Home | Ezine | Forums | Links | Contact
NitroExpress.com: Problems on safari with my Tikka 512

View recent messages : 24 hours | 48 hours | 7 days | 14 days | 30 days | 60 days | More Smilies


*** Enjoy NitroExpress.com? Participate and join in. ***
You are not logged in. [Login] Main Index · Search · Active Topics
New user · Who's Online · FAQ · Calendar

Double Rifles, Single Shots & Combinations >> Double Rifles
Previous topic Previous   View all topics Index   Next topic Next   Threaded Mode Threaded  

Pages: 1
NitroXAdministrator
.700 member


Reged: 25/12/02
Posts: 40296
Loc: Barossa Valley, South Australi...
Problems on safari with my Tikka 512
      #62923 - 23/09/06 03:20 AM

I took my Tikka 512 double in 9.3x74R over to Southern Africa as a second rifle to my .450. The plan was to use it in conjuction with Ndumo's (Karl S) own 8x68S for plains game and any plains game in Zimbabwe.

On test shooting it in Namibia we found the regulation had gone completely off, with the 286 gr SPs now crossing by about 12 inches at 50 metres. Ended up using a bit of ammo to get the bottom barrel "regulated" by shooting to the point of aim and the top barrel, still crossing and low by about 6 inches at 100 metres. Then decided to "conserve" ammo for actual use and use it mostly as a single shot with a spare "emergency" barrel.

Must say it takes a bit of confidence away. Used mostly Karl's M98 8x68S for most of the hunting except for a couple of warthog. Which was OK as I really wanted to give the 8x68 a workout as it is a calibre I have always wanted.

My thoughts is the wedge between the barrels must have shifted perhaps due to a severe bump during transport.

In Zimbabwe using FMJs I test shot it again but only at about 40 metres and while it still crossed the impact was on aim and only about an inch between the bullets.

Ended up not using it at all, as the .450 is a much better choice for elephant and buffalo. The guide had a .416 Remington in a Winchester M70 custom and when hunting a herd of buffalo we swapped rifles as the scope was much more handy to try to pick a clear shot through the scrub and other animals. He DID need the .450 handy to cover as we had several bull elephants only about 25 to 40 metres away from us at the time, but neither they or the buffalo knew we were there.

What are the gentlemen here thoughts on why the regulation changed so much?

Before going it was tested out and at 100 metres was shooting the top barrel about 30 mm higher than the bottom barrel.



--------------------
John aka NitroX

...
Govt get out of our lives NOW!
"I love the smell of cordite in the morning."
"A Sharp spear needs no polish"

Post Extras: Print Post   Remind Me!   Notify Moderator  
luv2safari
.400 member


Reged: 09/11/03
Posts: 1410
Loc: United States
Re: Problems on safari with my Tikka 512 [Re: NitroX]
      #62946 - 23/09/06 01:38 PM

John,

That baffles me, as had the center wedge loosened up, the barrels would have diverged...opposite of crossing. Loosening the wedge allows the bottom barrel to shoot MUCH LOWER, while the top barrel shoots just a bit higher. Was there any way at all that the wedge could have been driven forward? It doesn't take much movement to radically change things.

--------------------
Hunt with Class and Classics

Post Extras: Print Post   Remind Me!   Notify Moderator  
400NitroExpress
.400 member


Reged: 26/11/03
Posts: 1154
Loc: Lone Star State
Re: Problems on safari with my Tikka 512 [Re: NitroX]
      #62947 - 23/09/06 02:02 PM

Why adjustable wedges are a very, VERY bad idea.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

--------------------
"Serious rifles have two barrels, everything else just burns gunpowder."

Post Extras: Print Post   Remind Me!   Notify Moderator  
500grains
.416 member


Reged: 16/02/04
Posts: 4732
Loc: Salt Lake City, Utah USA
Re: Problems on safari with my Tikka 512 [Re: 400NitroExpress]
      #62960 - 24/09/06 12:45 AM

Nitrox,

What kind of case did you use to transport your rifles? Probably the airline dropped the case very hard on its end, causing impact to the Tikka barrels.

Post Extras: Print Post   Remind Me!   Notify Moderator  
zimhunter
.333 member


Reged: 05/02/04
Posts: 388
Loc: Southern Arizona
Re: Problems on safari with my Tikka 512 [Re: NitroX]
      #62980 - 25/09/06 01:01 AM

Have not owned a Tikka but have owned 2 Valmets with total of 6 barrel sets. Had one set of 9.3 barrels that the center wedge lock screw actually broke. Only problem I ever had with regulation. Drilled it out and put in oversize screw and never had another problem.

Post Extras: Print Post   Remind Me!   Notify Moderator  
BillfromOregon
.333 member


Reged: 27/10/04
Posts: 254
Loc: Sweetwater, by God Texas
Re: Problems on safari with my Tikka 512 [Re: zimhunter]
      #65543 - 09/11/06 05:21 AM

Nitro: Did you ever get this sorted out? I have been weighing the purchase of a 512 FinnClassic in 9.3 as my only rifle for PG in Namibia, but this sort of issue raises a bright red flag.

Post Extras: Print Post   Remind Me!   Notify Moderator  
NitroXAdministrator
.700 member


Reged: 25/12/02
Posts: 40296
Loc: Barossa Valley, South Australi...
Re: Problems on safari with my Tikka 512 [Re: BillfromOregon]
      #65592 - 10/11/06 01:41 AM

No I haven't shot it since returning home.



--------------------
John aka NitroX

...
Govt get out of our lives NOW!
"I love the smell of cordite in the morning."
"A Sharp spear needs no polish"

Post Extras: Print Post   Remind Me!   Notify Moderator  
Russ_Gould
.224 member


Reged: 20/12/06
Posts: 30
Loc: OR, USA
Re: Problems on safari with my Tikka 512 [Re: NitroX]
      #67649 - 21/12/06 05:00 PM

Quote:



Ended up using a bit of ammo to get the bottom barrel "regulated" by shooting to the point of aim and the top barrel, still crossing and low by about 6 inches at 100 metres.




The right way to regulate these bbls is to get the two bbls shooting in the same place (any place) first, then adjust the scope second. You should be able to get it pretty close with less than one box of ammo: one pair to see where they are, two pair to get the horizontal right (you can make an initial horizontal scope adjust after these), two pair for the vertical regulation (initial vertical adjust on scope), and two pair to finalize the scope. This should get you to a point where you have confidence in the rifle for hunting use, and as good or better than 80% of the fixed regulation doubles out there.

The problem is these guns are capable of bolt-action accuracy. Mine shoots bona fide 3/4" composite groups at 100. So some folks are tempted to twiddle this way and that to get them just so. If you are one of those, plan to use two boxes of ammo.

In order for the bbls to cross, the bbls have to be bowed apart at their midpoint. This means the wedge has to be tightened not loosened, as another poster pointed out. If the lock screws went loose on you, the wedge would have slipped and the bbls would have moved toward each other, causing the shots to diverge rather than cross (top shooting high, bottom shooting low), not the opposite.

If you look at the design of the wedges, the front wedge (for horizontal alignment) is held between two opposing screws and is very unlikely to move once set. The mid wedge (for vertical alignment) is a clamp that grips the lower barrel and at the same time an angled dovetail SOLDERED to the top bbl. As you move the clamp in the axis of the bbls, it forces them apart, bringing the top bbl POI down relative to the bottom bbl and vice versa. The whole assy can't slip on the bbls...but the wedge can slip if the screw is not tight. If it does slip, it will probably slip to a neutral position, ie no force separating the bbls. This will cause the bbls to diverge on the target, if the initial setting involved any degree of bowing apart.

For peace of mind, use some epoxy on this mid-screw once you have set the regulation. For even more peace of mind, put some on the dovetail as well.

--------------------
http://doublegunhq.com - specializing in fine English, German and American double guns; and http://bigfivehq.com, specializing in safari rifles and hunting safaris

Post Extras: Print Post   Remind Me!   Notify Moderator  
Pages: 1


Previous topic Previous   View all topics Index   Next topic Next   Threaded Mode Threaded  

Extra information
0 registered and 329 anonymous users are browsing this forum.

Moderator:  CptCurl 

Print Topic

Forum Permissions
      You cannot start new topics
      You cannot reply to topics
      HTML is disabled
      UBBCode is enabled

Rating:
Topic views: 2864

Rate this topic

Jump to

Contact Us NitroExpress.com

Powered by UBB.threads™ 6.5.5


Home | Ezine | Forums | Links | Contact


Copyright 2003 to 2011 - all rights reserved