The first (today’s) result. When formally scoring is a scoring plug used or just the calibrated eyeball?





I had planned to fire another string but I was at a public range for the convenience of permanent benches and got chased off when I realized that I was about to be pelted with ejected AR cases from the next guy over.

This should probably be in a different thread because the rifle was a Winchester model 52E using Lapua Center-X, but I thought I should acknowledge your sending me target files here.

Nice shootin. I use plugs on official targets. On homemade one's, I just eyeball it. Not sure you'd get the same performance with a plug on standard card stock. The official targets are printed on a much stouter and coated stock. The fibers don't separate as much as stationery card stock.

Another drill results: Five shot group, 111 yards, the lower circular part of the plate is 4 inches in diameter. I shot from the standing position with the rifle clamped to the top of a tripod. Ammunition SK Standard Plus.

The drill consisted with me completely off the rifle and the rifle pointed away from the target. On a shot timer start signal, I used a red dot sight mounted on the scope mount for rough aiming, and then transitioned to the scope. The scope magnification was set at max (35×) to make it imperative to use the RDS for initial target acquisition. The goal was to fire the shot within 10 seconds, and I was usually pretty close to that or less. Each shot was fired independently with the same engagement process.

And again...nice shootin!

THAT sounds like a fun exercise. Unfortunately, my Tikka is currently in disarray awaiting a Jard trigger. Not that there was much wrong with the factory trigger but after shooting the Timney in my CZ, it just didn't cut it anymore. Couldn't get the pull weight down more and would have to disassemble and polish to get the grit out of it. No patience for that these days. Since Timney doesn't make a single stage for the Tikka, I went with Jard. Should be here this AM so I should be shooting it this PM but there is rain in the forecast so we shall see.



PS. Action and trigger screws on the Tikka are ridiculously torqued, so be prepared to work a little to remove them if you so choose.

quote:

Originally posted by pace40:
PS. Action and trigger screws on the Tikka are ridiculously torqued, so be prepared to work a little to remove them if you so choose.

Yes, I got that impression before I decided not to pursue removing the action from the chassis.

Perhaps later and I do have the tools necessary, though, so I will be interested in your report about the Jard trigger.

quote:

Originally posted by sigfreund:
so I will be interested in your report about the Jard trigger.

Jard is here but I will post as soon as I can. The Jard is slightly unlike the factory in that the factory has a full housing where the screw attaches it to the action, whereas the Jard is flat with a spacer. I'm waiting for a reply from Jard as to any torque spec to install with the spacer. Afraid if I put it in with The Tikka torque it may crush since the factory trigger was so hard to remove in the first place. Factory on top...

Well...Jard installed. They didn't have a torque spec, so I went with 55 in/lbs. Firm enough to seat but not so much to where you need a breaker bar to get it out like it came from the factory. Raining so will need to wait to shoot but very nice trigger with snap caps. Zero take up, zero over-travel. Clean, crisp break at about an 8oz average and very consistent between 7 & 9. We like it.




BTW...used 60 & 65 in/lbs. on the front and rear action screws respectively. No need for a breaker bar to get those out either.

Thanks for the details; good to know.

Even assuming there is a reason for the action screws to be torqued to some unusual level, why the trigger screw? It would be interesting to know the whys of some of these practices. If it were Germans, “This is how ve do it. Do not even think you could do it better!” I might understand it, but Finns?

Got a chance to shoot the Jard trigger. Very sweet benchrest trigger. I would not recommend for tactical applications unless you bump up the pull weight. Anyway...soooo close. I'd love to say #25 was the wind but it wasn't. I saw the crosshairs move but couldn't back off on the trigger in time. If it was 18oz. instead of 8, I would have made that shot. (but I may not have made the other 24) Certainly an example of lighter doesn't always mean better in any case.

Wow, so close indeed.
Thanks for the report on the trigger.

I often wonder how I’d do with a higher quality gun and BR level trigger. I probably wouldn’t use it much, though, so ….

I should find out what’s involved in adjusting the pull weight of my Winchester 52’s trigger. I’m a little hesitant, however, to dink with something that is pretty much an irreplaceable antique.

quote:

Originally posted by sigfreund:
I often wonder how I’d do with a higher quality gun and BR level trigger.

I'll tell you what...I'm pretty impressed with this Tikka. I mean all I did was put a match trigger in. The rest is stock from the factory. The only other thing I may do is drop the headspace a little. It's sitting at about 0.044 right now. OK for Lapua products (SK included) but it doesn't shoot Eley very well. I can always buy Eley, not so for Lapua. Would like a happy medium where it will still shoot SK but also shoot Eley. My CZ is set to Eley spec at 0.040 but it won't run Lapua or SK.

How would you change the headspace of the Tikka?

You tempt me with the report about the Jard trigger, but I keep telling myself that the stock trigger is probably adjusted just right for 99% of the shooting I do with the rifle.

My local club is planning to get into offering NRL22 competitions, and I am really looking forward to seeing how I will do under that pressure. I shot in 22LR competition in the past, but it was a long time ago.

(Another 85 rounds today; 2132 since 15 July, but I have slowed down some recently. )

quote:

Originally posted by sigfreund:
How would you change the headspace of the Tikka?

Shim the bolt. Disassemble and place shim(s) between the front half and back half. However, it looks like a moot point. Just measured some SKSP and Center X and they're coming in at 0.042 so no way I'm getting to any magic number to shoot Lapua and Eley. Looks like I have an Eley rifle and a Lapua and everything else rifle.

quote:

My local club is planning to get into offering NRL22 competitions, and I am really looking forward to seeing how I will do under that pressure.

I wish you all the fun in the world. I'm past the point of contorting to odd positions to shoot. Knees and back would not be happy. Benchrest is now my official speed.

Thanks. I thought I'd seen something about shims to do that, but I didn't want to answer my own question.

I'm not sure how the NRL22 thing will work.
I can get into some of those positions, but prone has become something the Inquisition would make me do if they knew how it affects me.

There is actually an "accommodation" (or something like that) NRL22 class that I assume is for the disabled, but I doubt is intended for the "stiff and creaky." I'll probably just sign up for the oldsters category and if confronted with an undoable stage, it will be, "Yeah, no. I'll shoot it my way and you can record it as all misses."

Further results.
Not spectacular, but not bad for 22 Long Rifle and what I have come to expect under less than perfect conditions: ~110 yards, standing, rifle rested on a tripod. Ammunition SK Standard Plus.

Nine shots grouped about 1.6 inch center to center (~1.5 MOA).

The “flyer” at the upper right was the first shot of the session. Excuses?
Cold bore (which seems to be a real thing with 22LR)?
Shooting through a rubber finger cot on the muzzle? (An experiment about avoiding cooling bore inconsistencies during long sessions.)
Lack of precise aiming point?
First shot marksmanship “yips”?
Normal distribution?

I'd go with cold bore. Yep, it's a real thing on a precision 22. Easily seen on the sight ins on the first target above yours^^^^^.

Nice shootin BTW.

Wow this thread really making me wish I had a scope to throw on the Suhl 150.

Nice shooting guys, keep up the great work. I really miss all the .22 I used to shoot.

I bring this thread up from time to time in hopes of encouraging others.

quote:

Originally posted by sigfreund:
I bring this thread up from time to time in hopes of encouraging others.

It’s working.

Today’s teaser.

I had a few minutes before a friend arrived at the range and because I had the T1x along to show him I decided to try a few shots from the bench at the 9×15 inch silhouette set at 200 yards. The wind was a gusty 10 to 12 mph from 3:00 o’clock. My Kestrel said the elevation was 7.05 mils up (50 yard zero) and right 1.5 ₥. The elevation could have used a few more tenths, but the first shot was off to the left. Held 2.0 ₥ right and the four impacts:





The group (if four shots count ) measured about 2.8 inch center to center or about 1.3 minutes of angle. Again not bad for 22 Long Rifle at that distance with SK Standard Plus, a moderately-priced ammunition.