: load long, fill with powder, get speed.

I’ve been playing with COAL on the tikka superlite and think that’s the problem for low velocity and also the magic in 6.5 in a tikka if you handload. I also get just shy of 2600fps with factory 143s. But using a Hornady O.A.L. gauge I get a COAL of roughly 2.940 touching lands. I use a comparator for loading but the rough COAL I’m loading to is 2.935”. I did a work up this morning with superformance and new starline brass (Small rifle primers), CCI450s, and stopped at 47.7 gr. Avg velocity was 2961 and ES of 9 (3 shot group), it shot about 0.8” with a magnetospeed on the end. The slightest ejector sweep but barely noticeable. I’m happy at 2950 so probably won’t push it. But I think the key is that chamber is long (magazine is too!) so if you don’t fill it you will get lower velocities. Same if you load to 2.935 and don’t fill it with powder. Hope that helps. Curious as to others comments.