Optimal path for boomer tikka

[AlpineCarpetbagger]

Apologies if I failed with the search function.

Is there a generally recommended path for dumb idiots like myself who bought a tikka in 300WM and then found out that dinky bullets work fine?

After ~500 rounds, I have nothing to show for it but a perpetually black and blue shoulder and 10+ round groups that are far worse than what I can do with bulk m855 and a red dot, and I have significant astigmatism. I’m not sure how much of this is my Vortex Strike Eagle (wow like the fighter jet) and how much is due to bad recoil management, but FWIW I’ve tried tricking myself with dummy rounds and cat tranquilizers but never saw reticle movement that could account for the disaster I see on paper.

Should I order a 6.5 PRC barrel to go with my magnum bolt and the pile of H1000 and N560 I’m sitting on, or is this likely to still give me a worse hit probability at 400-600 yds than my AR shooting 77 tmk?

 

[Jimbee]

Trade your bolt? PBB makes a 6prc barrel. JA Outdoors has 6.5prc barrels. I'm in the same boat.

 

[Brontosaurus]

Lots of guys are doing bolt swaps on here.

Swap to a reg boltface and go 6.5 or 6 CM ... Oooorrr if your feeling fancy get a .223 bolt and open it to accept 6 ARC.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

sell the 300wm to a fudd.

 

[jjohnsonElknewbie]

If you're going for a downgrade in recoil and swapping parts, a 6.5 PRC is still going to pack more recoil than is needed in most cases. I would think smaller, and go 6 creed or 25 creed.

 

[jjohnsonElknewbie]

sell the 300wm to a fudd.

Agree and don't expect to get a lot of money for it. There are a bunch of them on here as well as Ebay fairly regularly.

 

[AlpineCarpetbagger]

sell the 300wm to a fudd.

I recently moved back to PA from OR and was astonished to find that 300WM is probably the definitive whitetail cartridge here.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

I recently moved back to PA from OR and was astonished to find that 300WM is probably the definitive whitetail cartridge here.

THose PA whitetails are tougher than other animals though. It just makes sense.

 

[Brontosaurus]

I recently moved back to PA from OR and was astonished to find that 300WM is probably the definitive whitetail cartridge here.

You should just move straight to 223

 

[jjohnsonElknewbie]

You should just move straight to 223

He already has an AR.

 

[AlpineCarpetbagger]

If you're going for a downgrade in recoil and swapping parts, a 6.5 PRC is still going to pack more recoil than is needed in most cases. I would think smaller, and go 6 creed or 25 creed.

I had that feeling about the recoil vs trajectory question but didn’t know how it would shake out with differences in hit probability. 6.5 PRC is just the smallest thing I could think of that wouldn’t require a bolt swap or be excessively weird.

 

[Brontosaurus]

He already has an AR.

Yeah but there's something magical about that RSS

My vote stands. Tikka .223

 

[Gila]

I had that feeling about the recoil vs trajectory question but didn’t know how it would shake out with differences in hit probability. 6.5 PRC is just the smallest thing I could think of that wouldn’t require a bolt swap or be excessively weird.

I had a 300wm….weighted it down and it shot very well….didn’t need a break. But it was hell to carry out in the field. Took all of the bulky crap off but then it rattled my teeth! I swapped barrels to 6.8 Western. I suggest a brake to practice with. It really makes a difference. Then I just cap it to hunt with. Felt recoil for 6.8 Western is almost half that of the 300 win mag without a brake.

 

[AlpineCarpetbagger]

I had a 300wm….weighted it down and it shot very well….didn’t need a break. But it was hell to carry out in the field. Took all of the bulky crap off but then it rattled my teeth! I swapped barrels to 6.8 Western. I suggest a brake to practice with. It really makes a difference. Then I just cap it to hunt with. Felt recoil for 6.8 Western is almost half that of the 300 win mag without a brake.

Did you find that POI and dispersion were similar when shooting unbraked after training with a brake? Most warn about being able to “tolerate” excessive recoil, i.e. you’re gonna flinch, but others point to the movement of a greater recoiling gun during the bullet’s dwell time in the barrel. I am not equipped to know how significant that part is.

 

[AlpineCarpetbagger]

THose PA whitetails are tougher than other animals though. It just makes sense.

In the thick cover we have here you don’t have time to place your shots. Magnum muzzle blast at 10 yards will disorient them long enough to get a good follow up, if it doesn’t concuss them to death outright.

 

[KenLee]

Sell the whole rifle and start over

 

[jjohnsonElknewbie]

Did you find that POI and dispersion were similar when shooting unbraked after training with a brake? Most warn about being able to “tolerate” excessive recoil, i.e. you’re gonna flinch, but others point to the movement of a greater recoiling gun during the bullet’s dwell time in the barrel. I am not equipped to know how significant that part is.

I know you're worried about swapping bolts, but the new barrel is already going to cost twice as much as a standard bolt. You're biggest concern seems to be recoil, and going to .243, 6 creed, 25 creed, hell even 6.5 creed dramatically reduces recoil over the .300 or 6.5 PRC.

There are zero objective trajectory or lethality losses either. I see you're new here, so before you spend a dime, please review the following threads for a mountain of data on low recoiling smaller caliber cartridges and their deadly impact on big game. After spending a few days reading posts for those vs. against as well as the post mortem photos, you can make an educated decision.

.223 for big game
.243/6mm for big game
.257 for big game
6.5/.260 for big game

 

[atmat]

Sell it, or trade the bolt and change the barrel.

Unless you have the barrel removal tools, it’s easier to sell and re-buy.

 

[AlpineCarpetbagger]

I know you're worried about swapping bolts, but the new barrel is already going to cost twice as much as a standard bolt. You're biggest concern seems to be recoil, and going to .243, 6 creed, 25 creed, hell even 6.5 creed dramatically reduces recoil over the .300 or 6.5 PRC.

There are zero objective trajectory or lethality losses either. I see you're new here, so before you spend a dime, please review the following threads for a mountain of data on low recoiling smaller caliber cartridges and their deadly impact on big game. After spending a few days reading posts for those vs. against as well as the post mortem photos, you can make an educated decision.

.223 for big game
.243/6mm for big game
.257 for big game
6.5/.260 for big game

Thanks. It was the .223 thread and Shoot2hunt podcasts that very quickly made me realize how dumb I’d been. I have a 6.5 Ruger American that I have no doubt would kill anything I could hit, and an AR for which I’d say the same, but with which I am not permitted to hunt here.

Unfortunately I also hate the Ruger. It has frequent feeding issues, and the bolt likes to work its way open. I just got back from a snowy hunt, and while I was up in a tree saddle the bolt popped open and dropped out the back of the action clinging to a live round.

I love the Tikka action, just hate burning 80 grains of powder to miss everything.

 

[AlpineCarpetbagger]

Sell it, or trade the bolt and change the barrel.

Unless you have the barrel removal tools, it’s easier to sell and re-buy.

Think the long throat and jump might be hurting accuracy, I had the action notched to feed ~3.5” COAL rounds from an AICS mag and new bottom metal, presumably nuking any resale value. Did I mention I was stubborn and maybe a fool?

I hope others can learn from my bad example.