Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Tikka T3 -.223 twist rates

Anyone know if the Tikka T3 in 223 is a fast twist barrel?

Depending on when it was made it could be a 1-12, 1-10, 1-8. The twist rate is stamped on the barrel.

I have owned 223 chambered T-3's in all three twist rates and they all shot well but I only shoot 40 and 50 gr bullets so a fast twist is no big deal to me. My current one has a 1-10 and shoots 5 shots into 1/2" on a consistent basis with 40's and 50's.

drover

Mine is 1:8 t3x superlight

I have 2 T3 Lites that both have 8 twist tubes.
Both rifles shoot 55 Ballistic Tips, 65 Game Kings to the same point of aim and well under MOA

I have a 1-10” and a 1-8”. They both shoot 50 gr BT into bugholes, but the 1-10” falters with the 75 gr ELDM, while the 1-8” shines.



P

me too

The only real Superlite is a T3. You can keep the x.

Racists.






P

Are superlights no longer made?

They are still made and I believe they are a sportsmans warehouse special run. I just bought a T3x lite a few months ago in 223 and it is also a 1:8 twist. After a little break in that thing will shoot a 3/4” 5 shot group at 200 yards with factory 55 grn hornady vmax.

And on the superlight... are they substantially lighter then the standard lite model? Is the barrel very then and whipy ... does it heat up quick?

The superlite has the same barrel contour as the lite, and the only difference is the superlite is fluted. The superlite only weighs around 5-6oz less then the lite.

The barrels are thinner but not mountain barrel thin. I think they heat up just as quickly as any other sporter weight barrel, but I normally take multiple rifles with me to the range at one time and try to space apart my shots about every 10 mins to not overheat the barrels.

I have 5 tikkas and IMO they do have a little bit of whip to them but nothing too bad. I dont notice any barrel whip with the 223 however due to the minimal recoil.

If a barrel is properly stress relieved, it does not matter how hot it gets.

All of these were shot relatively quickly: right at 90 seconds for 10 rounds

Here’s a 10 round group shot rapidly-




Then cooled and I mmediately shot 3x3 rounds groups and 1 shot to make ten. Barrel was cooled between each three shot string-






Just shoot and stop worrying.

Form did you free float the factory stock, and if so did you notice much difference after?

I did. Precision (group size) didn’t chance, but POI became static. Before floating every once and I while there’d be weirdness on different rests. After, nothing moves.

Thanks for the info Form. I’ve noticed that as well with different rest. From the bench off a bipod I have a really solid rest, but my groups seem to open up a bit. If I switch to sandbags the groups instantly shrink back down to normal.

I found my T3 .223 with a 1/10 twist will shoot the 75 gr Hornady HPBT into a 3/4 MOA group at 100 yards. This is at 1760' ASL. I'm not sure how it will do farther out.

Formidilosus: how long does it take to cool down the 223 barrel between groups?

Anyone know if the Superlite is available in 22-250 with the fast twist?

I didn’t try very hard with my 1-10”, it shoots 50 gr BT Varmint into little groups at 3400 fps MV. My son named the load “Pest Control.”





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