500Nitro

I will send an email for the loads. Thanks.

I think I will try your idea of building up the 286 gr loads first and then attempting 320 's. Last time I looked Woodleigh only made a 320 gr SP but I looked last night and I see he has added a couple more including a FMJ.

In reality what I would like is to build a SP and FMJ load in 286 gr and get a lighter spitzer bullet working instead. For longer range deer hunting, pigs etc. No idea if this will work until I try.

luv2safari

Thanks for the comments. As you are an expert can I ask you the following questions on Tikka's/Valmet's. My rifle is second hand and came as is so no description or "instructions".

1. Which screw on the barrels is for high adjustment for the lower barrel? The RHS or the LHS? Is the other side for lateral movement or ?

2. The Tikka chokes (5) have grooves cut in them for identification from one groove to five. I assume these are : cylinder; improved cylinder; modified; improved modified; and full choke. Which is which? (first time I have a shotgun with exchangable chokes, believe it or not. All my others are fixed.)

I am not a great hands on person so will avoid filing down the front sight as long as possible. I will need a new one if I take a file to it.

But I have fitted a scope (shock-horror

) - a Leupold 1-4x so will mostly use that. I like this Leupold as the 1x setting is almost true to natural sight and allows both eyes to be open and viewing the target very well.

3. Third question. How good, if at all is the Valmet mounts in returning to point of aim? They do not look like they are precision QD mounts at all.

Thanks.

This rifle is almost new and still quite stiff. Even though it is a bit of a clunker I do like it. I bought it sight unseen, in fact never handled a Valmet/Tikka before at all. I have wanted one in 12g/.222 since 1983 and these models were hard to get in Australia, most Tikkas being a cheaper manual cocking version without barrel exchangability. I have never heard of the 9.3mm barrels in Australia only of .308 barrel sets.

I like this rifle so far. It is heavy but I was told they are very heavy and I do not agree with that. How heavy it is after a day in the Victorian mountains may be a different story. But a twin 9.3 would have to be an ideal running sambar rifle.

I will discuss with you the other barrel combinations too as I still need a 12g / .22 centrefire set.

Q4 - do you know of any good QD mounts that fit the barrels, or a good "swing aside" mount ie for a 12 g / .22 centrefire?

Thanks again.

Marrakai,

Will see.

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Everyone

I haven't received the dies yet, they are still "on the way" so I can't show results this weekend!