Help rquired with TIKKA M55 chambered in 6.5x55 Swedish
Posted: Sun Dec 15, 2013 8:25 pm
I recently acquired a Tikka M55 fitted with a Stainless Shilen barrel and a rather nice wooden stock.
Saturday was the first chance I had to really try it out at 300yards.
I originally fired 50 full length sized rounds through it using a 140grain bullet. The bolt was a bit sticky and did not open cleanly but I did not think to much of it at the time.
I then neck sized the 50 cases using a Le Wilson neck die and loaded them with Hornady 120 grain A max bullets.
I seated them under the maximum over all length to fit the magazine.
I also full length sized another 50 cases and seated the bullet to the same depth.
at the range the bolt was stiff to close on all the rounds used and the bolt was very difficult to open on them the bolt had to be forced open. At this stage I stopped shooting it and bagged the rifle up.
Once I got it home I checked the seating depth with the same bullets using a Hornady over all length gauge no problem with the seating depth.
I trimmed a couple of cases so they were shorter than recommended.
I neck sized a couple of the fired cases with a Le Wilson neck die and chambered them with out bullets they were tight to seat and I had to use a rubber mallet on the bolt to eject the case.
I repeated the exercise using a Lee neck die the type you use with a mallet. The result was the same stiff to chamber and a rubber mallet to eject the case.
I then full length sized the cases and repeated the exercise the result is the same stiff to close the bolt after opening the bolt I needed to use a rubber mallet to eject the case.
I think who ever built this rifle has got the chamber wrong.
Do shillen barrels come with the chamber all ready cut would the builder have to alter the barrel to fit the action.
Am I doing some thing wrong any ideas before I get some one to check it out and start forking money out.
Obviously I will be contacting the dealer I bought it off. I should of stuck to my Milsurps they just perform full stop. HELP.
Any body got any idea how much a gunsmith is likely to charge to check it out.
Saturday was the first chance I had to really try it out at 300yards.
I originally fired 50 full length sized rounds through it using a 140grain bullet. The bolt was a bit sticky and did not open cleanly but I did not think to much of it at the time.
I then neck sized the 50 cases using a Le Wilson neck die and loaded them with Hornady 120 grain A max bullets.
I seated them under the maximum over all length to fit the magazine.
I also full length sized another 50 cases and seated the bullet to the same depth.
at the range the bolt was stiff to close on all the rounds used and the bolt was very difficult to open on them the bolt had to be forced open. At this stage I stopped shooting it and bagged the rifle up.
Once I got it home I checked the seating depth with the same bullets using a Hornady over all length gauge no problem with the seating depth.
I trimmed a couple of cases so they were shorter than recommended.
I neck sized a couple of the fired cases with a Le Wilson neck die and chambered them with out bullets they were tight to seat and I had to use a rubber mallet on the bolt to eject the case.
I repeated the exercise using a Lee neck die the type you use with a mallet. The result was the same stiff to chamber and a rubber mallet to eject the case.
I then full length sized the cases and repeated the exercise the result is the same stiff to close the bolt after opening the bolt I needed to use a rubber mallet to eject the case.
I think who ever built this rifle has got the chamber wrong.
Do shillen barrels come with the chamber all ready cut would the builder have to alter the barrel to fit the action.
Am I doing some thing wrong any ideas before I get some one to check it out and start forking money out.
Obviously I will be contacting the dealer I bought it off. I should of stuck to my Milsurps they just perform full stop. HELP.
Any body got any idea how much a gunsmith is likely to charge to check it out.
