I've done something to my bolt.

[Pesty]

Hi guys, I've out a new bolt handle on. All was going well until I reinstalled the bolt shroud and I guess I turned it the wrong way. Now the black but is in the cut out bit. Hmmm I'm guessing I'm not the first to do this and there is a way but I can't see it. Thought I could insert it in rifle and turn but it won't go in.
I'm guessing there is some spring pressure stopping me from turning it back the other way. Any ideas

[saddler]

Looks like the new bolt knob my mate has on his RPR.
What rifle is it?

[Pesty]

Tikka T3X

[The Gun Pimp]

You just de-cocked it.

Get some strong wire. Make a loop about 3 inches in diameter - twist the ends together. Hook one side over the shiny bit and the other round something solid. Pull on the bolt and the shiny thing (cocking piece) will move. Keep pulling and twist at the same time to re-cock by sliding the cocking-piece up the ramp. Or, you could buy a de-cocking tool!

If you store you bolt separate from your rifle, it's a good idea to de-cock the bolt to save the spring-tension - especially if you go for weeks without using it.

[Pesty]

Thanks I'll give that a go.

[ovenpaa]

You can also do it by hand with some leather gloves on to protect your hands and get a decent grip however a de-cocking tool is a lot easier to use. A de-cocking tool is basically a piece of round plastic or nylon with a hole in the middle with a slot cut into it which slides over the sear and gives you more leverage and the method Vince describes works perfectly in the absence of alternatives, I have seen people perform the same task with the bottom loop of the laces in the their boots.

[WelshShooter]

Heh, looks like you made the same mistake I did when I replaced my bolt shroud and handle on my Tikka T3

As The Gun Pimp has said, you have decocked the bolt which is why you cannot insert it into your rifle to de-cock. Use the method stated by TGP, which is the method I use for both my Tikka and Remington rifles for re-cocking them (but I used regular string). I put a Lee decapping die in my press and looped the string around that to use for leverage which made the job extremely easy!

[Sim G]

If you store you bolt separate from your rifle, it's a good idea to de-cock the bolt to save the spring-tension - especially if you go for weeks without using it.

Can't believe I'm going to contradict Vince.....

A spring held under tension under normal circumstances will suffer no ill effects at all. It is fatigue, through the work of compression and expansion that weakens springs. Being held under load can be effected by creep deformation, but only when held under load and temperatures are high enough to deform the spring material to the compressed dimension.

[safetyfirst]

What Sim said.

[Pesty]

Thanks guys, I had a bit of paracord lying around because I'm all tactical and tier one operator obviously.

Did as described above and all sorted now. I'm vaguely remembering the rifle came with some kind of strange shaped plastic thing which I obviously just ignored as I'm a bloke and don't read instructions. It's probably in the loft in the box.