Casting for Tikka T3 30-06 & Barrel Slugging

[DrCaveman]

Does anyone here have any experience casting target/light hunting loads for a Tikka T3 rifle in 30-06? I am led to believe that European barrels may be larger than others. Factory ammo shoots pretty good in this gun, but my hand loaded Hornady and Speer tips ahead of Varget and H4350 shoot way better. These tips are labeled as .308

I am also trying to figure out the best way to slug my barrel. Each time I have had a stuck bullet I had a bit of trouble getting it out. And these were revolvers. Slugging sounds like voluntarily pushing out a stuck bullet the full length of the barrel. Is this correct, of is it any less forgiving? Maybe I am using the wrong tools.

I would love to hear ANY experience with casting for Tikka rifles, to help see if the barrels are large or small, and to see what molds/boolits the rifles like. And if anyone has any loads to recommend, I am all ears. I understand loading safety, and will always cross-check anything, with all due respect.

I am considering Lee C309-150-F and C309-180-R molds, FWIW.

Thanks, new poster. Awesome Forum.

[Frank46]

Go to home depot or lowes or your local welding shop. get a piece of 1/4"x36" long brazing rod.
Take a 30 caliber boolit unsized and force into the muzzle. Rawhide hammer works best for this.
Have someone hold the rifle and use the rod with the hammer and drive it through the bore. Measure land and grooves. Best if you take the action out of the stock to prevent any stock damage. Rest the action on some folded towels. Don't tell the wife about the towels. Did this with a sako 75 in 30-06 to get the dimensions. DO NOT USE A WOOD DOWEL, not shouting. Have heard too many stories about the dowel getting broken and jammed in the barrel. Frank

[runfiverun]

use some oil.

[finishman2000]

tikka rifles have a tapered bore. larger dia in the back and smaller at the muzzle. this is right from their guy at last year shot show.

[rollmyown]

Welcome aboard DrCaveman. If my memory serves me correctly Ben, (a member here ) just posted an outstanding group from his T3 in 3006 (outstanding for me, normal for him). I just had a quick look and can't find it. His thread should give you some ideas. If I find it I'll post the link.

[Ben]

rollmyown:

I'll just post this again. Thanks for those " generous comments ".

Ben
_______________________


Sorry for the " typo " below, that should be wolf primers.
My Tikka isn't for sale ! ! I glass bed all my rifles, I'm
afraid to touch this one. It has shot well with about 9 different
cast bullet styles.

( One side not...my rifle isn't the T-3 model, my rifle is the earlier model and has and all
steel magazine not the polymer magazine like the T - 3 has )

Ben

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/haysb/Photo0025.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/haysb/Photo0026.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/haysb/Photo0034.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/haysb/2%20Dollar%20Coffee%20Pot/007-1.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/haysb/2%20Dollar%20Coffee%20Pot/002-1.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/haysb/2%20Dollar%20Coffee%20Pot/006-1.jpg

The feeding problems that will often occur in a " staggered box " magazine don't occur with this system. This action and feeding system is unbelievably smooth.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/haysb/2%20Dollar%20Coffee%20Pot/008-1.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/haysb/2%20Dollar%20Coffee%20Pot/010-1.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v494/haysb/2%20Dollar%20Coffee%20Pot/012876.jpg

[trixter]

Very helpful, thank you.

[DrCaveman]

Yes, thank you Ben and rollmyown. I see that the Saeco mold you describe claims a .309 diameter (at least, that is the recommended sizing). Is this actually dropping boolits at >.311? If you are sizing it at that dimension, then I guess I already know the answer but this is a little puzzling. I have read about bumping boolits UP in diameter, occasionally, but I am under the impression that this means the boolit was cost poorly or the wrong mold was used for the application. It is more of a band-aid, I thought.

This raises my other thought of the day: what about buying a .312 mold (designed for 7.62x39, Im going to be using a CZ527) and sizing it for all three calibers. 7.62x39, 30-06, and 30-30. It seems very evident that the CZ will want fat boolits. Consensus seems to be that Marlin MG 30-30's like fat boolits. And your Tikka 30-06 likes 'em around .310. My concern is that if a mold made for .309 diameter can be sized to .310, then it must be casting pretty big. If this is indeed the case, then I would expect a mold designed for a .312 diameter (Lee C312-155-2R) to cast at maybe...314-315??

Then it seems like sizing down all the way to .309 or .310 would put a lot of strain on the sizing die. No big deal? Has anyone tried this: same mold for 7.62x39 bolt action (European) and 30-06 (European)? I will slug the barrels at some point, but I want to make my purchases ASAP to allow shipping time. Right now I have no cast lead .30 projectiles, nor any small soft lead chunks. I sure dont want to try beating a jacketed tip all the way down those barrels.

[Frank46]

Ben, nice tikka. And a no brainer for the caliber. I had some problems feeding from the staggered mag on my sako 75 '06. This was with Federal 165 grain stuff. But when I started handloading for this rifle I held the oal to 15 thousands less the full length of the mag and no problems. Funny thing is that she will perfectly feed the M72 match '06 stuff no problem. Darned accurate rifle. Frank